Quote:
Originally Posted by NurseNancy
i can't answer your Q, sorry.
but i'm confused. if you have 30 lesions what is your dr waiting for, a big flare?
what about getting a 2nd opinion.
i'm just concerned that while you're off meds and "waiting" that the disease could silently progress and then you could get a flare.
i'm not an expert but this concern comes to my mind.
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Hi Nurse Nancy,
Believe it or not, this doc is actually my third opinion! I was seeing another neurologist, and he had me diagnosed with RRMS (30+ lesions on brain MRI, none on spinal MRI, no bands in spinal tap). He had started me on Avonex, and I decided to see the primary MS specialist in my area. He only sees people with MS, and is widely renowned for his research. He told me that if he were diagnosing based on MRI alone, he'd say I have MS without question. However, he said that there are lots of other things that can cause brain lesions but that may not progress (such as encephalitis as a child or or another vascular disorder). So, basically he's waiting to see if I either come up with a new symptom, or a new lesion on my next MRI in order to give me a solid diagnosis and put me back on the meds.
Thanks for your concern - I'm just trying to figure it all out!