Awaiting MRI appointment...

New diagnosis and before diagnosis
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Hello everyone,

I just joined this site today. I have been visiting a neurologist for a while now for migraines. I guess I never thought other symptoms were really associated with the migraines so never brought them up. The only symptoms I ever shared with my doctor are symptoms I thought were related to my migraine. Like previously I experienced vertigo for like a week (talk about awful), then I also experienced some vision changed like blurry vision. However, a few weeks ago I started getting tingly sensations in my head and sometimes travelling to my face. So, I decided to bring this up to my doctor this week. He suggested that I needed an MRI and asked about more symptoms… These are my symptoms I get that are reoccuring (including some I just mentioned): blurry vision (comes and goes every week), vertigo (maybe every other week for a short time), loss of balance and coordination (only occasionally that I thought was due to clumsiness), tremors in hands sometimes and even eye (which is weird), bladder/bowel problems (every day), pain through out my body (it comes and goes), numb and tingling in my arms and legs at times (just recently sometimes in my head), itching (which I am unsure if it is related because it comes and goes which I feel could be allergy related), of course migraines (every single DAY), fatigue (pretty constant), and I have issues remembering and concentrating (I feel like I can’t put any more information in my head no matter how hard I try to remember it - also every day).

After going over all these symptoms with my doctor, he feels it could be MS which is why we are doing the MRI. He also wants to rule out anything else it could be. So, now I am waiting. My MRI is on (Dec. 16) Tuesday at 9:30 am central time. Then I will know the results on the following Monday. I guess I will keep you all posted even if my MRI doesn’t show any signs of MS. Even if the MRI doesn’t show signs of MS, it seems like it still could be MS based what you all have said! I just hope whatever it is the doctor is able to figure it out easily. I wouldn’t like to wait months or years to be diagnosed with whatever it is! :frowning:

Anyway, you all seem very friendly! Even if I don’t end up with MS it is comforting to know that there are people out there that understand the similar symptoms I am experiencing. Thanks for reading my post!

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hi purpz

not long until your MRI.

following that, the neuro will need time to study your brain and maybe take it to a team meeting.

there are other things that mimic ms but your gp sounds very thorough and i imagine he has ordered blood tests.

if it is looking like ms, you may be asked to have a lumbar puncture. you can refuse this but it would help to make a speedier conclusion.

if and when you get a diagnosis of ms, you will be allocated a ms nurse and possibly offered a dmd.

good luck

carole x

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Thanks Carole! You are correct, he did do all the blood tests already! I did read there’s more testing after the MRI… If MS is suspected. I really hope something comes up on the MRI even if it doesn’t turn out to be MS. Just to have some kind of reason for some of my symptoms would be a great relief. My regular GP (not my neuro) always made me feel like my symptoms were bizarre and like it was all in my head. However, over the years, things have just gotten so much worse; so, i definitely cannot believe that when they have affected me this greatly.

Thank you again, Carole… Your information is greatly appreciated! It kind of helps me figure out what to expect next if my MRI does make them consider MS still.

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The advice given to me by a Neuro that I trusted was simple:

Make a list.
I add a little bit to that (from my own know-how).
List all your problems/symptoms/problems, writing (yes, pen and paper) them all down.

Now rewrite the list, grouping all the obvious things together (Like tingling toes, and tingling legs become tingling lower limbs).
Now rewrite the list again putting what troubles you most at the top, and the most trivial at the bottom.
Now make a short list of the top five items.

By now, you should have your list well and truly into memory (that’s why all the writing).
Now you can tell your GP (or a neuro) “This is what troubles me most”.
Result is you come across as mentally organised - and then it just cannot “All be in your mind”.

What you do not do is to type out your list and hand it over - you want their attention on you, not the list.
If need be, get your GP to refer you to a neuro as “possible MS”. It could just be other things, but that is for a neuro to say, not a GP.

Geoff

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First off MERRY XMAS.

Did you get any results?