Aa
Comment and question
Still waiting--today is three weeks since the lp. Interesting--I decided to start sending reports from my other doctors to neuro. When he called me four weeks ago about the MRI that showed new and larger lesions, he asked if anyone told me to take a low-dose aspirin a day. I said no (I am on hbp med and in control). He said to start that.
As I read more off this site, I decided to have old rheumo. report and swallow study from by GI sent to neuro. Neuro pa called and said--did anyone ever talk with you about your swallow study. No, only confirmed that I did have esophageal spasms, but not really said anything. (That was 12/09) She told me yesterday that my neuro said there is info on the report about silent aspiration showing, too. That could increase my risk of pneumonia, etc., and that the muscles are not moving the food down my esophagus, etc. (I told her I was the household joke about getting vitamins stuck in my throat and banging on the table!) Anyway, he asked me to consider swallow therapy. Sounds weird (and like I'm really old), but I said of course I would. Just wondering if any of you had gone through this. I did see that dysphagia and esophageal spasms could be another MS symptom. Maybe we're getting closer to news.
But, still waiting for the lumbar results...but I see that some people did get results in four - six weeks as well. Just wondering if that leads more to a positive result--if everything was negative, would that have shown up by now. So anxious trying to be patient. Wonder why the GI doctor never said anything about the swallow study... This makes me feel better about having my neuro start looking at everything.
Today is the nine-month anniversary of my daughter's suicide. A very hard day--haven't even gotten out of my pajamas--just decided it was a cry-day. But my youngest will be home soon so I have to perk up--I'm going to bake her a cake.
Thank you all for being there and helping me through the waiting game...
LPT
As I read more off this site, I decided to have old rheumo. report and swallow study from by GI sent to neuro. Neuro pa called and said--did anyone ever talk with you about your swallow study. No, only confirmed that I did have esophageal spasms, but not really said anything. (That was 12/09) She told me yesterday that my neuro said there is info on the report about silent aspiration showing, too. That could increase my risk of pneumonia, etc., and that the muscles are not moving the food down my esophagus, etc. (I told her I was the household joke about getting vitamins stuck in my throat and banging on the table!) Anyway, he asked me to consider swallow therapy. Sounds weird (and like I'm really old), but I said of course I would. Just wondering if any of you had gone through this. I did see that dysphagia and esophageal spasms could be another MS symptom. Maybe we're getting closer to news.
But, still waiting for the lumbar results...but I see that some people did get results in four - six weeks as well. Just wondering if that leads more to a positive result--if everything was negative, would that have shown up by now. So anxious trying to be patient. Wonder why the GI doctor never said anything about the swallow study... This makes me feel better about having my neuro start looking at everything.
Today is the nine-month anniversary of my daughter's suicide. A very hard day--haven't even gotten out of my pajamas--just decided it was a cry-day. But my youngest will be home soon so I have to perk up--I'm going to bake her a cake.
Thank you all for being there and helping me through the waiting game...
LPT
Thank you so much for the information. I have been on various meds for GERD for a long time, but it was getting worse over the past year. Now two Zegerid daily. I had a cervical MRI, but only on 1.5T, that came back normal. If I ever hear anything, I'll ask about thoracic MRI on 3T. Sounds like there may not be a 3T machine nearby, though.
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
Thank you so much for the information. I have been on various meds for GERD for a long time, but it was getting worse over the past year. Now two Zegerid daily. I had a cervical MRI, but only on 1.5T, that came back normal. If I ever hear anything, I'll ask about thoracic MRI on 3T. Sounds like there may not be a 3T machine nearby, though.
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
Thank you so much for the information. I have been on various meds for GERD for a long time, but it was getting worse over the past year. Now two Zegerid daily. I had a cervical MRI, but only on 1.5T, that came back normal. If I ever hear anything, I'll ask about thoracic MRI on 3T. Sounds like there may not be a 3T machine nearby, though.
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
Thank you so much for the information. I have been on various meds for GERD for a long time, but it was getting worse over the past year. Now two Zegerid daily. I had a cervical MRI, but only on 1.5T, that came back normal. If I ever hear anything, I'll ask about thoracic MRI on 3T. Sounds like there may not be a 3T machine nearby, though.
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
Thank you so much for the information. I have been on various meds for GERD for a long time, but it was getting worse over the past year. Now two Zegerid daily. I had a cervical MRI, but only on 1.5T, that came back normal. If I ever hear anything, I'll ask about thoracic MRI on 3T. Sounds like there may not be a 3T machine nearby, though.
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I had a L-4/L5 fusion about six years ago which made getting the lp interesting. The doctor was so good--it was with floroscopy (sp?). I laid on my stomach with a pillow underneath. He did say the fusion can distort where the puncture needs to go...I did feel about three "pops" and thought I'd vomit from anxiety. But it was fine.
It's a sad position to be in--wanting a test to be positive but since the MRI is getting worse, it may be more of a tecnicality for the dr. to see how much things have progressed rather than if....who knows. Thanks again,
LPT
I remember mine taking a while to come back - but I don't remember the timeframe.
Esophageal spasms, huh? Well, at first my doctor thought that was my problem too. I'd been having these horrible pains in my esophagus, and it wasn't heart related. It seemed to be set off by acid reflux, and I'd been having problems with acid, so we decided I had GERD and I was to start taking over-the-counter acid reducers.
A year later, I found that it wasn't the acid reducer that stopped the spasm - it was the drinking of the water! For some reason my esophagus stopped cramping if I started drinking something. So I had to start carrying water everywhere.
Fast forward to my diagnosis in 2007. The esophageal spasms had gotten worse and were going around my torso, and sometimes it was just my back that was cramping. Plus my back was numb from above my bra strap to the lumbar region. I started having weak legs.
I got an MRI of my back, but it was a .7T MRI - a waste of time. It wasn't until recently that I got a 3T MRI of my back, and it revealed several lesions in my spine.
Just recently I've started having problems swallowing. It feels like I'm accidentally breathing in liquid rather than it going down my throat.
So if you haven't gotten an MRI of the spine (3T) I would do so. Your symptoms indicate a possibility of spinal lesions.
Esophageal spasms, huh? Well, at first my doctor thought that was my problem too. I'd been having these horrible pains in my esophagus, and it wasn't heart related. It seemed to be set off by acid reflux, and I'd been having problems with acid, so we decided I had GERD and I was to start taking over-the-counter acid reducers.
A year later, I found that it wasn't the acid reducer that stopped the spasm - it was the drinking of the water! For some reason my esophagus stopped cramping if I started drinking something. So I had to start carrying water everywhere.
Fast forward to my diagnosis in 2007. The esophageal spasms had gotten worse and were going around my torso, and sometimes it was just my back that was cramping. Plus my back was numb from above my bra strap to the lumbar region. I started having weak legs.
I got an MRI of my back, but it was a .7T MRI - a waste of time. It wasn't until recently that I got a 3T MRI of my back, and it revealed several lesions in my spine.
Just recently I've started having problems swallowing. It feels like I'm accidentally breathing in liquid rather than it going down my throat.
So if you haven't gotten an MRI of the spine (3T) I would do so. Your symptoms indicate a possibility of spinal lesions.
No wait, it was a speech pathologist...not OT...Sorry, they send me too many different places...lol
I worked with an OT that specialized in swallowing problems. I took just two visits. She gave exercises to help me. They will teach you about thickening for your drinks and teach you the chin tuck when drinking. The thing with the chin tuck it is not something you do only when you are having problems. It is something you must teach yourself to do daily. You will learn a lot of things from them that will keep you from aspirating foods into your lungs.
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