Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Tucson, AZ
Spinal Tap Posted: 06-24-04 20:24pm
Has anyone had a spinal tap to confirm
their diagnosis? I have had an mri with
2 large white spots and 2 small ones. My
doctor would like me to have this done,
but I do not want to. I was just
wondering if anyone had any input. Nicci
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litekpr2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 23 Location: USA
Spinal Tap Posted: 06-28-04 23:55pm
It is pretty routine to have a spinal tap
(or lumbar puncture) done in addition to
certain tests and an mri with and without
contrast in order to get the most
information from which to make a
diagnosis.
I was diagnosed with ms in june 1998, one
day after my positive mri. It wasn't
until nearly 6 months later that my
neurologist wanted me to have a spinal
tap. It rules out other disorders that
your symptoms might be a result of even if
it does not come back positive for ms.
So I had the spinal tap in december 1998
and yes, it came back negative for ms.
But not all of them come back that way.
I don't know what your reasons are for not
wanting to have one done, but I can assure
you that only the most qualified doctors
will do one. I think mine was an
anesthesiologist and it was done in a
hospital on an outpatient basis. They put
a local anesthetic into a spot on your
spine so you don't feel any pain of the
needle going in. Then they withdraw just
a little of the fluid, and then in my
case, I stayed flat on my back there at
the hospital for the next 4-6 hours to
avoid the dreaded "spinal tap headache"
which can be very painful.
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ldylion214
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Tucson, AZ
Posted: 06-29-04 00:01am
Thank you for your reply. I guess I am
apprehensive of the results either way.
If it is positive, well you know...If it
is negative, it is still up in the air.
I guess the stigma of the "pain" of it all
is there for me, too. My doctor said 1
out of 10 might have an unpleasant
experience and they are the ones spreading
the rumors of how awful it is.
nicci
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Mehra66
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 11 Location: Washington
Posted: 07-02-04 00:30am
I had to have a spinal tap done to confirm
my diagnosis. I have to say it was
pretty uncomfortable, but there are a lot
more painful things to go through. And it
does not take long, so it's not the worst
thing. And more than likely you will
never have to have another one again.
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ldylion214
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 10 Location: Tucson, AZ
Posted: 07-03-04 03:15am
Thanks, mehra...I've had two c-sections.
My guess is I can take it, but I see no
reason to. It doesn't necessarily
confirm anything. It confirms sometimes
and doesn't rule out. My doctor is
following me clinically for now. I have
an mri in september (the 2nd one). I'll
decide then to have it or not. For now,
it doesn't matter. I feel certain I have
this. My mom has it. I have almost all
of the symptoms on some level. I'm not
open to meds for it anyway. I decided
with all that, there is no reason to
endure it.
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litekpr2
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 23 Location: USA
"not Open to (ms) Meds For It"? Posted: 07-11-04 21:25pm
Does this mean you categorically deny any
chance of your going on the abcr meds for
ms? Or that they, for one reason or
another, are not an option for you? Is it
because of their cost?
We can't just cave in to this disease
because we are afraid. I have been on
copaxone (the "c" in abcr drugs) since
february 1999 and in comparing the mri I
had upon diagnosis in june 1998 to the one
I just had this past january, my
neurologist couldn't find much progression
(ms is after all a progressive
degenerative disease) at all. I
attribute that to the steady use of
copaxone.
Ms is not a terminal illness; it will not
kill you but in many cases, especially
without medication treatment, it will
disable you faster than if you take the
drugs. That mostly likely means you will
be in the wheelchair faster if you don't
help yourself by using the drugs that have
been specifically discovered to help ms
patients. I don't know about you, but my
independence is of utmost importance to
me. If I am ever confined to a
wheelchair, I have no one to help me and
would want no one, so I would have to kill
myself.
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GailMT
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jul 2004 Posts: 7 Location: NH
Spinal Tap Posted: 07-27-04 17:00pm
When I landed in the er they did a spinal
tap. Actually my neuro tried to do it and
she damn near killed me so she had to send
em down to the lab to have it done. They
had a monitor down there so they could see
where to put it in. Didnt hurt a bit
then. . It came out neg. It was my mri
and evoked potentials test that confirmed
ms. Gail in nh
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rionews
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 2
Tap Posted: 08-16-04 23:20pm
Have the tap. It's not that bad and it
will help you with the diagnosis or ruling
out ms. It will provide a clearer picture
of what is going, and that cannot hurt. I
had one, and it was clear, along with
clear mri the docs are pretty sure I don't
have ms. But that aside, you will be
okay. Take a valium beforehand if you are
nervous. Lie down afterwards and don't
get up for awhile. I had headaches for a
week afterwards. It was manageable and
the stigma attached to the procedure is
unwarranted. Good luck.
