Lumbar Puncture
 

Who has had one? Is it deFinitive for a diagnostic or enough to start treatment of some sort? What's the pain and recovery like?

Hi Strizz

I never had to have one. I was the poster girl for a super-fast, by-the-book diagnosis and presented with classic symptoms and an MRI that looked like it had been in a snow-storm.

But, I just wanted to post and say that I am hoping that it is ok for you, and to wish you luck.

I will be thinking of you.

Hi strizzlow,

I did have a Lumbar Puncture(LP) many years ago. My LP was positive and I received a diagnosis of MS.

There is a criteria for diagnosing MS --- The McDonald Criteria. A positive LP can help support a diagnosis of MS but by itself will not give you a diagnosis of MS. The LP is used in testing of other conditions as well as MS.

Information about a LP:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003428.htm

Sounds good. I'll make sure I talk to my doctor. I'm not sitting here hoping I have MS, but I honestly think my symptoms are pointing towards some form of it. It's been 3 weeks and my vision has still been off and I haven't taken any meds. Yesterday I did some physical activity and I noticed my right foot went numb for quite a while. He also said there was mild abnormality on the eeg on this foot so we will see. Thanks again for the information.

Is it possible you mean you had a EMG? If so and you had an abnormal EMG that would not indicate MS. EMGs are used in diagnostic testing for other conditions not MS.

EMG information:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/003929.htm

EEGs -- attached to your scalp with *goop*

strizzlow20, I have had 2 LP's and in MY experience it was the worst test. After both my LPs, I developed the spinal headache and on the 2nd LP I actually had to go back to the hospital and have a blood patch done to close the leak from the LP. Now, thats just MY experience, many have had it done and it was no big deal. I believe its totally an individual experience. I hope yours goes smoothly and no headache!! My LP was the last straw that got my dx.

I may be wrong. I went for EEG and Evoke Potentials. The test on the right foot is where they attach a electrode and measure the response from the shocks to the brain. This is what he said was slightly abnormal because I don't think I could feel the shock in my heel of my foot that well but everywhere else I could.

I believe it was this:

Somatosensory evoked response or potential (SSER or SSEP), which is when the nerves of the arms and legs are stimulated by an electrical pulse.


Everything else, eyes and ears, came back fine. Thank you for the correction,I'm learning as I go :) .

Thank you for your input. It was something the doctor sort of reccomended because he's saying he can rule out MS 99.9% if it comes back negative. I don't know how confident he REALLY is but he thinks my MG may be causing the eye symptoms and not MS. Who knows though because wavy and partial visual distortion doesn't add up to me as MG and I don't know about MS either because I have 0 lesions and no optic neuritis. This is probably going to be a waiting game and I am going to have to adapt to my vision problems. Thank you again on the LP advice! I'm going to go through with it.

I had one back in '11. I'd already been diagnoses, so I am uncertain about whether lesions show up in your lumbar test are enough to dx you with MS?

I had an ok experience with it. I didn't find it painful. I came home and took a nap. Took some naproxen for the headache, more preventative for the headache they mentioned could come with the after effect of having the spinal tap.

There were lesions discovered there. Go along with the lesions on my brain that were discovered in my MRI's.

Best of Luck on your LP.

i was dx'd based on my mri's, sx's and neuro exam.
it was after that, that i had an LP which was + and sealed the deal.

my test went well. i drank a lot to be hydrated, the radiologist that did it was at the hospital and he used a floroscopy machine to see where the needle was.

i didn't get the spinal headache which some people do. they numb the skin before putting the needle in. i laid on my stomach. IF the dr is hurting you too much ask them to STOP. you are your own best advocate even during a test.
it's not easy, but do-able.