Originally Posted by Ragtop262

Hello itburns, welcome to the forum.

It seems like you've had quite a few MRI's, but were any of them done "with contrast"? I've read several horror stories about neuropathy type issues occurring after MRI's using gadolinium contrast fluid.

My own PN symptoms changed and became more severe after getting an MRI with gadolinium contrast. I don't think it "caused" my PM, but it certainly didn't help, and I think there's a good chance it made things worse.

One thing they didn't tell me when I had the MRI was that you should drink a lot of fluids afterward, in order to flush the gadolinium out of your system as soon as possible. Gadolinium is very toxic, but it is bound to a cheleating agent that keeps it from depositing in your body and allows it to be flushed out through your kidneys. But, if it stays in your body too long, more will escape from the cheleating agent and stay in your body, where it then becomes very difficult to get rid of.

Originally Posted by itburns

Hello,

In 2003 I had corrective surgery for scheuermann's kyphosis. My entire thoracic spine was fused.

About the beginning of this year I started experiencing loss of motor control in my right hand, along with tingling. I had an MRI of my cervical spine and it showed stenosis. In January of this year I decided to get a laminoplasty of my cervical spine.

The surgery resolved the issues in my right arm. I started to experience paresthesia in my abdomen, the sides of my groin, thighs, and tops of my feet. On my followup with my surgeon he told me my PN could not be a result of my laminoplasty.

I got an appointment with a neuro who prescribed me 50mg/3x a day and an MRI of my lumbar to see if that was causing my PN. Unfortunately all the metal from my kyphosis surgery obscured the results but I can post what they found below:

MRI SPINE LUMBAR WITHOUT CONTRAST: 9/4/2015 5:00 PM
HISTORY: PARESTHESIA, history of Scheuermann's kyphosis and corrective surgery at age 18 affecting his thoracic spine, paresthesias down his legs
COMPARISON: Lumbar spine MRI 01/11/2012
TECHNIQUE: Appropriate pulse sequences were employed in multiple planes.
FINDINGS:
This study assumes five lumbar type vertebra.
Alignment: Alignment is within normal limits.
Marrow: Significant susceptibility artifact emanates from spinal fusion hardware in the visualized thoracic spine extending to L2. Evaluation of these levels is essentially nondiagnostic.
Conus: Obscured by susceptibility artifact.
T12-L1 and L1-L2: These levels are obscured by susceptibility artifact and evaluation is nondiagnostic.
L2-L3: Partially obscured by susceptibility artifact. Sagittal images demonstrate no evidence of spinal canal or neural foraminal stenosis.
L3-L4: Trace disc bulge without spinal canal or neural foraminal stenosis. Mild bilateral facet degeneration.
L4-L5: Disc degeneration with mild loss of disc height. An annular disc bulge has a superimposed right paracentral protrusion/fissure. The disc material indents the ventral thecal sac without causing significant spinal canal stenosis. Mild bilateral foraminal encroachment is stable. Minimal facet degeneration.
L5-S1: Disc degeneration with mild loss of disc height. The previously seen left paracentral disc protrusion has resolved. A small annular disc bulge flattens the ventral thecal sac without causing spinal canal stenosis. Mild bilateral facet hypertrophy with slight right neural foraminal encroachment.
Sacrum: Normal appearance of the visualized portions of the sacrum, without evidence of acute fracture or suspicious lesion.
Soft tissues: The paraspinous soft tissues and visualized portions of the retroperitoneum are unremarkable.
IMPRESSION:
1. Interval resolution of the previously seen L5-S1 disc protrusion.
2. Mild degenerative disc disease L4-L5 and L5-S1 without spinal canal stenosis or nerve root impingement, otherwise unchanged.

The neuro told me there was no impingement and I assume the cause of my PN is unknown. I think something happened during my last surgery.

I'm wondering if now I have to deal with PN for the rest of my life and if it will only get worse.. I've been suffering from depression this whole year and was hospitalized for suicidal behavior. I'm currently getting Electro Shock Therapy and wondering if that affects my PN.

I have a followup with my neuro next week, as well as my surgeon. Is there anything I should be asking them?

Should I be taking supplements? Avoiding things like alcohol? Any advice you think would be helpful I would be happy to hear. Sorry this was so long.