posted
I've been fighting with the insurance company for a week. My primary doctor finally convinced them to authorize an MRI of my neck because I'm having so much pain there. Insurance company said that if my neck shows a problem then they will authorize the brain MRI. The fact that I can't remember things (like what highschool my son attended in 9th grade and where my daughters friends' house is when I have taken her there numerous times before), have headaches, numbness and tingling in limbs, etc. doesn't seem to matter. I was honestly scared to get the brain MRI because I was afraid they were going to find something devastating, but I really think I should have one done before I forget who everyone is.
Does anyone know if an MRI of the neck will show any nerve damage or problems related to Lyme?
Posts: 50 | From Virginia | Registered: Jan 2006
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Hi skbland.
Dratted insurance companies... A pox on them!
Your neck MRI probably won't show much except reverse curvature from muscle spasms, assuming you have the tight and painful neck common to Lyme.
Usually a complaint of unremitting severe headaches will get you a brain MRI authorization. The cognitive stuff is likely too ethereal for your insurers to comprehend; however, headache complaints might do it for them.
We are talking about MORNING headaches, headaches that wake you up in the middle of the night, headaches that do not respond to the usual medications.
I had cognitive issues pretty badly too but my MRI request was based on the never-ending pain.
Maybe have your doctor rephrase his request?
Good luck. Don't be scared of devastating results; I was convinced I HAD to have a brain tumor my head hurt so badly. It turned out I had multiple frontal lobe lesions; however, these are not unusual in neurolyme, and I was actually relieved to NOT have a brain tumor!!!
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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riversinger
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 4851
posted
I had severe headaches and memeory problems and my MRI came out completely clean!!!
It is common for the insurance company to give you a hard time. They hope you will give up and go away. If your doctor persists, especially with signs like new onset of head pain, they will usually have to give in.
However, it wasn't intil I had a SPECT scan that any sign of what was happening came clear. This is fairly common for Lyme, but you do need to have the MRI to be sure.
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