Aa
MRI Report
My MRI report states, periventricular, juxtacortical, subcortical white matter t2 hyperintense lesions. Signal abnormality is also noted in the corpus callosum posteriurly. Differential would include ischemic, demyelinating, infectious/inflammatory causes. What does this mean? From what I'm researching this could point to MS but I've also been tested for Lyme, which came back negative and know that means nothing and have heard that Lyme can be misdiagnosed with MS.
Best Answer
Have you done any "evoked potential" tests? If yes, and if all is normal, then MS is highly unlikely.
My neurologist also thought MS may be one possibilites when he found white matters lesions on MRI. I went through all evoked potential tests and lumbara puncture.
Now he says inflammation has to be infectious in origin, because MS and other neurological diseases do not cause recurrent low grade fevers and other symptoms I had.
Out of courious, Ceftin, is it better than meclizine? I am taking meclizine as needed for my dizzy and motion sickness.
My neurologist also thought MS may be one possibilites when he found white matters lesions on MRI. I went through all evoked potential tests and lumbara puncture.
Now he says inflammation has to be infectious in origin, because MS and other neurological diseases do not cause recurrent low grade fevers and other symptoms I had.
Out of courious, Ceftin, is it better than meclizine? I am taking meclizine as needed for my dizzy and motion sickness.
I hate to throw fuel on a fire, but consider the possibility that your father has Lyme.
I have relatives in No. Idaho and watched an uncle descend into what they were calling Alzheimer's, but you could see in his eyes he knew who everyone was, but simply could no longer turn his thoughts into words. He would sit and listen to everyone talk, and tears would run down his face because he could hear and understand, just not respond. He was a real Woodsy Owl and lived on a lake, so tell me he wasn't ticks from head to toe.
There is some thought out there that the apparent epidemic of Alzheimers in recent years may instead be Lyme. "Atypical Parkinsons" that was reinterpreted to MS in your father? Sounds like the docs are reaching. Anecdotally: my family tends to live well into their 80s and 90s, and while my great-grandparents and grandparents and great aunts and uncles who lived their whole lives in the woods in various parts of the country got old and sometimes frail and cranky, they never got Lyme symptoms. NONE of them.
So, I have difficulty accepting the ease with which MS diagnoses are doled out these days. I would do what you are doing: treat for Lyme and see what happens.
It's good to hear that you are feeling better as the bad stuff washes out of your system. That's very exciting news! I work hard on having a healthy diet and taking vitamins etc. these days, and it really does make a big difference. I gave up sweets entirely, since the bacteria seems to love the sugar ... but I do eat fruit liberally, most apples and bananas, and bananas esp. have a fairly high sugar content. Oh well. I also avoid dairy and soy and wheat, and if I eat something that has any of those in it, I can really feel the difference the next day or two. Those may be allergies particular to me, but it does show that diet matters.
Good for you in what you are doing -- it is what I would also do in your situation. Sending you all good wishes and thoughts -- keep us posted!
I have relatives in No. Idaho and watched an uncle descend into what they were calling Alzheimer's, but you could see in his eyes he knew who everyone was, but simply could no longer turn his thoughts into words. He would sit and listen to everyone talk, and tears would run down his face because he could hear and understand, just not respond. He was a real Woodsy Owl and lived on a lake, so tell me he wasn't ticks from head to toe.
There is some thought out there that the apparent epidemic of Alzheimers in recent years may instead be Lyme. "Atypical Parkinsons" that was reinterpreted to MS in your father? Sounds like the docs are reaching. Anecdotally: my family tends to live well into their 80s and 90s, and while my great-grandparents and grandparents and great aunts and uncles who lived their whole lives in the woods in various parts of the country got old and sometimes frail and cranky, they never got Lyme symptoms. NONE of them.
So, I have difficulty accepting the ease with which MS diagnoses are doled out these days. I would do what you are doing: treat for Lyme and see what happens.
It's good to hear that you are feeling better as the bad stuff washes out of your system. That's very exciting news! I work hard on having a healthy diet and taking vitamins etc. these days, and it really does make a big difference. I gave up sweets entirely, since the bacteria seems to love the sugar ... but I do eat fruit liberally, most apples and bananas, and bananas esp. have a fairly high sugar content. Oh well. I also avoid dairy and soy and wheat, and if I eat something that has any of those in it, I can really feel the difference the next day or two. Those may be allergies particular to me, but it does show that diet matters.
Good for you in what you are doing -- it is what I would also do in your situation. Sending you all good wishes and thoughts -- keep us posted!
I pretty much AM in your situation. I have been told MS by 2 Neuros, an MS Specialist, and a regular Ophthalmologist, but none of them addressed the fact that I have run a fever more than 1/2 the time since I worked a forest fire in 2002. I don't know if I got bitten then or not, but it makes sense to me that ticks and other biting insects would have been in a frenzy with their home on fire. I haven't felt good since then, but I definitely got bit by something in Oct. of 2011 and got a rash that looked a lot like the Bart Scratch Rash. After some steroid treatment for the rash, that was the start of about 3 months of hell for me health-wise, but again, no mainstream doctor seemed to think the bite was worth pursuing beyond a worthless ELISA test.
