MS Possibility

[kimplusseven]

Hello All,

An MRI of my brain was taken in 2005 after experiencing left side numbness and severe headaches. It showed one lesion. A lumbar puncture showed no elevation in levels.

As of lately, I have been having an extreme problem with balance. I literally cannot walk in a straight line without falling. I have to focus on something ahead that's not moving in order not to fall when walking. I am in physical therapy (which helps) and am advised to use a cain. I am only 34 years old so haven't been able to pick give in to that just yet.

I had a second MRI done in 2009ish for severe headaches and it was fine. They didn't even find the first lacuna that they had mentioned originally. But fast forwarding, I had an MRI this week and it said, "Small prominent right basal ganglia perivascular space versus lacune." Does this mean that the MRI does not support an MS diagnosis? What does this mean?

If so why is my balance worse than a 2 year olds? Why am I exhausted? Why do I have these headaches? Why does my hand feel like it's in a bucket of boiling water? Why can't I connect the dots (thinking issues)...I need help! Why do my hands hurt so badly?

Any thoughts?

[MSer102]

Hi Kim: I'm sorry that you are having such a bad time with terrible symptoms. Your MRI does NOT support a diagnosis of MS. Perivascular spaces and lacunae don't have anything to do with MS.

What causes confusion for a lot of people is that they think that MS is the only condition that can cause those symptoms but there are many that can. It can take a lot of testing to cover all of the bases. An MRI is only one of the tests but it sounds like your MRI's covering 8 years don't show any indication of MS.

You are asking excellent questions but the only people who can answer them are your doctors. What have they said might be causing your symptoms?

[Pipes123]

If you haven't had an mri of your spine, or had an opthalmologist look at your optic nerve, than you haven't exhausted all the ways to find ms lesions. Also some mri machines are stronger than others and find more results.

I agree with MSer102. Your doctors need to answer these questions. Causes of nerve pain that are not ms include serious but treatable things like diabetes and hiv. I would follow up and be a nuisance until I got answers.