Lumber Puncture

Would anyone have any idea where I could get a lumber puncture done privately? I did have an appointment for one on the NHS last month but had to cancel due to having bronchitis. The Secretary then said I would likely have a couple of months wait again. As I see the neurologist in 3 weeks I was keen to get it done before seeing her. I live in North Kent so in that area would be preferable. Thank you

Hello Elizabeth

Now I don’t actually know this for certain, but I think in order to have an LP done privately, you need to have seen a neurologist who is prepared to refer you for one. So you’d need to have your GP refer you to a private neurologist, have an initial appointment with that neurologist, then they refer you for an LP. You then get the results from that neurologist. So it’s not quite so simple as ‘get an LP done privately’.

Have you tried contacting your neurologists secretary and asking if there’s anyway you could get the LP done in time for your next appointment with the neuro in 3 weeks? It would of course have to be soon enough for the results to have been reported and for the neurologist to have looked at them.

It would be such a shame if you can’t get the full results when you see the neurologist.

Best of luck.

Sue

Hello Elizabeth13 Can’t you phone up the neurologist secretary to see if you can get a cancellation. Or phone your GP to see if they can hurry it up a bit. As it seems that the neurologist won’t have all the results at his fingertips to give you a proper answer. Have you had a head and spine MRI, because if you haven’t seen him before he will have to do lots of balance and hand to eye coordination tests. They may cancel the appointment and book you a new one with him. So that he has the results to hand that has happened to me before. Hope it goes well for you.

Kay

although my neuro wont do LP now he told me that himself. Unless the tests are non specific for MS but there could still be a chance it might be. My LP showed a lot of stuff that would indicate MS but the blood test alongside didnt confirm it or something. However, over the years I had positive MRIs and 2 positive VEPS for MS, and was finally diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS. He feels it is just too invasive and rarely has it confirmed MS for his patients and yet they go on to have MS like i did. The findings will not confirm nor rule out MS and there are risks to a spinal tap procedure. I know a lot of neuros are now steering away from it. Like Kay said there are a lot of other tests to go through yet and anyone of these may convince the neuro you have MS or if he isnt sure he may want the LP… By the way i had mine i never felt it nor did i get headache. thankfully. But yes you need to ask your neuro to sort it out, you cant just have an MRI or a LP without a referral.

Dear Elizabeth, Waiting can be very frustrating however, scans and larger treatments such as a lumbar puncture, will be expensive, privately and not always fully considered by the NHS and therefore repeated. I was diagnosed with RRMS through a private neurologist (best £150. I ever spent), via my MRI scan only. It took a further year for the NHS to diagnose me, again with RRMS, by which time I had had chance to read ‘Overcoming MS’, change my lifestyle, get healthier and feel a little bit more in control. And of course, I joined this forum which is truly helpful. Kindest thoughts Ali.