I feel so lost

[dees1977]

Good morning. I am a 46-year-old female who for 2 years I have been having numbness started on my left leg. Switched to my entire right side and is now on my face and trunk and saddle area. It’s really hard to describe I feel like It’s a lack of sensation. I can’t really feel touch. I stay dizzy and I feel like I have brain fog. I have trouble remembering and people talk to me and it’s like I don’t remember what they say. I stay exhausted my body feels heavy. I miss who I use to be. I had nerve conduction studies they all came back negative for peripheral neuropathy I did have a skin biopsy that came back mild small fiber. I am going to attach my latest brain MRI without contrast. Any suggestions would help. I am scared about the moderate frontal lobe brain atrophy that shows up. I can't see a neurologist until January. Am I getting dementia? I am just scared. Ty for reading this. I attached my results from my MRI brain scan below.


There is no intracranial mass.

There is no acute ischemic infarct or acute intracranial hemorrhage.

There is moderate frontal lobe predominant cerebral parenchymal volume loss. There is no hydrocephalus.

The brain parenchyma demonstrates normal signal throughout with maintenance of the gray-white matter differentiation.

The basilar cisterns are patent. The posterior fossa structures are within normal limits.

Mild mucosal thickening is noted in the paranasal sinuses. The mastoid air cells are clear.

The orbits are within normal limits.

No calvarial abnormality is identified.

IMPRESSION:

1. No acute intracranial findings.
2. Moderate frontal lobe atrophy.
3. Mild sinus inflammatory changes.

Tags: None

[agate]

Hi, dees1977,

I posted a reply to you in your New Member Introductions thread.

The MRI report you posted doesn't show anything indicating MS, but that doesn't mean you might not have MS. There are people with MS who have MRIs where it doesn't show up for a while.

[Ikoiko]

I hope you find answers soon. Hang in there until your January neurologist appointment.

[Virginia]

Hi Dees1977. I just wanted to say that when I was trying to find out what was wrong with me, two nerve conduction test were done and showed nothing. Finally, a smart neurologist sent me for a spinal MRI. They found a rather large leison at the base of the back of my head. He quickly sent me for 3 more MRIs with and without contrast. We were lucky. I could not have gotten a diagnosis had he done just a brain MRI. Mine was more in my spine. He was expecting to find a pinched nerve. He based the MRI on my symptoms. Have you had the spine and thoracic area done?

He then sent me for several other test with the last one being a spinal tap. I was willing to do most anything to find out what was wrong with me.

I hope you get some answers soon, but sometime it does take a while to get diagnosed with something that is not too common and the Doctors are not looking for. I saw my PCP for years and then went to a Neurologist. He didn't find anything and I went to a second neurologist. He was willing to listen and do the necessary testing.

Do not give up on finding out what is causing your problem. We use to be a large group, but now we are very small, however we are always ready and willing.to help in any way we can. If it helps you to talk feel free to do so. Some of us will answer you.

Good Luck!

[flatcap]

Hi, Dees1977. Welcome to the forum.

I am no expert, but it sounds like your brain scan was more or less normal, so Virginia has a point regarding cervical and thoracic spinal MRIs. I would probably ask your neuro to order them. They might show all sorts of things. Mine, for example, show I have herniated discs in at least two places. I know it was more than one, and I know it wasn't more than three, but I otherwise don't recall: it could be two, or it might be three.

Anyway, on your way to a diagnosis of MS, if it applies, I would recommend looking up the latest criteria. My current neuro said a year or two ago the criteria have changed relative to fifteen years ago. I didn't ask how, but one thing I do know is, MRI image collection and processing have progressed by light years since then. In my case, I have seen the newer and older images myself. The resolution of the images of my spinal cord lesions has, in particular, greatly improved.

I hope your new neuro can help you find a treatable diagnosis. I also hope you stay on board to let us know how you are doing. Whether better or worse, and whether or not it is MS, people here will always listen.

Good luck.

[agate]

dees1977, just wondering how things are going for you.