How awful for you. Has a speech therapist tried to help you with your swallow reflex? It's worth a try. They helped get my MIL reflex back, so she was able to get off the feeding tube.

I had the 3T. It's just like the lower strength MRI.

Hi, Yes I had 3 months 3x a week with a speech therapist, but I did not improve. She used an electric therapy called Vital Stem but I just could not swallow on command, its like there is no signal getting to my throat to swallow. Today has been a hard day for me, some days are better than other, I'm talking emotionally. The Holiday Family get togethers were So hard.
Plus my step son got married and had a Beautiful sit down dinner, I had to get up and take a walk to the ladies room just to get out of the way of the food and making people feel uncomfotable about eating in front of me.

Saturday is my neices birthday party and I usually love going to my family partys but its just very hard, but if I don't go I feel depressed that I'm not able to have special times with my husband and family.

I am a little afraid what the MRI Will find and or Not find, I'm very confused. I guess I need to stop giving it so much attension since theres nothing I could do about it right now.

GrannyJo4,

Wishing you some clear answers that will help w a plan to help you.

ANN

My friend also had MS and had a small boy way back. She swore she liked MRI's, it was alone time for her. Bring a CD you like, MRI does make banging noises but lie still and think "it can only last so long and then it's over and I won't have to do it again". Be sure to have thoughts you will use the time to think. You'll do great!! It's not so bad, just time consuming.

I will be sending good thoughts your way

..Well, I had the 3T MRI done on Monday. They told me to call on Wed. for results. They said the results came in so I asked the Doctor to call me to find out what was found on the MRI.
He didn't call back that day so my husband called and Told the nurse to have the Doctor call back today Thursday and that I was up spitting and choking most of the night.

The Doctor called back a couple of hours after that, and this is what he said....
The MRI picked up lesions, MS lesions, but he feels they have been there for a while. He also said the good news is none of them are in or close to my brain stem which controls the swallowing. So he dosen't know what could be causing the no swallowing. I asked him if he had his other doctors on staff to look at the MRI to see what they think and he said yes he did and they don't know either.

He said if I want I could try another Doctor because he just dosen't have an answer for me, I might have to just learn to live with it or keep going for more Doctors and more test.

I asked him if it could be a converson disorder and he said he didn't know because I definitely have neurolgy issues but he dosen't know if one of those neuro problems is causing it and not showing up on the test he has given me.

I will be seeing his nurse on Monday and for my B-12 shot, I asked him if I can have a copy of the report, he said yes.

I don't know if I should be seeing some kind of psychologist!

what a jerk! that is all I can say. Your MD so DISMISSIVE! and he should have been compassionate, and full of answers and if he didnt have the answers, he should have had a referral of someone HE wanted you to follow up with. HOW RUDE! Please RUN dont walk away from this MD. THis is NOT how you should be treated, Even if it is conversion disorder. Even folks with conversion disorder need direction, compassion and guidance.

Please find an MS center, and get signed up to see one of the MDs there. I too have choking issues, but only on occasion, and i have NO lesions in or near my brain stem. There are MANY reasons why you could have this issue. Muscle memory, weakness of the epiglottis and its inability to stay tightly shut, or a virus could have attacked the throat muscles. You need an ENT with a heart, and an MS MD with a brain.

In the past when that has happened to me the MD reccomended
Dextromethorphan HBr 10mg (cough suppressant)
Guafenisen 100mg (expectorant)
its nothing more than a shot of robotussion cough syrup. I have no idea why it works, but it did help.

Till then, please know that your MD was RUDE! and you need to find one with compassion and the ability to help you ferret out why, even if it means referrals to a new guys, not just dismissing you into a home that you choke frequently.

I wish you luck. let us know.