Has anyone ever had an abnormal MRI?

I've been having tingling in my face/neck for the past 3 weeks or so, along with my usual hormone-related migraines. My PCP ordered a cervical and brain MRI. They did them both on Friday, then called me Friday night to ask that I come in on Monday for another brain scan. Now, for a person with high anxiety, this is a very bad thing to do. Of course my anxiety shot through the roof. What could be wrong? Did they see something?? Anyway, I had another brain MRI on Monday, and they gave me a shot of dye to get a contrast. My PCP called me a short time later, and told me that there was a small "something" on the front left side of my brain. Neither she or the radiologist know what it was. She suggested I see a neurosurgeon to get it looked at, since they have so much more experience with the MRI scans.

After MUCH insurance fanagaling.... (is that really a word? ), I got an appointment with a respected neurosurgeon nearby -- next Wedesday.

In the meantime, I've been scouring the net, looking for answers. I've found that my anxiety is actually much better if I have more information, but not TOO much! If I look at too much "negative" information, I know I've gone down the dark side. A little information gives me hope & I feel better equipmed to deal with whatever happens.

I didn't know where else to post this. In my research I found that a higher percentage of migraine sufferers can have lesions on the brain, which are usually totally harmless... Hopefully it will turn out to be totally harmless. In the meantime, I'm big-time praying and trying not to think about it.

For someone facing an unexpected challenge, your post comes across as strong and self-assured. I really admire what you wrote and how you wrote it.

You are right that migraines can produce totally harmless "abnormalities" in the brain. Keep expecting the best. And please keep us informed. We all tend to worry about each other.

Wishing you all the best,
Marcy

Midwestpiglet:

Try not to worry. I was told about 15 years ago that part of my brain was missing. Huh????? Apparently a congenital defect where a very small part of my brain had never grown together. Scraed me to death but nothing ever came of it.
It is best to get these things checked out. Don't worry though. I have heard that about migraines and lesions as well.

Keep us updated and try to stay off of the internet. It can be a scary place.

Shakin'

midwest....I'm so sorry to read about your situation. I will keep you in my prayers and keep us posted.

Hugs,
Karen

The awful part for you is the waiting to find out but please keep assuring yourself that you are right and its not uncommon for something to show up when you suffer from migraines.
The waiting is the worst.
I have had a MRI and they kept me waitng for 3 months for the results, so you can imagine what my imagination went through.
Keep talking yourself back down to everything being alright.
The tingling is a classic migraine symptom too.
I loose my speech and suffer some confusion so the symptoms can be quite frightening, during a migraine.
You will be okay but you are between a rock and a hard place at the moment.

best wishes
Caroline

There are really many more benign conditions in the brain than there are serious or malignant ones. For example, I suffered from horrible cluster headaches in my early forties, and the doctor ordered an MRI. I had several repeats, along with a contrast dye, like yourself. They found a tumor called an epidermoid near the left side of my temporal lobe. Of course I freaked out. But it is an extremely slow growing "cyst-like" tumor that is harmless. (Unless the size beging to squeeze the brain). So I went for MRI's every 6 months for a while, then every year, then every other year. It has remained the same size for 12 years. And it could actually be something I was born with!

I will keep you in my thoughts, and hope for the best.

Midwest,
You will be in my prayers. Prayers are mighty! Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Susie

Hi,
I feel so much for you, I have been through the same.
I had and still have an "abnormal" MRI.
Tree years ago, I started having occular migraines, twitches, tingling, buzzing all over. (I now see this as beginning of peri!)
MRI with contrast showed some very tiny dots ( atypical lesions) that according to the neuro could be anything.
I talked to a radiologist and he said that "they see this all the time". Most of the lesions, unless they are very typical, are actually harmless and you even can be born with them! They do the MRI's to be completely sure and to rule everything out.
I actually believe now that MRI's can be a blessing and a curse... .

After three years the lesions I have are completely unchanged.
Stop googling and try to relax!

I wish you all the best and let us know how your appointment went.

Nic

Thanks SO much for all your reponses!! You don't know how much they mean to me. (Well, actually you might -- the people on this message board are awesome!)

