Got my first neurology appointment next Tuesday. Ive been lucky i suppose in the fact that they’ve rushed it through and it’s only been a few weeks since the original referral.
What can I expect to happen at this appointment? And also I’m really worried about making it to the appointment as I’ve been feeling so bad for the past few weeks I’ve barely been able to get myself off the sofa!!!
Will they offer me some kind of treatment if they suspect it could be ms or will i just have to wait till all the tests are done?
I have already had a short course of steroids which seemed to help a bit but because they werent a miracle cure my gp felt it wasnt a good idea to extend the course. Should I be asking for more?
I’ve also been given a low dose of Citalopram to help cope with the anxiety of it all but I’m quite reluctant to take them. Anyone else had experience of this drug?
Thanks in advance for any help and information.
From reading your posts you guys are all amazing, I wish I had your energy, stamina and positive attitude.
There isn’t any ‘one test’ for ms and as there are many other conditions which can have similar symptoms it’s more a case of ruling things out.
It’s a good idea to take a brief note of your symptoms with you - it’s very easy to forget to mention things when you’re actually in there. The likelihood is your neuro will order lots of tests and where he goes from there will depend on the results, your symptoms etc.
A first neuro appointment is basically a puzzle solving exercise for the neuro. Your job is to provide the clues, ie your symptoms (now and anything in the past) and your clinical signs (what your reflexes, balance, walking, vision, etc are like when the neuro examines you). Nothing too difficult really. The neuro will come up with a few possible answers and then test them by sending you for things like MRI. The final diagnosis will depend on them. There is no treatment for MS attacks other than steroids which can help to shorten an attack. There is a limit on how often these can be used though because of their potential side effects. Citalopram is commonly prescribed for mood problems, anxiety and for neuropathic pain so a lot of MSers are on it. I don’t have any personal experience of it, but some of my friends have found it to be very helpful. The website www.drugs.com is a brilliant source of info on just about everything, so if you want to learn about citalopram, that would be a good place to look. I hope the appointment goes really well Karen x
