posted
Hi, I know I read articles saying that plaque on MRI scans that resemble MS can be Lyme Disease. Has anyone heard of this and could send me information.
I had MRI's done last week on my T and L spines and they saw a small ovoid area at T7-T8 with a protruding disc and questioned MS because I had numbness and tingling in my legs.
They called me in for more MRI's of the brain and C-spine. The brain was unchanged from my last 3 films going back to 2004 with very small lesions that do not enhance with contrast. However, I have plaque formation from C2-C5 with a 7mm lesion at C5 and they are suspecting probable MS because the lesion enhances with contrast. Although my MS work up was negative they are looking at the films and passing judgement.
I am going to call my LLMD on Monday to dicuss with her. Am I crazy or is is possible to have these lesions on the brain and spinal cord from Lyme?
I had the vaccine in 1999 all three shots and then multiple tick bites prior to and after the vaccine. I also understand that those of us that have had the vaccine have a double whammy of the disease. Any help or articles that you can give me would be helpful!
My neurologist told me to be cautious of LLMD's but he would not rule out the possibility of Lyme but was skeptical because I had vasculitis of both eyes as well.
I know I am not crazy, now I just have to prove to the MD's that Lyme could be the culprit and not MS. Thanks
Posts: 75 | Registered: Aug 2003
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
Why do you have to prove this? I think that most docs have closed minds on lyme and will not be convinced, regardless. Plus, they might go after your LLMD.
You are the one who has to decide what, if anything to do about this. Far as I can see, they don't have anything to offer people with MS.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
I don't really have to prove anything. My fear is that I am now off all the Doxy and that if these lesions are in the spine that it will effect my gait and I will have permanent damage. I also do not want to begin treatment for MS because I truly believe that the vaccine caused all this mess! And if I begin treatment for MS and it is Lyme I may only make the sx worse. I was hoping that others would have had similar sx's or problems with MRI's that I could identify. I had only heard the lesions could be involved in the spinal cord but have no idea what they look like etc.
Posts: 75 | Registered: Aug 2003
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Hello dZeb.
I have multiple lesions in my brain from neurological lyme disease and recently uncovered babesia WA-1. I have been treating for about a year.
My neurologist would still be "watching me," fully believing I have MS, and doing nothing else, because I failed the worthless ELISA test, though later tested highly positive on the more sensitive western blot.
Nothing I could do or say would convince my neurologist. Even when faxed the CDC positive IGM, he huffed peevishly, "Dat doctor is overtreating you!!!" (in my second month of treatment, fer cryin out loud.) THIS from a doctor who missed the diagnosis entirely. Lesson: neurologists are awfully proud of their diagnoses and damned if they'll let go of them.
You mustn't be troubled by this but must educate yourself and take charge. If you trust your LLMD, and it seems pretty obvious you have Lyme, then let them lead the way.
Considering your history of not only tick bites but the vaccine (egads!), Lyme sounds mighty likely. Why not treat it aggressively for a year and see what happens? You won't be hurting yourself if it's MS. However, the reverse ISN'T true. If you "treat" MS (not that there's really treatment per se), you are definitely hurting yourself if you really have Lyme.
My repeat MRI after a year looked exactly like the one before. Lesions unchanged in size and location (frontal, white/grey matter junction, size to 5mm, blah blah blah). Radiologist opinion stated "possibly due to Lyme's or vasculitis or demylinating process." (yeah, "Lymes." GRRR.)
Good luck. And don't worry about 'convincing the MD.' Can't be done except the rare few. You need to treat with people who believe in you and recognize and understand the complexities of Lyme disease, not people who make you feel like a nut case or malingerer. Stick with your LLMD. Give the rest of them the boot.
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
After going through the same thing (I did not have the vaccine) I started to do some research. MS means "multiple lesions". There is no known cause. Lyme also can cause Multiple lesions. There is a cause. My feeling, though I am not a dictor, is that MS is Lyme progressed. Lyme divies out it's symtoms according to each persons immune system. So that's why some people have some symtoms and others , other symtoms. Some people's immune system brakes down in their nernous system and that includes your brain. Hence the lesions. Treat the Lyme you have aggressively.
Posts: 298 | From los angeles | Registered: Mar 2006
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