I had an almost symptom-free day yesterday, which was such a welcome relief. Then last night the face tingling started again, with anxiety close on its heels. The tingling is more pronounced this morning, along with the anxiety. I'm just trying to breathe through it all. I've had so many strange peri-menopausal symptoms over the past few years, you'd think I'd be used to one more. Not!

The past few days I've also felt the beginnings of a migraine starting -- that dull ache in the center of my head. Normally the pain moves to the back of one eye & I'm out for the count for about 20 hours. This time, the migraine is trying to start but is stopping. Could be that my roller-coaster hormones have created another ride for me. I'll call it the "Face Tingler". Hmmm... do you think I could get off during the middle of the ride please??

I also am resisting the urge to search the net. Thanks for the suggestion!!

I'm a member of the abnormal-MRI club too. In my early twenties, I had one (they were brand new back then) and it showed "something" (that's the word they used) on my left temporal lobe. It turned out to be a lesion, and probably is what is causing my epilepsy. Nothing can be done about it...I just live with it. I hope whatever you have turns out to be benign...I'll be keeping you in my prayers...

Wondering how your appointment with the neurosurgeon went.

Me too...I'm wondering how things went today....please let us know.

Hugs,
Karen

Hi All:

Just got back to the office from my 11am appointment – took almost 3 hours of waiting around/filling out forms, etc. Actually saw the neurosurgeon for about 2 minutes...

The surgeon said I have a small (1 cm) lesion on my brain, which may or may not have been there since birth. He said that there is a very small chance that anything is seriously wrong, but he wants me to have one more detailed MRI to make sure. What they’re checking for is epilepsy – he said the tingling I’m getting might actually be seizures. That doesn’t feel quite right to me, but I’ll get the test in 3 weeks just to rule the epilepsy out. (And if it is some kind of epilepsy, we’ll deal with it then. Better than MS or a brain tumor I think!)

Thanks again so much for everyon'e s well wishes – I SOO appreciate it.

As a side note, I felt really good about going to the appointment alone -- my husband said he would cancel his appointments and come with me, but I was feeling OK. After sitting in the waiting room for an hour, I started to get REALLY anxious (watching all those people walk past me with shaved heads and such). Was nervous during the whole appointment, then my husband showed up unannounced as I was making the next MRI appointment. (Maybe we have some kind of mind meld after 16 year of marriage!) I was SO glad to see him -- I gave him lots of lovin' & thanks. Then we went out to lunch. It was very sweet.

midwest....thanks for the update....that was so sweet of your husband. Please keep us posted....praying that all goes well.

Hugs,
Karen

Thanks for your replies!

I had my latest MRI on Monday, and seemed to have some kind of reaction to the contrast dye they use during the test. I was OK until driving home, when I felt the most powerful anxiety attacks I have ever had. I was close to the ER, so I went to get checked out. They wanted to give me Benadryl & steriods and something else, but I was not convinced it was a just a panic attack. I called my hubby, and he came and sat with me while they monitored my heart rate and pulse ox. They released me a few hours later, saying it was a panic attack. The rest of today I felt more anxious than I had ever felt. The anxiety got a little better yesterday, but I woke up in the middle of the night with either panic attacks or hot flashes that lasted a couple of hours. The kind where I felt like I was falling ten stories, dizzy, stomach churning. Yeesh. I've got out some relaxation tapes & am going to treat all my symptoms as anxiety today, in an effort to let them go. Even if I did have a reaction to the dye, it's not going to hurt to relax more.

I had the doctors fax over a copy of my records yesterday, so that we could review them before we actually meet with the neurosurgeon on Tuesday. The MRI results stated that my lesion is likely a congenital condition, with something called cortical thickening. (Now THAT sounds like my state of mind!) There was one sentence on the bottom, though, that has me freaked out. It says that a low-grade glioma cannot be ruled out. After a little Googling, I found out that's a tumor! Now, I know that these people have to cover their butts & say things like that. I also know that's probably why the nuero wanted the 3rd MRI to check it out. BUT, with all the news of Sen Kennedy the past few days & his glioma, I have ridden the Anxiety Bus off the beaten path & into the stratosphere.

I am trying SO hard to listen to the neuro's words that it's a very small chance something scary is happening. I've pulled out all my anxiety tools and am praying and trying to let go and let God take over. What a test of faith...

