And The Results Are......

Hey Lisa,

OK well step one is finished.  My bloodwork all looked normal as well.  Part of this is ruling out other obvious causes.  As for the MRI, contrast is warranted.  The "contrast" is a dye that is injected into a vein towards the end of the MRI session.  The dye is capable of crossing the blood/brain barrier and can cause active lesions to show up better.  Make sure your kidneys are functioning well and there is no indication of renal disease.  The dye "gadolinium" is hard on your kidneys.  You will need to drink lots of water for 48 hours following the MRI.

A brain MRI takes about 30 minutes.  It's pretty much a non-issue unless you are claustrophobic or have especially sensitive hearing.  The results are available in a few days.  They are actually ready immediately but they must  be read.  A radiologist and or a doctor will read them and write up a report and send the report to your doctor.  Do make sure you get a copy of the MRI (they put it on CD to be read on a computer) as well as a copy of the written report.  You can get these either free of charge or for a nominal fee; I pay $5 for mine. 

Always get and keep a copy of all tests.  For example: get a copy of your blood work.  Keep a notebook with all tests.  This makes getting second opinions easier.

I am sort of in the same boat. I had all of my blood work come back normal. So they sent me to get a nerve test...the one where they shock certain points and then also stick the pins in you, that came back normal also. So my doctor office calls me and says, your results were fine ok..and was going to end the call. I said no wait, what about the pain in my arms and legs, the spasms, the twitching and all of the other issues..she says "let me go tell the dr. and I will call you back"..ten minutes later she calls back says "he wants you to get a brain mri"..so i'm like ok. So it is set up for Tuesday..but here is the thing..the pain in my legs..gone...the arm pain...gone...the spasms are still happening in the legs just not as frequent. The twitching is still happening also, but not near as much as it was, and its all over my body not just one certain location. I am really unsure what to do..should I not get the mri now? I mean, the pain in the legs was CONSTANT for four months, now its suddenly gone? I am still very tired alot, dizzy, I feel like i'm in a fog most of the time, I get sharp, stabbing pain in my face like once or twice a week..I really don't want to waste money on an mri if I don't need to. I need advice! Please! :)

I should add that those are not my only symptoms...over the past several months I have decreased cog. ability, two cases of double vision, balance issues i.e. running into walls, furniture, dropping things etc., excessive tiredness to name a few..does this sound like MS?

Post Edited (ReallyUnsure) : 1/13/2011 11:09:24 AM (GMT-7)

Hi ReallyUnsure,

I know what you mean...the past several weeks have been horrible and now the past 3 days have felt almost "normal".  Like you, still get bone-tired but I've learned to stop when I'm like that and take a few minutes at least.  Slight pains and twinges but nothing like it was over past several weeks.

However, I know this pattern.  It has happened over several years now and I've ALWAYS dismissed it when I felt better.  Only this time, it was a lot worse when it hit.  So I know I have to be checked further.

I had an instance of double vision when I had shingles several months ago.  Now I'm wondering if the shingles caused it or if it was something else.  Really scary when it happened.

Hope all is well tonight.

Lisa

Did they say how long before you had results from your MRI? Hope all is well...

Hey there.  I am glad to hear that your MRI came back normal.  I really don't know much about B12.  My levels have always been normal.  I have heard that getting B12 injections when you are low can really make a difference in how you feel.  People report having much more energy and overall feeling of well being after a shot. 

I hope starting some sort of B12 supplementation helps.

Thank you Gretchen.

I'm just so annoyed because I know my body, I know something is wrong, but it seems like because everything is coming back "normal" my dr. office wants to shrug it off..When they called me to tell me my MRI was normal the nurse, again, wanted to just leave it at that. She didn't ask me if I am still having issues. So I had to say to her, well wait a minute, I'm glad its normal but I'm still having problems. What am I suppose to do? She says, let me call you back. So two hours later the receptionist called me to set up another appt. to see the Dr.. He wasn't even in that day so he never saw the results!!! He is out for the next week. The whole medical profession is a crock! I wonder if HE even looked at the blood work results.
Sorry I'm complaining! I'm just getting annoyed with all of this an about ready to give up. My mom seems to think that I am just stressed out or too tense and that is why my arms and legs hurt...I'm not stressed or depressed or tense..have no reason to be, plus those are NOT my only issues! I told her not to be so simple minded! She sounded just like a doctor when she said it (she IS a nurse though)
Ok I'm done venting lol I'll keep you posted on what happens..if anything ;(