Has Anyone Been Given The Diagnosis Of Multlple System Atrophy Along With Parkinson's Or Instead Of P's After First Thinking It Was That?
Has Anyone Been Given The Diagnosis Of Multlple System Atrophy Along With Parkinson's Or Instead Of P's After First Thinking It Was That?
How did your neurologist differentiate between the 2? I know this isn't an entirely Parkinson's question, but I would like to know if anyone else has been told it might be MSA.
Have you sought another opinion?Putting comments on a chart would be unacceptable to me. As my husband reminds me, I am little short (4’8” ))and puny( 92 lbs) but I AM LOUD! Be your own best advocate.
🌈TheaD
A DATscan won’t diagnose; but it will tell them if you are losing dopamine, which makes it Parkinsonism; if it shows your dopamine is intact then it is not Parkinsonism. When they diagnose Parkinsons with a DATscan, then you develop symptoms not found in PD, they look at those symptoms and try to determine which Parkinsonism you have; then the best answer you can honestly get is likely, the next best is possibly. Only after they autopsy a brain can there be a definite answer, and often they got it wrong, which isn’t to say you didn’t have Parkinsonism, it means you didn’t have the one they thought.
Teresa
I have also, and I think that is correct. There arent many people who have MSA, so we should keep in touch. there isn't an answer to your question, per se....MSA is a type of parkinsonism. it isn't parkinsons in the traditional sense. For instance, I don't shake, not at all. However I also can no longer walk at all, so it's not really better or worse than parkinsons, just different, and its diagnosed with a nuclear brain scan.
Is he a movement disorder specialist? You really should see one; a good one. You could really check it yourself by getting a decent blood pressure cuff and check your BP while sitting then stand about 3 minutes then check it again while standing. A drop of 20 point drop or more of the top (systolic) number 3 or 4 times a day 5 days in a row can be pretty convincing. Let me clarify; it won’t always drop but more often than not with MSA it will drop, though it is treatable for many. There are other diagnoses that it can be also. If you get no response I’d be looking for a new neurologist. Even if it’s not MSA, it’s time for some new doctoring.
Teresa
Theresa:
My neurologist after 2 or 3 years suggested I may have MSA as well as PD;; He guessed this because the caradopa/levadopa was not working as well
as he expected.. I went home and checked on a MSA web site; which stated that a specific change n BP from siting to standing was a primary diagnostic tool. I advised him of this at the next visit and he has said nothing since .(6years or so)
LLoyd3