Hi Midwest,
I was going to post and ask you for an update, so glad you have posted now.
I am not surprised that your anxiety is hitting the roof, and i would be the same and I would only concentrate on that little bit at the bottom of the page too, where there is something which might be scary, (we never concentrate on the good bits)

But what you need to say to yourself, is really what you already have, they are covering their butts and most of all yours.

but also and this is the big issue, say that the news is the worst, what they might have find is low grade, meaning it is tiny, and therefore, it is found and they will be able to do something about it and that is what you need to keep telling yourself.
They may have found nothing but if they have, its early and therefore treatable.
from what i understand Sen Kennedy's would be quite advanced.

I had a breast cancer and it was caught so early it was small and classed as low grade but if I had left it maybe 5 years or so, who knows???
The bad part was the waiting and waiting to find out what is was, I was screwed, but I got through it and now regret all the sleepless nights.

I really hope that all this comes to nothing for you but the worst is the anxiety and the worry.
Trust the doctors on this and really try not to let the anxiety rule your life.
If there is something and it sounds like a big IF! you will find inner strengh to cope with it, believe me, its the not knowing which causes all the trouble.

very best wishes
Caroline

Caroline:

Thanks so much for your reassuring words.

I think that the not knowing & waiting part is very difficult. My nerves have been slowly being revved up since this all began, and it doesn't take much now to set me up for a panic attack. I've also had irregular periods, which is doing a number on my hormone levels. I'm concentrating on taking a day at a time. (Or, taking my grandmpa's advice, and taking 1/2 a day at a time.) I am being more and more convinced that our mental status affects our physical bodies to a great extent. If I can work myself into an anxiety tizzy & create debilitating physical symptoms, there is no reason I can't create better health & a relaxed body.

I also agree with Nic's comments that all this new technology can be both a blessing and a curse.

Caroline -- I am so sorry to hear about your past breast cancer, and wish you a very, very healthy future.

aw thanks Midwest,
I am pretty ok about the BC now, just have to be checked once a year, it's a nail-biting time again but at least I know, they will catch it quickly, if it comes back.
I am usually running in the oposite direction when it comes to check ups but went along and was so shocked when they found something as I had no idea, but was so glad that I went.

Now the peri symptoms, they are another story LOL, and I agreee, they set our anxiety levels at an all time high ( or low, depending how you look at it Ha!)
As I mentioned before, I had a MRI last year, due to migraines and the funny symptoms, that I was getting, I had never had migraines until last year.
All was fine but am still getting the migraines, so can easily wind myself up, thinking that they missed something, so I know how easy it is to do that.
but I wish you a very healthy future too and I hope they will give you a definite answer that you are fine and send you on your way.

Had my appointment with the neurosurgeon, and they don't have a definative answer yet. The surgeon said that best-case scenario would be that I'm a 90-year old woman telling her grandchildren that I have this thing on my brain that the doctor's could never figure out! I'm going to have another MRI in 3 months to make sure the "thing" is not growing. Hopefully it will just be a congenital "brain freckle" and that it will never change!

Now I'm still working on getting ahold of my anxiety. Still getting some tingling (and itchies - yikes, what's THAT about), and had a bout of vertigo that sent me to the ER last week. I would like to be done with doctors for a long, long while! Making it my goal to float through anxiety.

midwestpiglet:

I suspect if this was really something to worry about the neurosurgeon would not wait three months. I think they would be jumping on it quickly. You should feel comfort in knowing that it is small and even if it was something I suspect they could take care of it. I think maybe if you are still anxious about it though, you might want to take your records to another neurosurgeon for a second opinion.

Many prayers for you. I have a feeling you are going to be just fine!

Shakin'

MW, I'm sorry you don't have something more definitive but I agree with the other Shakin, if it looked threatening then your doc would want it out. And hasn't someone else had a growth for 12 years now that hasn't grown? It could be the same for you. I also googled low-grade glioma and from what I saw, it's not only rare, but when it does happen, it mostly occurs with men so....relax.... You might be one in a million to us, but not with this.

I'll keep you in my prayers as I'm sure these thoughts come and go. I also wanted to say that the headaches and tingling are common peri symptoms so they could very well be unrelated. (Although tingling can also be due to B12 deficiency).

Try to relax and expect the best.

