there are many diseases that mimic MS, which is one of the reasons its often very hard to dx. I had 3-4 neuro's tell me there was nothing wrong with me……it took me years.
Good luck in your search
Thank you for your response. The MRI is in the morning and I see a neurosurgeon who is friends with my family after that to go over the scans. I don't see the neurologist until next week So I'm assuming unless it's something obvious I will not know for awhile. What mimics MS besides ALS?
Hi and welcome to our little MS community,
What stands out to me in your post, is from one month to the next, your neuro exams went from normal to not and it's not hard to understand if your wondering, if getting a different opinion could be what explains it or if MS or something similar has been happening to you all along.
Unfortunately it could be either scenario, we've had a lot of stories told here of people who's neuro told them, sometimes for years that their various tests are 'normal', dismissing clinical signs, prior medical history, MRI evidence etc etc and it's only after getting a second/third opinion do they find out, their test results were not 'normal' after all. There are a lot of reasons (too many to list) when MS is suspected, that its recommended people seriously consider seeing an MS specialist when they are potentially facing a dx of MS, it's not always the right answer but it's usually well worth doing.
In regards to MS, there are many conditions that cause similar sx's, there really isn't anything that's specifically unique to MS, it's more about the collection of various test evidence, suggestive sx's, pattern, history etc so it can take some time to work out exactly what is going on. It isn't actually common for MS to cause bilateral and symmetrical sx's, it can happen but not usually as often as the other conditions that more commonly cause bilateral and symmetrical clinical signs, it still might not be MS so if you can, try to stay open minded, you'll have a better idea when all the tests are done.....
Waiting can be very hard, but it's not unusual for people to be waiting weeks to months between tests, appointments and then waiting again and again until their dx is worked out, so finding patience is a good skill to have when your possibly dealing with a neurological condition..........remember to breath!
Hugs........JJ