Transverse Myelitis?

[chris07477]

Hello, thanks for taking time to read this. I am a 40 y/o man who has been, for the most part, healthly my whole life. That is until this May (2011). I was very busy at the time (coaching my son's tee ball team, work, dealing with a vacant rental house, etc.) I started having calf pains and twitches at first and then it spread to my entire body. A twitch here and a twitch there. I went to my PCP and he did the normal blood work, even testing for tick bites. At one point they even checked for blockage in my legs. He soon sent me to a Neuorologist. I had two EMGs, MRI of the spine(2) and brain, lumbar puncture,  and other blood tests. The spinal MRI done on July 14 showed a spot on the spinal column, a second spinal MRI and brain MRI was ordered and done on July 29. The brain MRI came back ok, and the results of the spinal MRI were that the spot (inflammation?) had gotten much smaller and the diagnosis is that I am healing from Transverse Myelitis, although my Neuorlogist didn't completely rule out AIDP (which was his original unofficial diagnosis). Also, the lumbar puncture showed high white blood cell count. He gave me a choice to have 5 days of steriods and wait, just wait, or go get a second opinion. I am feeling somewhat better, but not completely. I still have some twitching and calf pain but all in all, it's not near as bad as it was in June/July. Some days I'll also feel kind of nervous and weak, but it's not bad enough to keep me from working, etc. Then other days, I'll feel like great, almost like nothing is wrong, except the calves. That's where the pain began and it has not gone away completely. My questions is does this sound like MT, and should I get the steroids? Also, assuming MT, how long can it take to heal? Thank you... Chris

[chris07477]

Thanks, Kelly. I think I will skip the steriods and just wait. On the spot getting smaller so quick, I'm not sure either on the time frame of that. Neuro wants to see me again in 3 - 6 months and if the problems haven't gone away, maybe another MRI. Thanks again and good luck to you.

Chris

[anon07072023]

Well, I think it's hard to say. It's interesting that they saw it on your 14 July MRI and then the spot was already getting much smaller just 2 wks later. I'm not for sure if that goes along with how TM usually presents. I was initially diagnosed with transverse myelitis before I converted to an MS diagnosis - with added lesions in the brain and progressing/new symptoms.

One of my first symptoms was tightness/pain in my left hamstring - constant tight contractions in it that wouldn't let up. They did a t-spine MRI and found a couple lesions on my spine. I've read that the apex of TM would be maybe about 3 wks after your symptoms start - and then after that, your symptoms will either stay where they are, or they will slowly decline over a 2 yr span. And where you're at, after 2 yrs, is typically where you'll stay.  

With your spot on your spine already starting to go away, I'm not too sure about how much the steroids will help you.  They really didn't help me at all - then again, they didn't offer them to me until about 6 months after my first symptoms started. My lesions on my spine are still there that they found 2 yrs ago.

Good luck,
Kelly