Isn't it fun???
I was lucky? because I was diagnosed almost immediately after my first clinical symptom ( i just went blind-easy diagnosis!) but the whole poke prod probe pinch stick process was over pretty quick! I remember having just about every test they do in the space of about a week. It was waiting for all the results that took a long time! I think it took almost three months to get back the final test results (the LP results) cause they had to send those out of state. The doc didn't officially give me a diagnosis until all the results were in.
Bring some good music with you on a CD when you have the MRI! They have a CD player and they will even pipe it in while you are laying there! Just don't start rockin' to the music,they frown on that! Ask for a couple of heated blankets too! They have them hidden somewhere and they will give you a couple if you ask!
As for the efficacy rates for the drugs, the CRABs are at best 34% as compared to placebo. Tysabri is 67% as compared to placebo. LDN doesn't have a rate associated with it because it hasn't been tested like the CRABs have, but many people report good results from it, and there are tests going on now. It is thought that LDN hasn't been tested before because it's relatively inexpensive and not worth it to the drug companies because it is already off patent and they wouldn't make any $$!! and IMO that is a @#$%^&* shame and our government should have spent some $$ on testing it a long time ago!!