My Drs are baffled

[lyndacarol]

When they did the MRI did they only check your head or did they check your spine too? They found a white lump on my spine that they said looked like an old injury or calcified bone.. In any case it's a veryainfu. Lump on my spine that came about a year ago. Masseuse said I should get it checked as it looked like a ruptured -does this mean herniated?cervical? (terms might it be right was in Spanish)

My first MRI looked at lower spine; later MRIs focused only on the head and neck; my complete spine has not been checked. Ruptured does mean "herniated." "Cervical" refers to the part of the spine in the neck area.

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi Lyndacarol,
Thanks for that. I should have googled before I answered. did they say if lesions can happen anywhere along the spine, or is it always in the same place? Or is this one of those(everyone is different) ?
Did you have soreness in the areas they found? Or was it just the symptoms?
Thanks again for sharing...
Lorie

[lyndacarol]

did they say if lesions can happen anywhere along the spine, or is it always in the same place? Or is this one of those(everyone is different) ?
Did you have soreness in the areas they found? Or was it just the symptoms?

It is my understanding that the location of lesions varies from person-to-person. My MS was diagnosed on the basis of symptoms and lesions found on MRI – I have never had a lumbar puncture. I have never had soreness attributed to MS; but I have had muscle spasms SO strong that I thought my arm would break! Muscle spasms continue in my legs, but fortunately not so severe.

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi Lyndacarol,
Thank you for sharing, with me once again. I have had some rough ones in my legs, but hopefully these are only nutrition levels after I get done with the Drs... Am curious to see what the internist, but am looking for answers this time. I hope to get some. thanks again for the advice...
Lorie

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi NHE,
Thanks for the heads up. I have had multiple catscans, xrays (after embolisms), catscan for abdominal problems... theres just no end, and no way to limit the tests if i want to figure out whats wrong? MRI is just as bad? I don't think i've had an adverse effect yet, why do you have to be so careful?
Lorie

[NHE]

MRI is just as bad?

No. MRI doesn't even come close. Sometimes the gadolinium contrast agent can cause kidney problems though. It's always best to drink plenty of fluids after an MRI with contrast in order to help flush the gadolinium out.

why do you have to be so careful?

The ionizing radiation from a CT scan increases a person's cancer risk. Since CT scans use a much higher dose of x-rays than a regular x-ray image, one should be cautious about the total radiation exposure from multiple CT scans.

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi NHE. Thank you for the advice and the information. I will keep it in mind this week....
Lorie

[jimmylegs]

just going back to the lesion thing - personally, my spinal lesions were textbook b12 deficiency in terms of location (cervical and thoracic)

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi Jimmy,
Thanks for that. I think the first thing the dr will do is a blood test, or just simply refer me straight to the neurologist... My appointment is tomorrow morning, and truthfully am a little nervous to see him, because he likes the non active approach( he prefers non invasive) he tends to blow off my symptoms. But hopefully the advice from the surgeon and GI will send me to get tested. Am really really at my end in frustration and just want answers whatever the outcome is... Cherry on the sundae, was retching so hard the other day I popped a blood vessel in my left eye( this is the one that has always been the weakest and inflammed) so onto the eye dr I go as well. these lesions, they found them right away? Is it possible to only have lesions in your spine and not head? Or are all cases different? Sometimes the lesions don't show up right away right?

[Lorielynnjackson]

P.s. Does this mean they can look for vitamin deficiencies to help diagnose ms?

[jimmylegs]

hi lorie non invasive is good! but not non active :S i like PROactive, with simple little blood tests.

my lesions were there the first time they looked. i had a history of b12 deficiency. but they discounted it b/c of a glitch in the computer system at my doc's office.

yes you can have spine lesions and not brain lesions, that's not necessarily a case of ms though. there have to be a bunch of other things checked off on their checklist, for you to end up with a reasonably solid msdx.

and yes, docs could look for vitamin issues that would be consistent ms. but they typically *don't* - unless you push. and if you did have a bunch of low levels similar to other ms patients, they wouldn't consider it 'diagnostic' for ms.. not to mention, all the results would come back 'normal' anyway.. (low normal yes, but no red flag for the physician) so it would be an unusual doc that would even realize there might be an issue with a low normal level. so. that's why i have that crazy big nutrition summary post, so that people can try to follow it to ask for the right tests and understand their own lab results.

[jimmylegs]

heya, how did it go? any updates?

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hey Jimmy. So I saw my cardiologist, internist. He checked my blood pressure and my heart.. 118, 132/90. He says my digestive is pushing it up. Told him about the research I had been doing with you all, ( I just said me) and he kind of blew it off. But did go for blood test, and some nutrient levels, ( so more info I can give when I have it) and had an MRI today. But only of head, he said it was a little much to do spine right off until he had indication to look further... however he did schedule my barium swallow with duodenum follow through. Early tomorrow morning along with blood test. He didn't want to do the insulin unless he saw my sugars were off... Said he wants to take this in baby steps. I can just see this circus starting again, I think he thinks my fundoplication failed and that's it. But he's ignoring the other symptoms and the reason the surgeon was not exactly positive about the outcome of this surgery. ( said my symptoms didn't all fit... ) so I suppose for the moment I will wait and see what happens...
P.s. Thanks for asking.

[lyndacarol]

He didn't want to do the insulin unless he saw my sugars were off... Said he wants to take this in baby steps.

An endocrinologist (or a GOOD GP/internist) knows that insulin levels will ramp up in order to drive down blood sugars to normal levels. In other words, the blood sugar level tells NOTHING about whether the insulin level is high.

[Lorielynnjackson]

Hi Lyndacarol,
Thanks for the feedback. I will mention it to him for sure the next time I see him....
Surprised he would not opt to put the check mark in the blood test form... Was an easy thing to check off, maybe he is just trying to rule things out one by one...