Hi ElephantEyes, I’ve had 2 MRI scans over the last year and waited 8wks and 5wks for the results. The waiting is the worst part. I kept myself really busy to avoid thinking about it and found positive things to focus on. I hope you get some answers soon. Best wishes.
Sorry for the multiple replies - it’s my first time on this forum and when I tried to post a comment it appeared not to have worked, I got a timed-out message so I thought my text was lost and I tried again…and then again!
A quick question - I’m due to see a neurologist for the first time in November. Is it very likely that I will get an MRI? Like others here, I’m keen to know if anything will show up. I can certainly tick many ms symptom boxes and the behaviour of them (coming and going, some seem to be sticking around) certainly seems to fit. I’m now much better prepared to face a long wait but trust that I’ll get my answers as soon as possible. Wishing the same for all those still waiting 
Its usually 7 to 10 days when scan results are available but you normally get the results in my area at your follow up appointment, which averages about six weeks. I’m not a patient person and luckily have a good relationship with my gp, so a couple of weeks after my scan I asked her to access the results from her computer.
[quote=“Reikiblossom”] A quick question - I’m due to see a neurologist for the first time in November. Is it very likely that I will get an MRI? Like others here, I’m keen to know if anything will show up. I can certainly tick many ms symptom boxes and the behaviour of them (coming and going, some seem to be sticking around) certainly seems to fit. I’m now much better prepared to face a long wait but trust that I’ll get my answers as soon as possible. Wishing the same for all those still waiting [/quote] Hello Reikiblossom, if you are showing many of the symptoms of ms then yes its highly likely you will get a MRI scan. Some neuro’s prefer just to request brain MRI, rather than brain/spinal MRI scans. My neuro didn’t want to do spinal MRI, I believe its to do with the shape of the spine…makes it difficult to scan. I asked for my spine doing because of the trouble I have with my gait and also incontinence problems. I’m glad I did now because it showed spinal lesion, that accounts for the problems I’ve just mentioned. Good luck with your neuro appointment x
The 2 appts prior to my last one no I didn’t despite symptoms. I have had mri of head 4 yrs ago but for migraines Axx
Back in 2006 I wasn’t told of any mri results because I was going through loads of other tests. I’m led to believe that they know right away once they look at the scans, just like your modern x ray machines. Back then and after 15 months of various tests, I got a call from my local hospital at 8.30am and they wanted to see my neuro at 1.30pm that day, to be told I have MS. John.
Hi I’m new to this forum, I have had serve pain in lower back for 7 months now, tingling in legs, numbness in legs, chronic pressure in my thighs like being pumped up from inside, excruciating! I have eye pain when moving my left eye up or to the side, I am limited in walking, after a short distant I am suffering from heavy legs, like walking with cement filled boots, over the past year I have had numerous symptoms starting from jan last year, toe next door to big toe on right leg went numb, glandular fever in June last year, heavy arms and heavy legs during the summer and a weird two day tingling down my left arm, had odd day of tingling in my legs through summer too, in October last year my legs tingle and felt as though my knee was going to pop out of place this took me to the dr,…nothing was done maybe a sprain…since then the tingling is daily and pressure pain is in both legs with chronic back pain, I’ve been to optician about y eyes and they said I have a muscle issue with my left eye and would like me to have it checked out at hospital but no appointment as of yet… I have begged my dr to send me to neurologist and after months of persuading she has and I have my appointment this week, can anyone else relate to these symptoms as I am at my wits end, I have three children at home and it effects them as well as me as mobility is effected in a big way…can I request a Mir on my brain and spine when I go to neurologist, I want some answers, I was so active prior to this and now I’m lucky if I can walk tenmins without being in pain or dead heavy legs, so tired of being tired , somebody help feels like I’m going crazy, my dr said it maybe a illness they can’t diagnose and I may have to live like this…I’m not willing to accept this answer, there has to be something…?
Good afternoon
Depending on your local hospital, will depend on how long you have to wait. I had an MRI last May (2014), and due to my local hospital not been able to retain neurologists, I could/did not see anyone. (My appointments kept getting cancelled). After 7-8 months, I received a letter, that my local hospital had sent my GP which stated there are new leisons but did not state to what extent, I rang my MS nurse and was quite upset and concerned as to what extent that these lesions were. She made me an appointment to go and see her 2 days later. She had a copy of my report and told me that the lesions had caused minimal damage but I still had to see a neurologist. My MS nurse assured me that I was getting my knickers in a twist for nothing and in the grand scheme of things there was nothing to worry about. I walked out of the hospital extremely relieved. I eventually saw a neurologist 2 weeks ago (2015, yes, a year down the line) who has requested an urgent MRI because I have had another relapse (not as severe as my previous 2) and that the report she was looking at was to old and wanted an updated one. The neurologist, I saw (bearing in mind, that I had 4 appointments cancelled because they kept leaving over the course of a year) told me that she was on a 2 month contract because she had come down from another hospital, (I can only assume, to clear the back log) so I may be left in no mans land again!!!
I am still waiting for my urgent MRI!!!
P.S I don’t like referring to my MS nurses as she but I get the distinct impression (after reading other posts) that you are not allowed to name any professional, even if they are good.
