Hello everyone, I am newly diagnosed and new to this group. A little over a month ago I started seeing spots and having extreme light sensitivity so went to my general doctor who gave me a CT scan (negative.) She sent me to my eye doctor who told me I had an extremely swollen ocular nerve and all the signs of MS. He also sent me to the ER. The ER sent me to a neurologist who saw me the next day and almost immediately said I had pseudotumor but she wanted to do tests. I had an MRI - found a lesion but apparently not enough. In the mean time, I had increasingly become stiff, nothing I really thought was a medical issue until I started reading up on MS and realising that could be a symptom. My symptoms have progressively gotten worse and I feel like i have full blown rheumatoid arthritis. I had a failed spinal tap and then a successful one. My CSF was elevated, my ESR, C reactive Protein were both elevated. One a sign of pseudotumor, the other two a sign of the rheumatoid arthritis. My doctor says they are not connected but I am having a hard time believing that because they came on at the same time. Additionally, after reading so many posts here from other pseudotumor sufferers, I don't have any of the symptoms like the most common headaches ( I mean not ONE headache despite the increased CSF! and papilledema). I am now being treated with Acetazolamide for the pt and Naproxyn for the RA until I can get in with a Rheumatologist, then will have another spinal tap in June to see if my pressure is lowering. I honestly feel like I'm SO in the dark and confused. If I was told MS or Lyme Disease, that would have made sense with my symptoms, this does not.

DOes anyone have any similar symptoms or advice? I'm a newbie to something like this and just not sure what to expect. Thank you all!

Happy to see you have come to be with us. Here are a great number of dear friends to listen when you are in need of ears. Please let us know how we can help you out. You will find out we are supportive and relaxing place.

Sorry to here about what has come up with you. I have listed forum for you to check out, just take a long in them.

General Health Conditions & Rare Disorders:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum2.html

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene