Can a GP diagnose multiple sclerosis?

A GP will refer a patient to a neurologist if MS symptoms are present and MS is suspected. It is generally a neurologist who will make the initial diagnosis of MS. Neurologists will develop a treatment plan and prescribe any medication or drug therapy.

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Can a GP diagnose MS?

If your GP cannot rule out MS after the tests they have done, they can make a referral to an appropriate specialist. A neurologist specialises in nervous system disorders including MS, although not all neurologists are specialists in MS in particular.

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How do you confirm a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

It's very accurate and can pinpoint the exact location and size of any inflammation, damage or scarring (lesions). MRI scans confirm a diagnosis in over 90 per cent of people with MS.

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Where do you go if you suspect MS?

A neurologist -- a doctor who specializes in treating the disease -- should be able to help. They'll ask how you're feeling and help you figure out if your symptoms mean you have MS or another problem.

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Can multiple sclerosis be diagnosed without MRI?

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may show areas of abnormality that suggest MS, though the MRI in and of itself does not make the diagnosis. Spinal fluid testing may show that the immune system is active in and around the brain and spinal cord, supporting the diagnosis. Evoked potentials may assist in diagnosis.

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Daniel Ontaneda, MD, PhD: How Multiple Sclerosis Can Be Misdiagnosed

45 related questions found

When should you suspect multiple sclerosis?

People should consider the diagnosis of MS if they have one or more of these symptoms: vision loss in one or both eyes. acute paralysis in the legs or along one side of the body. acute numbness and tingling in a limb.

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What symptoms mimic multiple sclerosis?

These include fibromyalgia and vitamin B12 deficiency, muscular dystrophy (MD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), migraine, hypo-thyroidism, hypertension, Beçhets, Arnold-Chiari deformity, and mitochondrial disorders, although your neurologist can usually rule them out quite easily.

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Does MS show up in blood tests?

While there is no definitive blood test for MS, blood tests can rule out other conditions that cause symptoms similar to those of MS, including lupus erythematosis, Sjogren's, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, some infections, and rare hereditary diseases.

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How do doctors rule out MS?

MRI scan. An MRI scan is a painless scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body. It can show whether there's any damage or scarring of the myelin sheath (the layer surrounding your nerves) in your brain and spinal cord.

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What kind of doctor can diagnose MS?

Since diagnosing MS can be very difficult, it must be done by a neurologist who specializes in treating MS. As many as 10 percent of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis actually have some other condition that mimics MS.

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Where does MS usually start?

Here's where MS (typically) starts

Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is usually the most common, Shoemaker says. You may experience eye pain, blurred vision and headache. It often occurs on one side and can eventually lead to partial or total vision loss.

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Why is MS so hard to diagnose?

MS can be among the most difficult of all diseases to diagnose because of the bewildering number of symptoms it causes and the multiple ways in which they can present.

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Should I go to the doctor if I think I have MS?

There are so many symptoms of MS it's easy to think you might have it from watching a TV programme or hearing about it from a friend. The reality is most people don't have MS. But if you think you do, the first thing you should do is speak to your GP.

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What is the gold standard for diagnosing MS?

There is no definite measure or laboratory marker for the diagnosis of MS, yet. Both the clinical features of the disease, and laboratory investigations such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses are being used.

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What are four common diagnostic tests for MS?

The 4 common diagnostic tools used to prove or disprove MS – multiple sclerosis by clinical neurologists are:
  • A comprehensive patient medical history and neurological exam.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging of the neuroaxis.
  • Evoked Potentials testing.
  • Analysis of the spinal fluid.

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What is the single best test that can diagnose or confirm MS?

An MRI is painless, non-invasive, and can produce detailed images. Performed both with and without contrast dye, an MRI can identify lesions on the brain and spinal cord. The images can show if the lesions are old, new, or currently active. In addition to diagnosis, an MRI can help monitor disease progression.

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Is MS visible on MRI?

Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a wonderful tool to help diagnose and follow people with MS. MRI is safe and relatively non-invasive yet can provide very detailed images of the brain and spinal cord that can reveal MS lesions (also known as demyelination, spots, or plaques) and changes in MS activity over time.

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What markers in blood indicate MS?

Intrathecal IgG OCBs are a hallmark of MS and are the most widely used diagnostic biomarker in MS, despite not being specific to MS. In addition, an increased IgG synthetic rate and elevated IgG index are also used as corollary evidence for MS.

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Are inflammatory markers raised in MS?

Inflammation in a myelinated portion of the nervous system is the mainstay of multiple sclerosis (MS). Elevation of inflammatory markers such as procalcitonin, ESR and hs-CRP is suspected to occur in MS patients.

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Can you have a slight case of MS?

Some people are told they have benign MS. The term benign MS is sometimes used to describe a version of relapsing remitting MS with very mild or no attacks separated by long periods with no symptoms. 'Benign' means 'something doesn't cause any harm'.

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What are 3 symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Some of the most common symptoms include:
  • fatigue.
  • vision problems.
  • numbness and tingling.
  • muscle spasms, stiffness and weakness.
  • mobility problems.
  • pain.
  • problems with thinking, learning and planning.
  • depression and anxiety.

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What are the three most common symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Early symptoms can include vision problems, trouble walking, and tingling feelings. MS affects people differently. But common problems are trouble with movement and thinking, and bowel and bladder incontinence.

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What is the first stage of MS?

Clinically isolated syndrome describes a person's first episode of neurological symptoms caused by damaged myelin in the CNS. CIS is often referred to as the first stage of MS, even though it doesn't meet the MS criterion for dissemination in time (MS damage that occurs on different dates).

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How common is MS in Australia?

Over 25,600 people in Australia are living with multiple sclerosis, including 3,700 Queenslanders, and it affects each person differently. On average more than 10 Australians are diagnosed with MS every week.

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Can you live with MS and not know it?

MS can be difficult to diagnose early on, partly because there is no single test for it. "MS symptoms are sometimes subtle and spontaneously remit without any treatment," Hemmer said. "Often these patients are not referred to a neurologist, or they cancel the appointment because the symptoms have disappeared." Dr.

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