MS witout rain lesions??

[mOmmYof2bOyz]

I am a fairly health 24 year old female, I just gave birth to my second child. In the begining of my pregnancy I went to the hospital with tingling in the right side of my body (it started in my fingers and toes) and face, confusion, lack of concentration, slurring my words, studdering, loss of vision in my left eye and a SEVERE headache. I have had a few "episodes" like this in the past but never this severe. When I got to the hospital, my reflexes on the right side of my body were not responding and I couldnt feel heat or cold very well. I was sent for an MRI that week, when I went to my Dr. to followup with the results he said here was nothing shown on the scan. Is it possble to have MS without have visible lesions on the brain?? since then (in the past 10 months) I have had 5 more "episodes" each one is worse than the one before and they seem to be getting closer together. Do my symptoms even sound like MS??

[JonM]

Yes you can have MS w/o a positive Brain MRI.

You should seek out a second opinion.  Try to find a Nuerologist who has a large practice and sees a lot of MS patients.  The symtoms you describe could be MS or something else.  They're certainly serious enough to warrant followup tests and investigation.  Sometimes MRI scans mis-read or improperly done, particularly on older weaker machines, can lead to no diagnosis.  

Your MRI should be of the Brain, Cervical Spine and Thoratic Spine with and without contrast preferrably on a 3Tesla MRI unit.

If it is MS there is treatment for it that can greatly enhance your long-term prognosis.  So keep after it.

Jon

[Johnny Utah]

  Yes! And I'm very sorry to hear that our having a rough time of it. Much of what you describe are MS type symptoms. But they could be caused by any number of other things. What you really need to do right now is two things;

  - Start a time line. Keep track of your symptoms and how often you have them. Month/Year followed by a description of the symptom and how it is effecting you and the things you do.

- Push the neuro to do more testing. Be your own advocate. If your neuro won't do any more testing seek out another. His job is to find the cause of your neurological issues. He might say its migraines, or stress, maybe depression. I mention these because they can present similar symptoms and are often times treated for to see if there is any change in your condition.

  MS can hide almost unnoticed for years and years. At times it is hard for your neuro to put his finger on it. But you know when you don't feel well, seek out answers.

  Johnny