Requesting an MRI?

[cluelessandhopeless]

I’ve been having ongoing symptoms since January which are worrying me.
I’m really not feeling like myself. In January I began having feelings of intense dread and gloom which seemed to appear out of no where and would last for long periods, and in which I had severe insomnia, lost the ability to tell if I was cold and had terrible brain fog. This was so out of character for me and came on without any cause. I feel like I can’t explain the feelings I’ve been having as they are so strange but I feel like I have been taken over by a different person and it is so so strange and unlike me that I’m struggling to describe exactly what I’m experiencing.
but on top of this I’ve noticed in the past week I’m really starting to jumble up my words ALOT now, which is not normal for me, and I’m having real mind blanks. For instance a neighbour just asked me where I used to live (we moved a year ago) and I could not remember - complete kind blank, and very embarrassing.
I get blood test results back on Tuesday. But I am starting to worry a bit now and beginning to think this is really not normal and something may be really wrong. The doctor is testing my thyroid and said if this all comes back as normal then he will look at it being stress related(?), but I’m not experiencing massive amounts of stress at all. I’ve been through much more stress in my life and never experienced anything like this.
Would it be wrong of me to request an MRI if blood tests come back ok? Is it even possible to request this? I know some people might think it’s extreme, but I have a gut feeling that something is really wrong and I really feel like something is not right with me.

Just thyroid?
Things like B12 deficiency and Vitamin D deficiency can cause brain fog, confusion, memory issues etc and are far more likely than anything an MRI would show. I’d request additional bloods first and then see tbh.
I thought I had early onset Alzheimer’s but it was a combination of the above. Horrible experience so you have my sympathy, I hope you get some answers soon.

@Oopsilot Thank you for replying. I think I had a blood test a few months ago, as I was experiencing these symptoms and they came back ok. As far as I’m aware he is just testing thyroid, and I assume that’s because I had a recent blood test?
I feel like symptoms just continue to get worse. I don’t think this is normal (and it’s definitely not normal for me).
I went out with a friend yesterday and I just felt so ill and out of it, and I tried my hardest to ignore it and have a nice time, but I was constantly jumbled up words and getting tongue tied. I also have a constant tremor which has only recently developed. I just feel like something is wrong 😟

How old are you? Because if of a certain age they will put it down to peri menopause or menopause

I experienced similar when I approached menopause, even when my periods where still regular. I honestly believed I had dementia.

You can ask your GP to refer you for one, your bloods are ok. But you can't really demand one. You could pay for a private one at one of those centres that get advertised in magazines.

@QuebecBagnet Im 30.

I have experienced all of the above and more and for me, it is severe anxiety which presents itself often physically first which then obviously turns into fear because the symptoms are so powerful and concerning. Often it's the other way around anxiety=symptoms but not all bodies are the same. I once almost lost my eyesight for 4 minutes but physically I'm a picture of health! It's crazy what the brain can do and it's not always when something stressful is going on. It can come on suddenly from something years back which your not even aware off - also can be simply genetics.

Not saying you are the same OP just thought I'd pop that here in case it helps.

I hope it all improves soon for you, whatever it is

You need to find out exactly what blood tests were done last time and where in the ‘normal’ range they were. Ask the receptionist for a print out. You can still suffer full symptoms whilst being in the low end of the normal range. You need to be optimal in a lot of cases.

Someone I know aged about 27 had similar and was referred to neurology for MRI. It's unlikely the GP will request it directly, I would imagine.

Ok, thank you. I am speaking to the doctor Tuesday so will ask for this then 🙂

@notonl ok thank you. If you don’t mind me asking, did they find out what was wrong (if anything) in the end? Would be interested to hear of people who have had similar experiences and symptoms.

@humanwinginglife Thank you. I have gone through some experiences in the past that have caused anxiety, and been through very stressful situations. But I always felt like ‘myself’ through these experiences though and I can honestly say this feels so beyond that and beyond anything I have ever felt before. 😟 The problem is I don’t think I can articulate it very well, other than to say it’s beyond anything I’ve experienced before, and it feels wrong. I wish I could explain it better but I can’t find the words to describe it. 😟

You can't request an MRI, and it would seem unreasonable to me to do one based on what you've said. I'd expect a doctor to examine you fully and request a CT head if they find any focal neurological signs. If you want specific investigations that aren't clinically indicated it's often best to go private.

@CatSeany Ok, in fairness the doctor did seem concerned when I spoke to him before blood tests and he did say it wasn’t normal. This is why he is testing thyroid but I will speak to him and just mention the new symptoms since we last spoke as the sudden stuttering and jumbling words is unusual. I know my body and I know myself, and this is not right for me so I will just explain to the doctor (depending on blood test results).

i just wanted to update on this simply because if anyone else reads this and feels the same it might help.
I had my bloods back on Tuesday and thyroid was ok but my iron levels were very low and ‘right on the borderline of anaemic’.

I have been experiencing - extreme brain fog, a racing heartbeat for no apparent reason, tremors, and (although I didn’t think much of it at the time) feeling like I can’t breathe/feeling very breathless - the doctor said my low iron levels could be causing all of this.

All of this has made me feel like I am not myself and I was really concerned when I started jumbling up my words (it was noticeable to others as my DH had started commenting on it) but the doctor has said this could be down to fatigue/brain fog from low iron.
So I am starting on iron tablets as of today. I’m hoping it is just as simple as this! It would be nice to have some answers finally as I have felt so rubbish for so long now and be able to get back to normal again.

I had no idea something like low iron levels could make you feel so awful! So I just have to try this for a while and see but keeping my fingers crossed that it’s just as simple as this and that this will get me back to my normal self.

Anaemia can cause those symptoms for sure. It'll take a while (as in several months) before you can expect to notice real changes in how you feel after you've started iron supplements. Has the doctor booked repeat blood tests in 3 months or so to check your levels are going up at the right pace? That's what my work doctor did when I was anaemic last year.

@Natsku Hi, no I don’t think he mentioned booking repeat blood tests. He just said it will take a couple of months to build levels back up and that “we will keep an eye on it”.
He did say I was “on the borderline”, so I have taken that to mean my levels are low but not quite anaemic? So I’m on the borderline of them being just about ok and not being ok? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Im not sure if I have interpreted that right or not.
I think we said that I would just take the tablets and that if I was still not feeling great in a few months then I would ring back and see what the doctor says then. But hopefully I will be feeling better by then and won’t need to do that 🙂

It sounds like it could be MS. Those were my symptoms before my diagnosis thorough MRI in 2018.

*through

Is it not possible to view your results? I expect by borderline he means pretty close to the lower line which I reckon is set too low anyway, I didn't feel OK until my numbers were well up into the normal range. Definitely go back if you're not better in 3 months. And don't take the iron within two hours of drinking tea or having anything with dairy.

@Natsku Yes I’m assuming I could ask for a copy of results. Maybe I could do that so I might have a better understanding of whereabouts I am in regards to the ‘normal’ range?
Thank you for the tips. I’m a big tea drinker so that is helpful 🙂