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Should I get another opinion?

In January February 2016 I started with unexplained fatigue and low-grade fever's off and on. After an excruciating headache in April 2016 where I had stabbing pains in the back  right side of my head at 1 AM in the morning all I could do for 45 minutes was hold my head and not move I could not even muster up the energy to move enough to go to the hospital. I was ordered an MRI,  The findings were that I had a few tiny foci of increased T2 Signal without enhancement in the subcirtical white matter bilaterally.  The report reads that these are nonspecific but within normal limits for a patient's age. A demyelination  process such as multiple sclerosis cannot be excluded by imaging clinical correlation recommend.  I was told by the neurologist that I did not have MS.
I'm confused by the findings being given that I have been running low-grade fever's for a year now, dizziness lose my balance all the time drunk walking I Call it,   I also had numbness in my right hand which now has progressed to my right arm and a heavy feeling in my arm I've noticed that I am dropping things more often which to me is more than a coincidence I now have numbness in my left hand. I'm having more more difficulty trying to think of words when I'm in a conversation,  I often have the deer  in headlights look . When I'm at home and at work I sometimes just sit and stare at what I'm working on because I can't remember what I'm doing. I have been seen by quite a few doctors with them trying to rule out lupus and Lyme disease, while my ANA comes back positive but with  Low numbers is just constant no answers, constantly getting looked at like I'm crazy all the doctors want to do is  give you  anxiety medicine and depression medicine and send you on your merry way. I know my body and I know somethings not right just wondering  if anyone thinks it would be worth seeing another neurologist to get a second opinion the last MRI I had done was in April 2016.
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome,

Low grade fevers can definitely cause fatigue but fevers, fatigue, painful headaches (migraine?), low positive ANA are not generally typical signs pointing towards neurological conditions like MS.

"a few tiny foci of increased T2 Signal without enhancement in the subcirtical white matter bilaterally.  The report reads that these are nonspecific but within normal limits for a patient's age. A demyelination  process such as multiple sclerosis cannot be excluded by imaging clinical correlation recommend. "

Your report is basically saying there isn't anything abnormal with what did come up on your brain MRI, you have a small number of subcortical lesions on both sides of your brain, which is within the normal amount for your age group. They have been described as without enhancement and tiny and that means they are all between 1-3mm in size, and non of them lit up to be suggestive or consistent demyelinating lesions, so they are classified as nonspecific.

Having a few tiny non specific subcortical lesions presenting bilaterally is not uncommon and typically these type of lesions are ischemic micro vascular white matter lesions.....finding more suggestive of demyelinating lesions would be things like lesions bigger than 3mm, being oval, having dawsons fingers, some enhancing lesions, lesions in any of the more common MS locations etc etc  

"clinical correlation" is relating to your neurological assessment, your MRI results are not pointing towards anything being neurologically abnormal but it's entirely possible to have a normal brain and still have abnormal neurological clinical signs, so your neurological assessment could of been still suggestive or consistent with something being neurologically wrong.....if your assessment was also clinically normal your going to find your evidence it more pointing away from neurological conditions than towards.

Your situation definitely didn't present in any typical way for MS and your diagnostic evidence isn't suggestive, that alone wouldn't put MS at the top of your list as the most likely causation....as frustrating as this is for you, i'd highly recommend you keep open minded and not get overly focused on any one specific type of medical condition, go back to your GP and ask for his or her recommendation on what other tests you need to work out the cause of all your symptoms.

Hope that helps.......JJ
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