MW, Sorry I missed this earlier, but wanted to send big (((HUGS))) your way. I agree with the others - it's not likely this is something to be worried about, as if the doc really suspected something serious, they'd hardly be willing to wait for 3 months.

Praying you feel better soon. You're handling this well (probably doesn't feel like that at times!), and are a strong and impressive woman!

JJ

Hi MW,
There is nothing I can add to the kind and encouraging words of the other lovely ladies
I feel for you, I know what it is to have to wait for an answer another 3 months.
I know about the fear and the stress, the increasing allergie for doctors. I also know that one can feel so alone with this. Nobody, including your loved ones, has an idea of the impact that this can have on our mental en fysical health. This sounds maby exagerated but this kind of uncertainty is a form of slow torture... .
Coming to this place is the right thing to do. It is a blessing!
What helps me a lot beside visiting this site is low exercising, yoga and meditation.
Also, if possible, don´t stay too much around the house. Go out, see some friends go for a shopping or whatever is distracting you.

I wish you all the luck and send you my good thoughts.

Nic

UPDATE

Wanted to post an update on my crazy tingling roller-coaster ride.

First of all, I've had VERY little tingling the past month or so. Yay! I've been working VERY hard on letting go of stress/anxiety, doing yoga, eating OK. I still get some tingling, especially if I do a lot of yardwork or if I have sore muscles.

I had a sleep-deprived EEG test (had to stay awake from 1:00am on), which I found out was completely normal. No epilepsy. No siezure disorder. Another Yay!

The nuerologist who sent me for the test wanted me to stop taking black cohash to see if that would help my tingling at all. (She was concerned it might be causing some kind of siezures.) Unfortunately, it doubled my migraines -- got 2 last week. So, I'm taking the black cohash again to see if that would help. Saw my Internist today and she gave me an rx for Midrin, since none of the triptans are helping me. I get the 24-hour puke-my-guts-out migraines -- not fun for me or my family! Hopefully the Midrin will do some good!

I go for my next MRI in November. I have to say I'm having trouble letting go of the fear on that one. That's the one thing that stares out from the night, when I'm trying to sleep. I've been getting MRIs every 3 months, and so far no change, which is GOOD! My internist, who I really like, said it's a hard place to be, not knowing if it's nothing, or if it's a tumor/cancer. Maybe I will feel more relaxed after a few more clean MRIs. (I am thinking positively here...) I have a lot of people praying for me, which helps too.

Anyway, just wanted to give an update. You guys are awesome for your replies. It makes the hard days a little easier to walk through with a firmer step.

MWP, I just want you to know that I am thinking about you and wishing you a clean bill of health. I know how hard the waiting is. We are all her for you. Hang in.

Very best,
Marcy

MWP: I'm following your story...glad you updated us. The good news is that you are being followed/monitored closely and the chances are very, very small that this is anything bad. Very few of us reach middle age without some health issue that scares the pants off us. Hang in there, and keep us posted!

Hugs,
Robin

MWP,

Thank you for the update. Remember we're all here when it's time to go for your test in November.

Lots of people thinking of you and praying for you.

(((HUGS)))

JJ

MWP just wanted to let you know you're in my prayers.

midwest.....

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. Looking forward to the update in November. This is all so frightening and the support here is so unbelievable. I just wished we all lived closer to each other, so until then.....

(((((((((((((((((((midwest))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) Big Cyber Hugs to you...

Karen

Had my follow-up MRI last week, and my doc appointment today. The neurosurgeon said that there was no change to my MRI from previous scans -- yay! He wants me to have another one in a year just to be cautious. (And probably more in the future to keep an eye on it, but I'll save those thoughts for another day.!)

He told me to enjoy the holidays and the upcoming year. I was really happy to hear those words!

Midwest,

That's great news. I'm so happy for you.

Hugs,

Arla.

Dear MWP,

Wonderful news! Enjoy the holidays with your family and friends-- you deserve some peace of mind!

Hugs,
Jan

Just wanted to update for my latest MRI, which I had last week. Met with the neurosurgeon yesterday and he said there was no change -- yay!!! He told me that was the best news he could give me. I go for another MRI in 2 years to make sure everything has stayed the same. I was/am so happy!

Hubbie & I went to a nice restaurant for lunch to celebrate. Chicken marsala w/mushroom sauce and fresh veggies.