Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

If you are diagnosed why do you need an spinal tap? My doc asked after I was diagnosed if I wanted a spinal tap, but said I don't really need it. So I said no, and didn't get it.

I'm glad I did that and I have found over time it was the right thing to do. Not getting it. I have found more and more proof that advioses a person not to get it over the 5 years since I was diagniosed.

Others have found that also.

See this post & my reply 1,2,3 in the second thread.....and if you want to read the procedure also.

Ask why you need a spinal tap, how will it change your diagnosis?
Why do you need it right now? It may be one of those unnecessary procedures that are driving health care costs up. If they give you any double talk about it, to pressure you into it,say you want to think about it,before you decide then come back here with the double talk.
We''ll let you know if there is any legitimacy to their double talk.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Mul...

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Mul...

opps the first thread just copied twice..is here is the second thread. Its my replies 1,2,3 that talks about the spinal tap(LP) and if you want you can also read the whole DIAGNOSING procedure to see haw an LP (spinal tap) fits, into diagnosing MS...if your already diagnosed..it doesn't. Its just a way to make $ from our insurance. It WAS a routine diagnosing procedure, its not anymore. Medicine advances over time.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Mul...

reply 1,2,3

since i am new to this -- i go with what the doctor recommends or says... i have no idea what i am dealing with. i am still overwhelmed by the fact that i was one day totally fine and today i have it! i will ask the doctor about it again and why the tap is necessary after the diagnosis...

would you have a clue what i'll go through after? pain? scars?

thank you for replying!

I have had 5 years dealing with this. Also I am single & on disability so I end up spending most of my time on the message board and looking things up a lot....way to spend time. It irritates many I have a huge list of people I ignore because they view me as a "know-it-all" but perhaps you can benefit from that part of my personality.

I will add one more thing about the spinal tap. The doc that diagnosed me did say it was my option, though I didn't need it. I was without insurance, self pay, so I obviously did not want anything I didn't need.

I qualified for disability, then got on medicare. The doc who had diagnosed me moved across the country. I went to his replacement. It had nagged at me that I refused that test. I spent much time researching it, not because I got it. Becasuse I didn't. FAt first appointment with my replacement neuro. I said I'm willing to get an LP now. She looked at me and asked "why, you don't need one. If you really want one i can do it" I was relieved actually. "I said no I don't want it if it is not needed!"

To find past posts of the LP that have been made...in the upper right hand corner there is a search box. Type in LP. It will bring up all the past LP posts. On that screen that lists pasts posts, there is a list of communities the post was made in. The LP is used for many conditions. You can select Multiple Sclerosis on the left, then it will display the posts on LP that were done in the multiple sclerosis community.

And this on is a link in WebMd about them..

http://www.webmd.com/multiple-scle...

Good Luck. But you really don't need this test.

And it carries the very real risk of just causing unnecessary conflict-strss in the diagnosis. Be certain to pre-arrange with the doc what will be done if the LP conflicts with other tests. Have some kind of "gentleman's agreement", "hand shake agreement" what the conclusion will be for every possible test result. Because you could get every possible test result.

Its a legacy test. Medicine has moved on and this is a test of the past.
Like polio is a disease of the past.

Imaging technologies, MRI's, have improved since the hey day's of LP MS diagnosis. Its been made obsolete by advances in MRI technology, as is the way of most progress. The rail road replaced the horse, the car replaced the railroad...ect.

There have been a few that had their diagnosis reversed when it was made with an LP...then did not have a disease that progressed in a manner consistent with MS.

There have been those that were diagnosed with an LP, and future lesion development confirmed the diagnosis on an MRI.

More questions for you to resolve with your doc, before the LP. How likely is it to be reversed if the diagnosis is confirmed by LP? How significant is the LP results in a confirmed diagnosis in the future? It's not.

Hi,

Hope I'm not too late to add this and you have already had the spinal tap. My daughter had one in May as she was dx then. When they do the s.t. they should tell you that there are risks. They are checking to see what is in the spinal fluid i.e., myelin from the brain. It can be painful but not for long. xx

The neuro may be trying to cover his " butt" by doing an LP. Only about 50% have positive LPs. Most neuros now use the MRI as they are the most effective means of diagnosis. Insurance co's may actually want an LP result for diagnostic purposes.
I had no problems with mine at all. it was just pressure and a little pinch. No scars, just a bandaid. I have also had a lot of epidurals for back pain issues so I am just used to them I guess.

Hugs!

Listen to nnyl1: she knows what she is talking about. There are dangers and pains involved in the spinal tap and if you are already diagnosed, it is unnecessary. It will not give you one speck of information that your doctor needs to treat you. You need a good working relationship with your doc. You should never be afraid to ask real questions. A doc who won't answer questions is not the one to be a long term MS doc.

Okay, HE** no on the spinal tap!!! I had doctors tell me that a spinal tap was needed to confirm and blah blah blah... I am chosing not to have something stuck into my spinal column that "may" tell the doctors something or confirm MS to them. A chiropractor I was seeing also informed me NOT to get a spinal tap.

I am also a big ole baby and there ARE ways that a neurologist can diagnose without a spinal tap.

You take care and if you already got a diagnosis of MS why does a spinal tap need to be done? I agree with dddeerma. Make sure and tell us how it goes!