what disease can mimic multiple sclerosis that can be confirmed with a blood test?

Question

i was diagnosed with ms about 8 years ago...started with optic neuritis..mri shows only one leison in the white matter of the brain and one lesion at c2 on the spinal cord....evoked potential was positive, spinal tap was said to be positive by one neurologist and inconclusive by another..i have many of the symptoms including weakness, loss of coordination, numbness in hands and feet, etc,,,now a new neurologist looking at the spinal tap says he things something about the bands doesn't necessarily confirm ms, so he ordered a blood test to see if i had something else...i have no clue what he said, haven't been able to get a hold of him..really want to find out what he is looking for?? any ideas...thanks

Answer 1

Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome can mimic MS and is confirmed by a blood test and looking at what you posted here it seems to be a high possibility that this is what you have.

APS is associated with recurrent clotting events (thrombosis) including premature stroke, repeated miscarriages, phlebitis, venous thrombosis (clot in the vein) and pulmonary thromboembolism (blockage of an artery found in the lung due to a clot that has traveled from a vein). It is also associated with low platelet or blood elements that prevent bleeding. Recently, however, even more disease states have been linked with APL including premature heart attack, migraine headaches, various cardiac valvular abnormalities, skin lesions, abnormal movement/chorea, diseases that mimic multiple sclerosis, vascular diseases of the eye that can lead to visual loss and blindness.

Please read the links below that I have provided and see if anything matches up.

Answer 2

I don't know about that, but I do know that Vitamin D deficiency can mimic and even cause MS. I didn't go to the doctor for a year worrying I had MS, and when I finally went, it was a D deficiency. I took Cod Liver Oil (CLO) for a long time, before I ran across this particular type of CLO, which is processed differently, so that it retains it's natural Vitamins. Because Vitamin D is a fatty vitamin, you can OD on it, especially if you are taking high concentrations of D3, however this CLO is natural, so the D it contains is a broad spectrum of vitamin Ds. It is more bioavailable, and better for you overall. It is certainly worth a shot to see if it helps. I had ALL of the symptoms you named above until I started taking this. If you decide to have your D level tested, and you test in the low 30s, your doctor may tell you that this is fine. It is not. If I were you I wouldn't be satisfied unless my numbers were in the 50s. The accepted standard is long due for an overhaul, and you should not be victimized by a standard. Mine was at 17, and I was told it was only moderately low, when in fact it was quite severe. I don't have a really good answer for your actual question, except that I could see where blood pressure could cause similar symptoms. If I were you I'd talk to the neurologist about it, and find out what the test might tell him and why he suspects that your BP could be low, where there is no other indication of it, or if there is another way to do the test that costs less. Keep in mind that specialists specialize for a reason. You are seeking the help of your neurologist because he is an expert in that field, your cardiologist and GP are not experts in neurology. If you trust your neurologist, I'd take his advice, and if you don't, you shouldn't see him at all. Good luck to you. Modern medicine has very little to offer people with MS, other than drugs that will kill your liver before the MS has the chance. While this may seem depressing, it is also a form of freedom for you to explore alternative care. I have found better health with my health problems by subscribing to the nutrition journal linked below, and I encourage you to look over the website and see if it's something you might be interested in. Listening to your doctors is important, but it is also important to listen to your body. For instance I found out about the vitamin D deficiency, but I still had tons of fatigue and muscle and joint pain. I thought maybe I had fibromyalgia. Turns out I just had a gluten allergy. Now, two years later, I don't have any more pain at all. I am healthier than I have been in years.

Answer 3

The classic MS spinal tap shows "oligoclonal bands" of immunoglobulin, as shown in the first source.

There are too many possibilities for me to venture a guess as shown in the second source.

Answer 4

Have you seen an allergist? I have had the same symptoms and with an allergy shot, they went away. I would suggest it. And good luck to you.