Headaches and brain lesions

[Andy13011]

I'm a 49 year old female.  I have experienced headaches of varying degrees for most of my life.  As a result of an extremely severe headache recently my PCP ordered an MRI of my brain.  There were abnormal T2 and flair signal changes involving the bilateral periventrical white matter regions.  I underwent an LP and the results showed no inflamation.  I have two siblings diagnosed with MS in the last decade.  I have psorisis and endometriosis.  My psorisis responded well to 200mg/day cyclosprine.
My major concern is unexplained lesions in the brain.  I have low blood pressure and blood sugar. I am concerned about taking a wait and see attitude because we're talking about my cognitive ability which, I am ashamed to admit, is of UTMOST importance to me.  Should I pursue this further or ignore it and continue with a health lifestyle?  Thanks for your suggestions.

[Hypnoexpert]

omg I just googled brain lesions and Endometriosis because I am beginning to wonder if there is a link.  I have seven lesions and only recently giving the diagnosis of a form of MS.  But I had the worst case of endo that the doctor who did the surgery asked me how on earth I walked into the hospital - this was back in the 90's.  I had learned to live with extreme pain due to medical neglect until finally I was given the proper treatment - although infertile by then.  I was given anti-depressants and everything to shut me up for many other complaints.  Constant bladder infections, annual lung infections, on and on...I often end up with Pleuricy and just remember now as I write this an emergency doctor explaining once you get pleuricy you may get it often as it builds up...scar tissue again. Meanwhile, I too have had low blood pressure, iron poor blood, hypothyroidism, and COPD now.  Then I was just remembering that I had esophagus problems last year and finally it came to be I had 'scar tissue' in the esophagus!  It was sort of coming to me then that my diseases sure have a lot to do with scar tissue damage.  I'd like to know if there is a link.  I think women's health has been not just neglected by research and science, but utterly ignored.

[DShark]

I have always had sever headaches, all on the right side of my head. 20 years ago I had two shadows on my MRI - 15yrs ago I had five lesions. 6 yrs ago I had too many to count.  I have numbing burning sensation on the top of my head  also on the right side that feels like an Axe hit me.  I have weakness in my legs off and on.  I have turned over in bed feeling dizzy, only to get up and feel like I was on a spinning top all day.  A few times over the past few years I have had  itching so bad in my lower legs on the inside of my skin - no rash no red marks and no allergy's.  I was diagnosed with RRMS - I was on Copaxone for a while and was laid off.  I haven't been able to to obtain employment or afford medication - Does anyone know where I can get help?  I am not disabled there for I do not qualify for SSD.

[shelbie97]

Well I'm undergoing a series of tests. It was me who went to a previous Neurolgist (that I'm no longer working with due to his lack of concern) with the suggestion of my pain psychologist asking him to do an MRI to my brain since my father died of complications of MS. BINGO! The lesions were found. Now they have found 3 aneurysms in my brain as well. I also have a multitue of other symptoms that they are looking at. I am weak and fatigued all of the time. I have blurred vision and double vision at times. I get disoriented. I have "attacks" of extreme pain with fatigue and weakness. I have been nauseated for months. My right arm, hand and leg are swollen and weak. About a year ago I started getting a feeling of droopiness in my right eye and face. I was told it was anxiety. Now my eye feels like it's bulging all of the time. I get numbing sensations in the right side of my face and lips. My right tempal is swollen and hurts. I get pain in my right eye and above my eye in my brow area. I saw a Neurosurgeon the other day. He said he would do surgery to the Anuerysms. He said he would coil two of them and clip the other however; until they find the underlying cause of the other above mentioned, he couldn't do surgery at this time. I'm scared everyday of my life (or what's left of it) wondering what's going on with me. It's been the past three months I've noticed a real spiral down. Everyday is overwhelming for me. I can't even make it through an 8 hour work day anymore and now I'm looking at having to file for SSD and bankruptcy. I have been going through this for years now and the past two years have been getting worse. I've been two one doctor after another just trying to get them to listen to me. I even had one doctor tell me "you need to see a psychiatrist". I continue to advocate for myself and I hope I have finally found some doctor's who are listening to me. I have a new PCP and she's wonderful. On my last visit with her, she let me know she e-mailed my Neurolgist and told him "we need to give this woman a definitive answer". I have a history of migraines with a head trauma due to a car accident. I've had two surgeries to my neck. I now have a titanium plate on my cervical spine. I would encourage anyone who has been through and is still going through what I am to continue moving forward until you do find the appropriate medical attention. The most important thing I have learned is that you really have to advocate for yourself. The Neurolgist I'm working with now (and I think he's a really brilliant doctor), the first time I saw him he asked me "do you have Fibromyalgia?" I stated "resptively Dr. Jones, I don't have Firbromyalgia. I don't have degenerative disc disease. I am not going to be put in anymore trash buckets. I need answers to my questions and I need to move forward with the appropriate medical treatment!" He stated "Oh. Ok. Then we need to find the underlying cause of what's going on with you". Sorry this has been so lenghty but again, it's a tough road to travel and again, don't ever stop until you have found the answer.

