MS/Neurological Exam Questions?

[swimbikerunsurvive]

I'm fairly new here, not diagnosed, but am in the process of investigating things. I've had a headache, speech issues, major brain fog and issues concentrating, memory loss, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, and visual disturbances for about 8-9 weeks now. Today I went to see the neurologist and he said my neurological exam was clean save for a bit of weakness of my left side which he said was nothing to worry about. He still wants to get an MRI and possibly more tests done to investigate MS or other possibilities.

Could you still have MS with a clean neurological exam? I would have thought that something would show up.

As well, we've ruled out low B12, a pituitary tumour, and neurosyphilis, but what other things could mimic MS? I'm 19, healthy, and have never had any other health issues before this, apart from a brutal bout of mono in 2009 and an abscessed tooth last year. I can't see it being MS, I don't really know why.

Sorry if my questions are stupid/naive, I haven't done much research on this or anything.

[BillyL1677]

No stupid questions here! MS can take years and/or decades to be Dx. So make sure that you get an mri with and without contrast. this Is one of the faster ways it took me to get dx. I do well on my neurological exams however am much slower now. I am 36 was dx year and a half a ago after my first mri.

Scary time being in limbo and waiting for something! I wish you luck!

Billy

[Alex94]

hi,

I was 18 when diagnosed a year ago and I had clean neurological exams, even though my MRI showed several lesions in all typical places and one of them was active.

There are a few autoimmune diseases that can mimic MS both in terms of symptoms and MRI results (I don't remember their names, though) and I suppose that is what your neuro talked about.

I wish you luck!