Two scans in first week of August-still waiting for something back.(6 weeks and counting).
6 weeks and counting-nothing yet!
Hi, when I had my MRI, I was told about 2 weeks for results. I waited 5 weeks and then rung the consultant’s secretary and they had never even been sent through from the radiology dept! If I hadnt rung up, I would have been forgotten about, so maybe you could give them a quick ring and make sure you are in the system?
Mine took less than a week. GP asked for the scans and the result was faxed through to him and he phoned me 
I was then sent for an urgent referral with a MS specialist.
Hi there EE,
You have a lot of the answers here (above). Processing the results is variable (location dependent), and I even know of one case of:
“The scans have to go to South Africa for evaluation”
This was a contracted out scan done in a trailer in the car park.
Secretaries are not allowed to give you the diagnosis (nor, generally, nurses even), even if they do know what the words mean - which is not always the case! Often a letter is dictated and never checked!
There are only two people who can diagnose psychiatric problems - a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist. Others may know enough to take a good guess, and be right, but they cannot diagnose.
Generally speaking, a psychiatrist will look for medication as a solution, whereas a clinical psychologist will start by thinking in terms of cognitive therapy.
If you have not yet seen a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist, I would demand to see one or the other.
You should be able to get a copy of the scans - and the software to display them - from the Imaging Department that did them. But, this can cost up to £20 and all you get is a single CD. Asking for a copy can be a way of speeding things up, as it does suggest that you might be looking for a second opinion before the first one has been delivered.
Geoff
Hi, I’m new to this forum but like you I’m in limbo. Had MRI beginning off April, phoned gp a week after MRI and was told I had brain lesions. 9 weeks of tears, depression and worry I got neuro appointment. Neuro said lesions not I right place for MS, then went on to discuss all the new developments in Ms with my husband! I have had optic neuritis twice now, had lumbar puncture and MRI with contrast and am having evoked potentials test in October. I have not heard from neuro, secretary tells me they are waiting for all results before discussing with me. My family and i have been in hell from April, gp was told off by neuro for even discussing first results with me so now when I phone to ask questions about new symptoms GP is very cold and tells me to write it all down for neuro! Thank heavens for this site, I find great comfort and advice here.
Hello, I waited 6 weeks after the MRI and still hadn’t heard but I booked an app with the neuro via his secretary as I was desperate to know. When I went to the app I was told that the MRI hadn’t been reported on yet but my laumbar punture results had come back as positive so the neuro looked at the MRI images himself and confirmed the MS diagnosis. I didn’t get the report by letter for about 3 weeks after that! Hope you get a response very soon as I know how the wait can be excruciating!
I had my MRI at the beginning of May and I have an appointment to discuss on the 19th of October.
Glad to here Im not alone!
DoctorGeoffs insight might explain it- brain scan was in the car park in the back of a truck!
According to NHS guidelines legal maximum wait between GP referral and treatment is 18 weeks???
I will have been waiting 32 weeks for treatment for a Lipoma and multiple Lymphoma by the time the next consultation comes round (Nov 9th) and its already been 20 weeks for the Neuro.
I blame the impossible funding regimes the NHS is forced to work with but what do I do -Start legal action and hope for a slice of the pie?
equillydire
Doctor Geoff is right as usual; the best advice you will receive is get a copy of your scan; perfectly legal under the Freedom of Information Act.
Apart from telling you how many images/slices you have they do a lot of the time mislay their copy but then you will have a copy for comparison purposes with any future MRIs.
The difference between a CT scan; that uses X-rays to image slices of an area; an MRI is an enormous magnet and images slices that way. That’s why people with a pacemaker are not even allowed in the same building; metal false teeth; jewellery must be removed.
Mainly MRI scanners in the NHS are 1.5 Tesla (the magnetic power of the machine) which gives a reasonable image. You obviously get a better image with a 3T or higher machine.
The amount of images/slices is important. If the consultant say asks for 10 images that means one every 2cm. Being a lesion causing problems may be only 1.5 cm it is very unlikely but possible for one to be in between images and not show.
On saying that I would not like to tell the Neurologist how many you want; I would go with the flow but buy a copy.
Look at rizzo’s sticky above about MRI and brain.
Good luck
George
Good afternoon, I wonder if any one can help or have any advice, my wife is unable t type hence why i am doing this as her POA, my wife has had many issues and they are relating to about 8 years a fit healthy energized woman non stop all the time great career , became unwell in work and fell down stairs was ok except a few bumps and bruises but blood pressure was low went home and rested a couple a years on she was getting unwell trouble with speech and lots of problems with feet legs and electric shock trigeminal nuragia etc .
then found vitamin b12 was depleted and vitamin d , she ws given loading doses etc , then went on to have what was like strokes and has basically gone down and down , she has a positive babinski, test,
had an mris a bout 3 yers ago showed nothing unusaul,
saw a nuerologist that was very rude and said maybe needed a phycologist etc she said maybe functional, wrote this before the mri results were back
now recieved the results saying there are lesions in the cervical neck area , hence which would cause theses problems wher do we go now?
so angry that these people make a judgement without the facts first and i would like some advice please