[fangmouse]

Please do not stop "pestering" your doctors... or going to ANOTHER doctor.. just because they haven't heard of endometriosis effecting the brain.
Please do check the following link: http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/full/182/6/1543

[TMU42]

I am 42, but at 34, I was diagnoised with MS. I have had a series of symptoms ranging from aches and pains in my thighs, forearms and lower back, vision issues, and most recently, headaches that simply won't go away. I have had many MRI's which show 6 brain lesions within the left parietal lobe and posterior temporal lobe. My largest lesion measures 9mm.

I also have another issue which I have never considered to be a part of the lesion senerio, until reading the comments of others. I have a very strong pain in my lower left side, down by the pelvic bone. Sometimes the pain is a sharp stabbing feeling, and other times, it is a burning sensation. I have a uterin biopsy done and it came back normal. I had an ultrasound done and nothing could be seen. Any chance it could be Endo? I don't believe I've ever been checked for this and now I am wondering...should I mention it to my doctor??

[desirees3dolphins]

I too was just scaned and they saw a lesion on my brain, however, I had my hysterectomy in 99, but was also told that it was not a cure for endometriosis, and that it could potential come back, I have had severe stomach problem the past 8 months not being able to eat solid foods, I am thinking that my endo is back growing uncontrolable and strangling my intestines and stomach and causing all of this.  when i had my uterus, during 2 of my laporocopies, they had to detach my uterus from my intestines because they cemented themselves together from the endo.  And when i was first diagnosed, I did research and found a case study where endometriosis WAS found growing on a girl brain, so any doctor that tells me otherwise can go jump off a bridge!  girls i would go back to your doc's and demand them to recheck you.

[brain_Qs]

I too have endo. (small amount, but bad symptoms) and asked my gyno. about the lesions I have on my brain, she said it is unrelated. I am still questioning how much the docs. really know about the relation between the 2.  I am awaiting a call from my neuro. to see if she still suspects MS after my evoked potentials came back normal. I too have had BAD headaches in the past and wonder if that has anything to do with it? I also have some other weird symptoms such as bad arm pain and some vision problems that come and go. all this came about after my last pregnancy-including the endo. I know that MS symptoms can be brought on after birth....so we'll see!

[fion777]

Your post struck a cord with me.  I too have Endometriosis (as well as low blood pressure and blood sugar) and two years ago was diagnosed through an MRI with a brain lesion.  I went to a neurologist who specialized in MS and he ruled out a brain tumor and MS for a number of reasons (i.e. location of the lesion, other tests etc) and left it to the unexplained.  I have a serious hunch that what I am dealing with is a brain lesion caused by my Endo.  I've read recently that lesions are possible in other parts of the body (i.e. kidneys, heart, brain) from Endo.  Unfortunately, that possibility was not explored, and I can't find good information linking brain lesions to Endo.  

I mention all this because maybe, just maybe this could be something that you are dealing with as well.....  And, something that maybe someone out there has some more information on.....