I have an MRI tomorrow as I’ve had chronic neckpain and dizziness. No progessional has mentioned MS, they just said let’s do an MRI to rule out ‘other things’ however a friend said to me have you not considered if it could be RRMS as I’ve had several health issues over the past year… numbness and tingling in right leg, lower back pain, frequent urination issues and now this neck pain and dizziness. I am constantly tired and was told I have low iron but even with iron tablets I have really bad days. On sunday I was in bed most of the day, just couldnt move.
To be honest I was putting it down to menopause but now she has said this, its made me research and she may have something. A stupid question maybe but will they consider this tomorrow at the MRI or do I need to mention this when I go? I mean it would be obvious if it was MS wouldn’t it?
Hi @Jellylegs11 all I can say for sure is that MRI scans of the brain and sometimes the spinal cord are used in the diagnosis of MS - it’s one of the key diagnostic tools. With MS your immune system attacks areas of the brain and the damaged areas ( lesions) show up on MRI scans. ( I was diagnosed purely on the basis of symptoms and a scan of my brain).
P.S you probably won’t see the people who actually do the scan (they tend to be in a different room sometimes with a window that looks into the MRI room) but a nurse will help you into and out of the MRI scanner .
If you haven’t had a scan before then they can be a bit confined and noisy. I don’t enjoy them much but some people manage to doze off!
Thanks. Just got back. It only took 20 mins! It was a new scanner I dont know if this makes a difference but it wasnt that bad. Weirdly told I could keep my hoodie on, was expecting to have to take it off. Super quick, in and out as you said no conversation… will just have to see. Thanks
Hi there. My last scan was in a new ‘wide bore’ scanner with a 70cm diameter instead of the usual 60cm and also a shorter length and a gentle light in the tube. For me the wider bore and light made a big difference to the whole experience
That is a very fair point. It can be quite frustrating when you don’t see a specific space that matches your exact experience. Having a dedicated section for SPMS would definitely make the forum more inclusive and easier to navigate for everyone.