Sunday, 31 August 2014

When are they going to stop chopping and changing their minds, when will they realise they have got the "ms" thing wrong

#1
Back in limbo land ? : /
Righto, a weird one this. You know about me and how over the last 2 or more years I've had MS symptoms. I had MRI, this showed lesions. Well, last month I had another MRI. I'm told by my doctor, 'I'm sorry, it's MS' ?  Well....this is where it starts getting weird.
 I had an appointment with my Crohn's disease specialist. Me and my husband told him that I wanted to come off Humira ( my Crohns treatment) as I'd been on it for 6 years and as my Crohns was fine, why not? He looked at my new MRI results. He said ' it's not MS' !!!! After bursting into tears, I asked how is that and he said, the lesions have not changed since the last MRI. The LP showed no signs, and the eye test and flashy light thing all showed negative,; this is the first time we have been told these results, some of them were done 2 years ago !
so, after the most relief I think I've EVER felt in my life, we chatted about the possibility that the Humira may have caused the lesions in my brain and the Neuro symptoms. I mean, every symptom is classic of MS ( probably why they told me I had it). So ! The upshot of it is, I am now off my injections to see if it is the injections causing it. I've been told that I should see an improvement within the month if it's the Humira. Meanwhile, I'm going to be going through the worst withdrawal until it gets out of my system. I've got 2 months without the treatment, if my condition improves...there's our answer. If not, by that time I will be seeing my Neuro. Now it's just time to wait and see.
when I last saw my Neuro, he said ' if it's not MS, it's one of 2 other things that aren't so nice'. Well, I'm hoping that that isn't the case now after the new MRI. As for my doctor who told me I have MS....he got that one wrong!
I hope this essay(lol) gives hope to others. They got it so wrong with me, despite them telling me that I have MS. Of course, I'm being objective at the same time until I hear it from my Neuro's mouth, I'm not daft. But, I do have the glimpse of hope that I've not had before.
i will keep you all updated as I hear any news, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed :)
i hope you are all alright
xxxx
OMG Beverly! That's certainly given you something to think about, hasn't it? You must have been stunned.
Hope your future news is a good, I'll keep my figers crossed too!
Rosina x
 
Thanks Rosina :) yeah, it was extremely weird, I didn't know how to feel to be quite honest. It's a mixture so 'woohoo!' and 'duh?'. I still can't believe it, but not long to go till i see my Neuro ( in November) Hopefully by then he will have an idea of what is going on. Xx thanks for your reply xx
The key thing here is the negative lumbar puncture. I just cant see how someone could be diagnosed with MS with a negative one. A negative LP shows that the immune system is active in the CSF and it shouldnt be. I have read that some neuros (including mine) will not diagnose with a negative one. Even on the Barts MS Blog the prof says that MS with an negative LP is not true MS (if at all) .I was told MS by one neuro and then another says by lesion is due the radiation therapy I had for lymphoma.
I hope that your lesions will go away when you are off the treatment.  Your first neuro probably didnt realise that your treatment can cause lesions and MS symptoms.
I hope all goes well
Moyna xx
Thanks Moyna. That's how it's weird as all my symptoms are classic MS, and he kept doing more and more tests. This is the news I got from my Crohns specialist, not the Neuro...typical! It's been a crappy 2 year ride. The other problem is that as Humira is relatively new, they don't yet fully understand it's side effects. Biological treatments aren't fully understood, but the problem I had before I went on the treatment is that the Crohns was so bad, it was that or lose the bowel : s
I hope that what I have been through is remembered for people in the future so they don't have to go through this. This is all presuming that the Humira has caused this in the first place.xx
Hi Beverly, hope it's gonna be alright and withdrawal won't be too bad! I'm stunned. But not the first time i read about a potential misdiagnosis - there are lots of stories where neuros said MS which later turned out to be neurosarcoidosis or they switched dx back and forth...
All the best and keep us posted. xx
Thanks Xenomorph. I can't believe it. It's cruel really as the process you go through to accept the MS, and all that goes with it, to then be told they've changed their minds :/ Anyway, I'm going to get through this next 2 months, the withdrawal isn't great but if I improve after it then it will be obvious it's that causing it. Thanks for the reply xx
I have MS
Hello Beverley
I notice you say you've been on Humira for six years.  As the consultant been monitoring you over the last six years, while you've been taking the drug, given that he will be aware that demyelination can be caused by this drug.   Were you made aware of  the side efects  before agreeing to take it?
Noreen xx
Thanks Blossom. The doc who put me on it sees me every 3 months. They were aware of how I was feeling and never once said it was Humira. I had every test on my Crohns and they were happy that the treatment was doing its job and not interested. I then started having heart symptoms, checked and fine so that was that. Stay on the drug and be grateful. They recently brought it regular blood tests to monitor liver function etc. my levels of inflammation are always up a bit so they always come up on the blood results.
the Neuro researched the drug and didn't say much at all. He saw my condition and results of reflexes are odd so pressed on testing. So all in all I'm just waiting to see if I improve after I've come off the drug and got over the withdrawal. I've got a backup treatment of steroids in the cupboard if the Crohns flares when I come off it and there's a new drug out if I need it. When I was recommended the Humira I had to sign a form but I cannot remember how nasty they said the side effects were, the state I was in I would have tried anything :s
the MRI (according to the doc) said no presence of demyelination , just lesions from what he could see. He did say he was no expert on brain things but it was brilliant news nonetheless . Xxx
Thanks everyone for asking and replying, I appreciate it. I'm sticking around for a while yet, I want to hear it from the horses mouth before I leave :)
i hope you are all alright and coping with the warm spell we are having, though as I'm looking out the window it looks like rain...plants won't need watering ;)
thanks again
xxxxxx
I have MS
Ok Beverley, all the best with neuro appointment smiley

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