Hiya

[gheko]

Well i have been in limboland for five years now - have classic signs of MS:

First presented with vision going funny in right eye -few months later had numbness in left face which lasted for months on and off - then proceeed to numbness in left hand - these symptoms never went away but quietened down - since then blurry vision, numbness right side too, lack of joint position sense (since relapse in Dec), twitching muscles (fairly new symptom), fuzzy head and heaps of others.

Had second MRI in May (1st in 2006) of brain and whole spine - no lesions and LP was clear.  Neurologist refusing to do evoked potentials and nerve conduction studies though am going to question this again when i see him in two weeks.

What are your views?

[gheko]

Hiya

Nope no one stated ON - optician said might just be a blip. - my neuro exam did show areas of reduced sensation but nil else.

Going private to see a neuro soon for a second opinion.

It is very difficult to be diagnosed in the UK without hard evidence - my concern is i could be on DMDs to slow it down if it is MS - if not then i have wasted five years when i could have had DMDs.

[Quixotic1]

Do you realize that by having a pale disc and reduced red color vision you are telling us that you VERY likely had optic neuritis?  Has anyone ever told you this?  If you had pain and blurriness in that eye in the past, then there is little doubt that you had ON.

With that history one wouldn't need to even do a VEP.  You had a problem highly associated with MS.

Functional = psychosomatic or produced by some sort of stress.  Poopycock!  Stress (when it does cause specific neurologic symptoms) does NOT cause such asymmetric and localized problems!  Sheeesh!  Your neuro is a real boob!  He is doing you a true disservice!

You have had two or more clinical attacks and have at least one objective evidence of damage to the central nervous system from demyelination.  A very thorough neuro exam might demonstrate another, like having reduced sensation from one side of your face to another or between the two hands.

This is almost enough to qualify for a diagnosis of MS, but realistically, it is hard, even in the US, to get a diagnosis without a lesion or two on MRI (which is all you would really need).

You might enjoy the thread called "D.U.M.B. - Disorder in Doctors"  it's currently on the front page.

What are your chances of getting an appointment to an MS Clinic or to see another Consultant?

Quix

[gheko]

Hiya

My CSF was tested for O bands and IgG.  Vision goes blurry in the distance but okay right up close, it has been okay recently though.  I do have pallor on one of my discs and slight reduction with red colour vision but disc not swollen though am due to see optician again on weekend before i go back to see neurologist.

Have had my auto-antibodies checked and B12 level was fine.  I don't think my neurologist is looking hard enough.  He seems to think its functional but it is not following a functional pattern - had two clear relapses last year - still not recovered from December one fully.

[Quixotic1]

Hi and welcome to the forum.  You do have some symptoms and patterns that are suggestive of MS, but the problem with MS is that there are many diseases that mimic it.  Did they do a lot of blood tests to rule out other diseases like Lyme, Lupus, B12, etc.

My concern is that you are in the UK and I wonder if you had your MRI on a weak or old machine.  We have seen that happen.  Also, it seem that you can't always change consultants.  

How thoroughly has your vision been looked at?  Have you seen a neuro-ophthalmologist?  That is a Eye Consultant that specializes in the effects of neurological disease on the eye.  I can't believe that they are refusing to do a Visual Evoked Response.

The data we have says that as many as 1 in 20 people with MS will have a negative MRI, but that number does go down when you throw in a negative LP.  Do you know for a fact that the fluid in the LP was sent for the MS panel - to calcualte the IgG Index and look for Oligoclonal ands?

Tell us about how your vision has gone funny.  Has it been painful?  Any change in your perception of colors?  

Sometimes it helps to collect all of your data in a Timeline - like you have presented here, but more complete and specific.  Here is one descritpion of a timeline:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/The-Importance-of-the-Timeline/show/765?cid=36

It is incredibly frustrating to be having all these symptoms and not have any positive findings to show.  Do you think your consultant is looking hard or has he written you off?

Stay here, others will be by to say hi.  We have a whole contingent from the UK.  they really understand what you are going through.

Quix