The LLMD I went to see actually took these things seriously and started me on ABx.a few weeks ago. I have been herxing something fierce! I actually had to take a break this week in order to be able to work the 2 days per week I am trying to maintain. I hated to do it, but I felt like I had a hangover combined w/ the flu and had just started an exercise program! And I have a physically demanding job w/ irregular hours. Once my body caught up with flushing out the dead bacteria, I felt amazingly better than I've felt in months...maybe years! I'm definitely not back to normal, but there has been a true improvement.
I have many risk factors for MS: I am Scottish, I spent my teen years in Northern Idaho, and my dad was Dx w/ "Atypical Parkinsons" for years, but his Dx was recently changed to MS instead. All of these things really up my odds greatly, so my having MS is not out of the question at all, but since they strongly suspect that an infection of some sort causes it to start up, it seems logical that for SOME people Lyme's could be the catalyst. And if I really do have MS, it doesn't mean that some &^%$ tick wouldn't take the opportunity to bite me anyway! I am choosing to treat the Lyme's/co-infections first and see if that will put an end to the MS or MS-like symptoms. It just seems more logical to me to try to take care of the infection than to try to regulate my immune response TO an infection.
If you were unlucky enough to get a LLMD that isn't going to be a good match for you, I still think it would be worth it to give this one, one more chance or find another LLMD. Just a thought :)
The LLMD I went to see actually took these things seriously and started me on ABx.a few weeks ago. I have been herxing something fierce! I actually had to take a break this week in order to be able to work the 2 days per week I am trying to maintain. I hated to do it, but I felt like I had a hangover combined w/ the flu and had just started an exercise program! And I have a physically demanding job w/ irregular hours. Once my body caught up with flushing out the dead bacteria, I felt amazingly better than I've felt in months...maybe years! I'm definitely not back to normal, but there has been a true improvement.
I have many risk factors for MS: I am Scottish, I spent my teen years in Northern Idaho, and my dad was Dx w/ "Atypical Parkinsons" for years, but his Dx was recently changed to MS instead. All of these things really up my odds greatly, so my having MS is not out of the question at all, but since they strongly suspect that an infection of some sort causes it to start up, it seems logical that for SOME people Lyme's could be the catalyst. And if I really do have MS, it doesn't mean that some &^%$ tick wouldn't take the opportunity to bite me anyway! I am choosing to treat the Lyme's/co-infections first and see if that will put an end to the MS or MS-like symptoms. It just seems more logical to me to try to take care of the infection than to try to regulate my immune response TO an infection.
If you were unlucky enough to get a LLMD that isn't going to be a good match for you, I still think it would be worth it to give this one, one more chance or find another LLMD. Just a thought :)
Not to bring you further down, but ... there are two groups of docs who on the whole know the least about Lyme: infectious disease (ID) docs, and neurologists.
In your situation, I would see an LLMD. Seriously.
In your situation, I would see an LLMD. Seriously.
Went to my MD today to discuss MRI results, he says MS, that he doesn't believe it could be Lyme, next steps neurologist. LLMD never even bothered getting back to me. So done with her. Ugh, I don't what to believe, very confused but not ready to accept MS, not that Lyme is a picnic but I think if I had to choose I go with that...hmmm...maybe not...anyway, thanks guys!!
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Lyme Disease Community
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Can HIV be transmitted through this sexual activity? Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia answers this commonly-asked question.
A breakthrough study discovers how to reduce risk of HIV transmission by 95 percent.
Dr. Jose Gonzalez-Garcia provides insight to the most commonly asked question about the transfer of HIV between partners.
Before your drop a dime at the pharmacy, find out if these popular cold and flu home remedies are a wonder or a waste
Fend off colds and the flu with these disease-fighting foods
I definitely think you should follow Jackie's advice in pursuing the lyme diagnosis. Don't abandon that possibility until you are totally sure it really is negative. I agree with the others that any rash with a ring sounds lyme-like.
I also think you need a good ILADS doctor to guide you through a test for bartonella. Bartonella has the same symptoms as lyme, but usually causes worse brain symptoms. Plenty of ticks carry bart but not lyme. Some strains of bart cannot be lab tested so you may need a good doc to sift through symptoms and give you an antibiotic trial.
Another condition that fits all your symptoms and brain lesions is vitamin B12 deficiency. It is amazing how useless most doctor are at diagnosing it. Most people are ill for years before getting a diagnosis. The blood test may say lowish when really you are atrociously deficient.
There are various genetic polymorphisms that mean people cannot convert inactive B12 (as absorbed from food) into, and between, the various activated forms. That means you could have B12 shots and still not get better.
If you are taking oral B12, it will most probably not get into your blood stream.
I can suggest a doctor who frequents another forum and who is really helpful at explaing all this (which I am not!), he is called Richvank and if you send him a PM on this forum
http://forums.****.me/index.php
I am sure he will make some suggestions about tests you may want to ask for. I am called Athene on that forum, you can tell him I sent you!