I was diagnosed with MS five years ago. I'm 32 now. I had a Spinal Tap at that time. I just recently got a copy of it for my records. Better late than never, right. Anyway, my question is has anyone ever had or thought of having a second Spinal Tap to confirm a diagnoses? The reason I am asking this is that since February of 2004 I have been showing a lot of signs of Lupus. Joint pain, Malar Rash, Raynaud's Phenomenon, and Anemia. At first my Spinal Tap showed that the Oligoclonal Bands were absent. Then, on another page it says that the CSF Myelin Basic Protein was sent to Mayo clinic, and there were abnormalities. I'm just weondering if a second Spinal Tap would be helpful in confirming my diagnosis because since February of 2004, I've had a feeling that I have been misdiagnosed. My Spinal Tap was not bad at all, which Is why I am considering having another one. Well, sorry this is so long. Any information is appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Michelle,
If Lupus is a possibility, then a ANA blood panel might give you the info you need without going through a LP.
What about an MRI to look for MS lesions instead of a spinal tap? A lot less invasive and perhaps just as telling.
What made you question your original diagnosis? There's certainly nothing wrong with that if you are uncertain about things. Better to be undiagnosed than misdiagnosed!
Lupus causes lesions too. That is why the spinal tap is needed. But I agree with Jewel... I would have the Lupus panel done too. I just had mine. I tested positive for the Ro SSA Antibody. So I am also being tested for Lupus as well as MS. I have alot of Neurological symptoms, but I also have Raynauds, photosensitivity and animia.
Hello,
Another thing that causes MS like symptoms is Antiphospholipid Antibodies (APS). You can be tested for these through blood work. APS can cause lesions also. I have lupus and APS - didn't know about the APS until I had a stroke.
Erin - have you ever been tested for APS ? Since you have the Ro SSA antibody, you should be checked. MANY times, APS is misdiagnosed as MS. I have a lot of neurological symptoms with my APS also. You may have a correct diagnosis but it wouldn't hurt to ask your dr. to test you for this. APS is treated very differently than MS.
Bern... I dont have a diagnosis of anything yet. Just a bunch of possibilities. This was actually the first time any test results came back showing anything abnormal. The funny part was I wasn't even feeling that bad then. LOL... They are now going to be testing me every 3 months for everything.
Hi Michelle,
If Lupus is a possibility, then a ANA blood panel might give you the info you need without going through a LP.
What about an MRI to look for MS lesions instead of a spinal tap? A lot less invasive and perhaps just as telling.
What made you question your original diagnosis? There's certainly nothing wrong with that if you are uncertain about things. Better to be undiagnosed than misdiagnosed!
Best wishes,
Julie
Hi. I had an ANA test done in February of 2004. It was positive, but my doctor said that was just because of the Raynaud's. I was also having touble swallowing, then my primary care doctor said that could be a result of the secondary form of Raynaud's, which can mean Lupus, Sjogren's Syndrome, or Scleroderma. I've had two other ANA tests done since then, and they have both been negative. My Mris have always showed lesions, but I know that can happen with Lupus as well. Thank you for responding.
Well, that makes sense that you would want another spinal tap. I would want to get to the bottom of things, too. It can be so hard to sort things out when more than one thing is going on.
