Hi everyone they found a few scattered areas of increased t2 signal in the white matter of both cerebral hemispheres but they don’t have typical apperance s .i have been of and on poorly for about two years she does not think it is ms however she she sending me for a lumber puncture . My partner has been worried about my fatigue cognitive problems slurred speech and distanced out. The doctor asked me was a working I said of course ad die befor am off work .what does all this mean?
I had an LP today. I initially had an MRI scan and while I didn’t get full details from my consultant, but his letter to my GP says ‘MRI scan of the brain has shown a number of areas of non-specific white matter high signal. There are more than I would expect just for age but are not in any particular distribution’. I asked him if he thought it was MS/what it could be and he just said ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it’. I went back recently after my symptoms had improved but not gone, and he prescribed me amitriptiline and said it could be that the muscles in my head and neck are tightening. I saw an ENT who also said it could be TMJ. Although I can’t provide you with any help, I definitely empathise. Did your neuro give any suggestion as to what else it could be?
Hi Steven and welcome to the forum…
Sorry you’ve been having such a rough time.
MS can be very difficult to diagnose (dx)… even when there are lesions (or scars) showing on the brain it is not always straightforward.
To diagnose MS they need to put various pieces of information together to try and get to a dx… a bit like putting a puzzle together.
Doing a lumbar puncture is one of those bits of information that will help them decide if you have MS or not.
They will take a small amount of fluid from the base of your spine. This fluid is made by your brain, and by testing the fluid they can see if your immune system has been active in your central nervous system (located in your brain). For most people the lumbar puncture is straightforward and painless.
If the answer is yes, or positive, then they will put that info together with what else they have, your MRI result, your symptoms, your physical exam, and they might then be able to dx MS.
If the answer is no, it’s an indication that it is probably not MS and they will look at what else it might be.
There are no shortcuts I’m sorry to say. It’s really a case of wait and see.
You know when I first thought I might have MS I was scared stiff. It couldn’t happen to me!!! But I was dx over 5 years ago and I’m very used to it now. It’s NOT a terminal desease and it’s certainly NOT the end of your life. Most people with MS can carry on working, driving, travelling, relationships, sex, just like everyone else. Sometimes of course you have to adapt and change your life because of MS… but thousands and thousands of people do it, and IF you have MS you will too.
Also remember, there’s huge amount of research going on right this minute all over the world. New treatments are coming along all the time and for the first time in history there is talk of a cure.
For now, rest as much as you can. Take it one day at a time. Wait and see what the tests reveal… and come on here for support and answers to your questions.
Take care,
Pat x
Aww thanks Did you ever go see a neuro physiologist