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Frustrated with no answers

Hi. Im new here. I didn't know where else to go. I've been seeing a neuro since almosta year ago. Last year i had some mris done. My brain report just said unremarkable mri. I just had another done and the terminology is different. It says no previous similar white matter lesions indicating demylinating disease. So does that mean the same as unremarkable? Im confused by the wording " no previous similar".... Then it says impression normal. Can someone help me because I'm not getting help from my drs. I had this test repeated because on top of my previous pain and tremor and memory symptoms ive recently lost bowl control and started having tingling in my face. I also have a positive babinski in my right side and a flattened nasolabial fold. Im just so frustrated.

  1. Oh and i get this woozy feeling . like i feel like im moving in my head when im not moving.

    1. I know you must be feeling frustrated. I'm not sure I can offer you more than what your doctor has provided in helping with the understanding of your MRI reading. I agree with the interpretation you've given. It seems to indicate that it was normal. Based on the description of your symptoms, I can see why you would think something neurological is occurring; however, many conditions mimic MS or are similar in nature to it. You may have something happening that is not MS related.

      Here is an article from our website that gives examples of other conditions that may be mistaken for MS or have similar symptoms that may be of interest to you https://multiplesclerosis.net/diagnosis/ruling-out-other-health-conditions/ With a negative MRI, your doctor may broaden the scope of his/her search for the cause of your symptoms to consider some of these other potential conditions as well. Good luck.

      1. Thabk you for responding. My dr didnt go over these results with me. I got them online. I was just confused by the wording of it.
        I also did see a rheumatologist who ruled out a bunch of other stuff via bloodwork.
        Im stuck.

    2. Hi flipundy, I hear your frustration and confusion! Finding a cause for those symptoms can be quite a journey. While I am not a doctor or medical professional and can't really interpret your scans or advise you, I'll give you a layperson's take: "unremarkable" means there wasn't anything that jumped out as a suspicious lesion, and "no previous similar..." means the same thing.

      Note that a full workup to test for MS includes a spine MRI as well as that brain MRI, among other tests. Lesions might be present in the cervical spine. That said, there are a lot of other medical conditions that have the same symptoms as those you've described, so it can take time to rule out all but the one it must be. In the meantime, you don't have to have a diagnosis to have your symptoms treated. I hope you and your doctor are addressing these. And I hope you'll get some answers and relief very soon. --Kim, moderator

      1. Hi Flipundy! I'm glad that your medications are helping!
        Meagan, MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member

      2. flipundy - Hi, I'm glad that you are able to walk. I'm on Gabapentin with no muscle relaxant to help me walk and Ampyra didn't work for me. So, unfortunately, I am no longer able to walk.
        I hate using the walker and try to get by just using a cane.

        When I started feeling different symptoms in my 20s (those periods when I was unable to move because my legs felt like they were encased in cement or an ice block). Tthe doctors were very dismissive at the time. I went to a lot of doctors, who didn't diagnosis MS. Even went to a neurologist, who ran tests and didn't see MS. Finally, when I was in my 60s, I went to a MS neurologist, who could tell just from the way I acted and walked that there was something wrong. He sent me to just have brain and spinal MRIs. I was 61 before I was actually told that I had MS. After a couple of phone calls with my last surviving aunt, I found out that it was in my family and my mother didn't tell me before she died. I have several cousins with MS and being in wheelchairs. I think today though, doctors and neurologist are more aware of MS than they were before.

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