Confused as to why the MRI came back 'normal'

Just had a letter from the hospital, well it is a copy of what they are sending to my doctors. It says that they have had the results back from the MRI and apart from a slight anterior wedge ( fractured my neck 20plus years ago) there is othing else abnormal. And there is nothing to explain my dysaesthesia . There is no abnormality on imaging to suggest a significant central nervous system disorder. I am confused. I am still off work after 3 months, using a stick, cognitive problems, continence problems, balance, gait, muscle tightness etc etc etc. What happens now? . A confused Yvette X

damage to the spinal cord can give neuro problems years later. I had radiation treatment in neck area in 1990 and started having problems on 2010. My neuro also told me that he has a patient who tried to hang himself when he was 25 then at 45 started to have neurological symptoms… I reckon that you might have had damage to the cord when you fractured your neck and as you are now older your body is unable to compensate as it did before. Although if the damage is in your neck you should not really have cognitive problems - however these could be caused by the stress of the other issues.

Moyna xxx

Have cognitive problems for years, but over time getting worse. Forget names, forget people, sometimes can’t add up small change in my hand and other times can add up in my head a few items in my basket. Can’t say what i Mean, get words wrong like I say telephone when I mean television etc. forget my postcode, telephone number, the year. Forget what I am saying half way through a sentence,! Short term and long term memory bad. Surely having a neck problem would not come in clear episodes. Currently I have had an episode which has been acute but now getting better ( apart from the walking/ now using a stick ). Confused. It’s worse than limbo!! Yvette x

Hi, does your neuro want to you to attend a follow up appt?

My first MRI showed nothing, as did 3 later ones.

2 LPs and 2 EMGs also came back normal.

But because my clinical presentation was typical of PPMS, I was mis-diagnosed with it for several years.

My symptoms were, very poor mobility, tiredness, spasms and spasticity…bladder and bowel problems too.

This went on and my mobility waned completly.

Last year I was diagnosed with hereditary spastic paraparesis…yet we know of no-one with similar problems.

There is obviously something wrong, so I think you should be seen again.

luv POllx

Yes. Have an appointment on the 15th October. I hoped that this MRI was going to ‘put me out of my misery’ but the letter has just confused me more. I feel that I am a fraud…or at least i fear that is what they could think!! Yvette x

Youre not a fraud...........nor was I, even tho umpteen tests proved zilch.

Your appointment isnt far away now.

Let us know how it goes, yeh?

pollx

Oh Yvette how confusing for you! You are not a fraud though! Someone posted a link yesterday to a site that seemed to be saying that people can get neurological symptoms for no reason (unless I misunderstood it). I will try to find it again. Have you had all the other tests and did they come back negative too, particularly lumbar puncture? You need to talk everything through with a neuro, do you have an appointment booked?

Here is the site, although I’m not suggesting this is what you have. It just shows that people can have neurological symptoms with no damage. http://www.neurosymptoms.org/

Hi Yvette I’m really feeling for you. I’m in the same boat. It really messes with your head. Let’s hope the neuro listens to you when you see him.and make sure you stay on his books .take care Jo x

Another limbo-lander here, just to let you know I’m in the same boat too. Been having all sorts of symptoms for 2 or 3 years now, which have got a lot worse during the last year. 2 MRIs and a lumbar puncture show nothing to explain what I’m experiencing.

So, I just keep toddling along as best I can, enjoying everything I CAN do and trying not to think too much about things I CAN’T.

Chin up!