good neuro to bad neuro

[britinusa]

My neuro has been very good so far, He seems to accept what I tell him and with guidance I follow my own treatment path and he just gives me options to which I choose from.

I went for a routine visit last week and mentioned my hand and wrist spasms. His responce was I dont think thats your MS..  I followed on with a light hearted chat mentioning CCSVI - He asked what it was ??

I have now lost faith in him. Whilst CCSVI is nothing conclusive as yet I would have expected my neuro to have more knowledge if not equal knowledge to me.

I feel like he has me on Avonex, Ritalin and just expects me to just get on with it without challenging new options and new symptoms.

Do I find a new Neuro  or stick it out..

[Wobbly]

Hi there.. I just wanted to say I agree with what everyone say.

take care
wobbly

[MCBCON]

Many of us have the hand spasms like what you describe.  I have hand and arm spasms all the time too.

[britinusa]

Thanks you guys, I sometimes think I expect too much but I have a love hate relationship with Dr's (present company excluded !!).

I do think my wrist spasms are MS, I am otherwise fit  and healthy and have no other underlying problems. All the issues I have are MS, but I would like my Neuro to take me seriously and if its not MS then surely we should be finding out what they are caused from as its one of my most problematic symptoms right now.

Again thanks fr your input :)

[jensequitur]

Yeah, a neuro that isn't paying attention to CCSVI is nothing new - they're all ignoring it, hoping it goes away.

However, he told you your hand and wrist spasms weren't MS.  This makes me think he went to the same school as my neuro!  I'm pretty sure that my hand cramping, spasms, extreme soreness, and stiffness in my thumbs is because of MS.

I've stuck with my neuro, mostly because I can tell he does care about my welfare, and isn't just blowing me off.  I wish that I had another specialist to talk to to see if there's any treatment I'm missing out on, though.  Not like I could afford the drugs if there were any available... or even if my problems warrant medication.

[Quixotic1]

I totally agree with Patient X.  Doctors work 60 to 70 hours a week on average.  Plus they keep up with at least half a dozen Journals.  The CCSVI is hardly a blip in the world of science right now.  Single researchers are forever coming up with astonishing info, and the typical doc will let the research community sort it out and report on it before they spend time on it.  

The excitement on this is really mostly in the MS internet community.  A few medical/research people have taken note and are doing the proper work to see what needs to be done next.  I suspect that if the Bufffalo team reproduces the high percentage of MS sufferers who have evidence of CCSVI then it will make the prime-time journals and more practitioners will be aware.

If your neuro has been good up to this point, I'd say to give him a by on this.  It doesn't mean that he is uneducated nor uninterested nor anything.  

It would be imappropriate for regular practitioners to strike out on their own and start testing people. IMO.

I don't think he has thrown you to the wind.

Quix

[patientx]

"Do I find a new Neuro"

Based on what you written, my advice would be, in a word, NO.

In general it sounds like you have been happy with this neuro.  And he asked you what CCSVI was.  Most people would be encouraged by that type of exchange with their neurologists.

Remember, knowledge of CCSVI is primarily an internet phenomenon right now, even though it seems like common knowledge by now.  All publications about it are by one man, and almost all have appeared in vascular journals (the one exception I don't think is a widely read journal).  And I doubt doctors spend time reading internet forums - they have better sources for medical information.

By the way, the head of the MS center I attend hadn't heard of it until I emailed him some papers.

[essdipity]

Hi, Brit. Here's my take on this, based on my personal situation.

I'm not wild about my neuro, and am rather underwhelmed, or maybe just whelmed. However, he is knowledgeable and is treating my disease. I get Avonex and any other meds I might need to treat symptoms. What more could any other neuro do? That's why I haven't sought for still another doctor.

I do understand that you're wondering if yours is intellectually lazy. I'd wonder too. But CCSVI in itself wouldn't be enough to make me go elsewhere. I would, though, have my antennae up, and be on the look-out for subsequent lapses. If I saw a pattern developing, that would get me moving onward.

ess