Do you think this is MS?

[Nell44]

My Neurologist thinks I have benign MS. I am having a MRI next Monday. My last MRI 2 years ago showed some white matter changes and gliosis in the periventricular region. My current symptoms and past symptoms are fatigue,disequalibrium,dizziness,spatial disorientation,paresthesia,numbness, blurry vision(like I'm looking through a fog),clumsiness, loss of balance,fall frequently,forgetfulness,difficulty finding words and finishing thoughts, sensory overload,muscle spasms,muscle facilitations,muscle pain,can't hold objects drop them, RLS,(current diagnosis past 20 + years Fibromyalgia /migraine). In 1982 my whole left side went numb and had some slurring of speech,numbness of mouth for a few hours. I was hospitalized. No diagnosis and explanation then.Does this sound familiar to any of you early in diagnosis? I've thought for years that I have had MS. I stopped telling my primary MD's my symptoms because they always say it's my Fibromyalgia. My neurologist just announced that" I think you have benign MS "after I reported some of my symptoms to him and he did an exam of my reflexes. He has been treating me for migraine. I don't really have migraine headaches as they are very mild. I have more sensory symptoms.

[sllowe]

Oh boy! Did you bring up a dirty word! BENIGN MS!

Your symptoms are familiar to MSers, however, they are to other diseases and conditions as well.

I do believe some extremely experienced MS docs can predict a benign course of disease after years of following, but it's not the norm. I completely agree with what Lisa and Deb have said here.

This doc didn't even dx you with MS yet - and only been following you for 2 years. We believe in general here that no MS is benign.

Looking forward for you to having more evidence after the tap. Hope the doc is a good one :)
-Shell

[Deb61]

It does sound like you have MS, but as Lisa stated, there's no way to know if you will have benign MS.  The only way to know that is to look back on your life after living with MS your entire life to see if the disease took a milder route.  Even then, those with "benign" MS end up having typically more cognitive issues.  

MS is so unpredictable that there's no way to figure out if you will still have a "benign" disease process or rev up quickly to a progressive MS.  You could have a major relapse which effects a different part of your brain and be unable to walk, or you could have optic neuritis and be unable to see.

I think that when your brain is forming lesions from MS, it's never benign anyway.  Your brain can and does heal, but never completely (hence the name "sclerosis" from scarring).

Best of wishes,
Deb

[LisaJF]

I don't think...and I'll emphasize, "I" don't think there's such thing as benign MS.  If you have symptoms that are debilitating even for 5 hours and it relents, is that considered benign?  If you have symptoms that lasts more than 24 hours and they come and go throughout a month's time, interfering with your daily activities of living, your social life, your work, is that benign?

By the way, a lumbar puncture is helpful to point arrows at the diagnosis but it is NOT definitive because the rule is that 10% of people with MS do not have oligoclonal bands.  There are people here who have the diagnosis of MS who had lumbar punctures that were negative.  So the answer to your question, "Anyone have a positive MRI and negative spinal tap?" is YES.

I'm sorry for what you're going through and I do want to welcome you to the forums.

We have excellent health pages on MS covering many different topics of MS. Please take the time to browse through them.  

Here's the link:  http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=36

Let us know how things go with you.

Lisa

[Nell44]

Well I had my MRI. Results are...Non specific T2 hyperintense foci within the deep white matter. They are a few small scattered foci. This can be secondary to microvascular ischemia or demylelinating process as multiple sclerosis. Recommend clinical correlation. My Neurologist wants me to have a spinal tap for definative diagnosis.I feel positive that I have MS with my symptoms. Anyone have a positive MRI and negative spinal tap?