Narrowed Down To Two Possible DX ...

[cjhatch]

Ok, I'm new here and am glad I finally decided to post something instead of curling up in a ball and feeling sorry for myself. Anyhow, my question is this...

I have the majority of MS symptoms, but my old neuro said my labs came back positive for something called NMDA Receptor Antibody Encephalitis, which apparently is rare and only "discovered" in 2007. I don't have any of the symptoms for that, which includes psychotic behavior, schizophrenic type behavior, and generally just freaking and flipping out like being possessed by Satan or something. She said I could have both MS and that NMDA thing, or just NMDA. My lesions are improving, but my symptoms are not. Anyone know if it's possible for labs to be positive for the NMDA antibodies, yet still have MS?

I see my 2nd neurologist in late September at UCSD and I cant wait to finally get another opinion. I never thought that I would be wishing I had MS because Limboland sucks.

[gomer]

cjhatch...... I wish I could be of some help, but all I can do is wish you well, and good luck on your next neuro apt.

I looked it up on wikipedia, there was some good info there. According to wiki, it was given its current name in 2007, but had been know about before then.

Gomer Sir Falls-a-lot

[Redwings]

Hi cj:

I have the majority of MS symptoms,

About symptoms...

First, there are waaay too many symptoms associated with MS for you to have "the majority" of them. Perhaps we'll just say that you have the majority of the symptoms you know about.

Second, the symptoms of MS are general neurological symptoms. They're the same symptoms shared by many other neurological conditions. When someone says they have the symptoms of MS, they're really saying (even though they may not realize it) that they have the symptoms of MS and disease A and disease B and disease C and ...

Because the symptoms of MS are shared by a couple of hundred (at least) other conditions, it isn't possible to diagnose any of them by symptoms alone. That's one of the reasons you had the antibody tests, among others.

Anyone know if it's possible for labs to be positive for the NMDA antibodies, yet still have MS?

The immune system is a wondrous thing. It can form antibodies to anything it wants to, including itself. All of us already have antibodies to hundreds (at least) of things.

In addition to that, the body can have a variety of diseases simultaneously, too. Because of the general commonality of "autoimmunity," it's common for more than one autoimmune disease to exist concurrently in the same person. On top of those can be disease of other body systems, too.

Although it might be that, for any two conditions, there are no documented and proven cases of them existing together in the same person, until the actual mechanism that makes them mutually exclusive is discovered, it must be assumed that it's still possible that they can coexist.

How conditions present themselves is included in the diagnostic process. Your doctors will take into consideration that you didn't apparently have psychosis and compare that to what's known about the effects of NMDA antibodies. They'll also have to compare your presentation to the characteristic findings of MS. Then they'll have to compare the findings for the two conditions. Every case is different.

Sometimes working through the differentials is easy, and sometimes it isn't when there just isn't enough differentiating evidence to draw conclusions from. That can keep people in limboland a looong time. And yep, it really sucks there!

[cjhatch]

Thanks for your comments, and Redwings, I should've said "I have a majority of some of the most common symptoms that are listed throughout the interwebs from people who have been diagnosed with ms, such as numb/tingly feet for a year now, lesions on spine and brain, left side going numb, balance issues, cognitive issues, muscle tightness, joint pain, fatigued all the time, etcetera etcetera

There are way too many symptoms with this disease, and I'm slowly learning about the immune system and how dynamic it is and to worry so much. My neurology appointment was re-scheduled for Tuesday so hopefully I can finally get a little closer to a dx and my mind will be put at ease and I escape this awful place called limbo-land.