Hi
i have been to see doctors on a few occasions over the last 30 years with various symptoms, suspecting ms about 7 years ago after facial numbness and weakness in my left side. I’ve only ever had blood tests and an ecg. Symptoms have worsened and this week my doctor has requested an mri. I was wondering if this was usual for her to request this and not to be referred to a neurologist first?
Yes. I have a friend who has ms whos dr did that aswell. And when the results came back THEN she referred.Maybe its down to the personal preference of the Dr and their confidence at reading MRIs?
That was the case for me too. My GP referred me for an mri long before I was referred to a neurologist. Although GP’s can’t diagnose or personally read and report on mri’s, they do receive a radiologist report after the mri which pretty much spells out in language GP’s understand what was and wasnt found and the potential diagnostic result of the findings. Depending on this they then decide to refer to neurology or not. . Although as it goes, mine was clear but my symptoms were sticking around anyway so I got the neurology referral eventually anyway.
To be honest, I think this is a bizarre way of doing things. Maybe the GP is protecting their budget? If the MRI is negative for demyelination, but you still have the symptoms that prompted the scan referral, what will they do? Refer to a neurologist anyway? (See Cherry Trees experience!) If the MRI is positive for demyelinating lesions, what will they do? Again, refer to a neurologist.
The GP cannot diagnose MS. They can’t rule MS out either.
In fact they can’t diagnose or rule out any neurological condition. It seems irrelevant whether they have confidence in their skill at reading an MRI scan and/or a radiologists report on the scan.
Bloody stupid for them to order the MRI. (In my opinion.)
Is there any point in you seeing the GP again (or if it were me, I’d write to the GP - a nice paper trail helps sometimes!) and gently and sweetly ask for a referral to a neurologist. You can both thank and applaud the GP for referring for an MRI in advance, but state that given your symptoms it seems to make sense for a neurologist to be able to comment on the MRI scan, irrespective of the results of that scan. And then any further tests the neurologist thinks are important can be ordered.
Sue
Thank you all for replying, I think I was just relieved that my gp was actually doing something as 2 years ago when I went with numbness in my feet she just ordered a full blood count which came back ok then nothing else putting symptoms down to stress/anxiety and saying that maybe it’s just something I have to live with. I saw a locum in Oct after facial pins and needles and burning in my right thigh and he sent me for lots of blood tests again all clear. I since started to have spasms in my legs and a sort of head twitch that only I notice every couple of minutes so returned to my Gp and this is where I am now, waiting for the mri appointment. Once again thank you for responding
Hi there, this is all new to me been a tough few weeks. Mine started with vision trouble amd lose sensation on right side. When my right eye sight got bad my doctor sent me straight up hospital to see a eye specialist who then said I needed go on steriods so i did. My eyesight isn’t as bad now. But I have been really unwell with it all. My doctors sent off for mri but the hospital said they didn’t get it twice that happened so then my eye consultant sent one off amd I had one eventually which showed Demilanation. So then he said he will send a referral off to see a neorolagist. Now my doctor is currently trying to get it quicker as my eye consultant said it can take up to 6 months and my doctor said I shouldn’t have to wait that long so I’m hoping to hear this week how long as iv been really struggling. I would have thought because my mri showed Demilanation they would have sent me straight to see a neorolagist but doesn’t work like that does it :-/ so bit of a waiting game at the moment xxx
And one doctor I sire when it started put it down to stress/ anixerty. That’s the easy thing for them too say not everything is down to that. It’s all of this that’s caused my anixerty not the other way round xxx
Bloody awful really considering MS is such a life changing disease.
Yes I know, Iv had a few doctors just send me home when I had double vision amd sensation loss. Amd a few urgent mri referrals were lost by the hospital it was only when I got thw liason officer based in thw hospital that it was out through or I probably would still be waiting for that. Il hear more tomorrow unexpected or Tuesday on my neorolagist appointment. I no ms isn’t a life threatening but it’s not nice especially when it all starts as I was so scared wondering what’s happening and know one seemed too want to help at first :-/. I guess it’s getting to the point of getting the right treatment to help manage it amd just doctors to talk to that know what’s going on xxxx