Brain stem lesions

[kerrtelli]

Question for anyone who can answer.  Saw MS Specialist last week.  Probable MS.
he order MRI with contrast of brain and MRI of spine w/wout contrast for next week.

Today i have had a lot of electric jolts.  They seem to be increasing daily.  Next my head started shaking when not resting and my speech and word finding has increased since yesterday.  The question is, does this mean i may have lesions on the brain stem and would an MRI of the brain have already shown that.

Last question is, does the mri of the brain show the brain stem?

Thanks everybody.  I am trying to get ready for life with MS I am finding it harder with things getting progressively worse.  Today my legs seem heavier than ever.  When walking through the house I am dragging them.  Can't stand for long before I have to sit.  Told my hubby that I need something I can move with me so when I have to sit, I don't have to drag a chair from one room to another.

This really s@&cks.  I am thinking about getting through the summer with the four kids home.  I usually bring them to the beach.  Hw am i going to walk on the beach if I am dragging my legs.

If anyone has any advice on assisting devices that won't scare my kids to death and make them think i amm dying, i would really appreciate it.

Besides all that, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Would you be mine, won't you be mind, won't you be my neighbor?
Kerri

[kerrtelli]

Thanks.  I bought one last week.  It has come in very handy.
My legs have amend of their own lately.  They either work well or don't work.
I am waiting o my ms specialist appt.  Lst one he said probable ms.  Got two MRI's yesterday so i am hoping that nest visit will give me optiions for treatment.

Thanks for the tip. I do use it to sit.
My insurance wouldn't cover so we paid for it.  I am hoping Tania is the last piece of mobility equipment we will be needing for a while.

Kerri

[LMonty]

hi you mentioned something to take with you so you can sit. they make great walkers that have a seat and often a basket built in.

even if you dont need the walker part, its a great way to push a chair around without stress! ive known lots of pts who get one just for that, so they can rest whenever needed.

and usually with a prescription, insurance wil cover all or most depending on the policy.

hth

Laura

[kerrtelli]

Thanks everyone

[jensequitur]

Could quite possibly be a spine lesion causing your trouble.  I have these myoclonic jerks of the torso, which starts out with an odd electrical tingle and ends with what looks like a seizure.

That would also explain your leg weakness.  I've had progressive leg weakness since before my diagnosis.  Right now it seems to be with a dose of spasticity - stretchy pain in the hip flexors and inner thighs, and my lower back is killing me.

I'm on Keppra right now for the myoclonic jerks, which may be similar to what you're experiencing.  It seems to act as a kind of damper for the false signals generated by the lesions in my back.  When those signals are allowed to run free, they end up creating some sort of feedback and then my whole torso jerks.

You mentioned the brainstem - here's a page from the MS Encyclopedia, which is a great source of unofficial information about MS.  

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/brainstem.html

As you can see, a brainstem lesion can cause facial pain, but not whole-body electrical shocks.

[HVAC]

Have you asked for medication for symptoms at least? I did not know I had that option and suffered needlessly for years during testing for MS.

Alex

[kerrtelli]

Hello,
My jolts are in the legs, whole body, etc.  They come out of nowhere.
I am going for a spinal MRI Tuesday and will find out soon.
I don't know what's going n but my walking has gotten worse in the last couple of day.  Almost where i can barely looser my legs off the ground.

I am trying to just hang on until they give me meds.  Right now i am probable ms.
Thanks,
Kerri

[jensequitur]

Yup.  The most important thing to remember is that an MRI does not show the whole picture.  MS disease activity can involve broken axons without lesion formation, so you could have damage causing these symptoms that won't show up.

Where are your electric jolts?  Are they in the face?  I started having jolts of electricity in the face, as well as buzzing and tingling.  They're caused sometimes by lesions to the 6th cranial nerve.  I've also had speech and word finding problems, which they speculate is caused by the frontal lobe or temporal lobe lesions.  Any kind of tremor is often caused by lesions in the cerebellum, which is much of your motor control.  I think I've had most of the symptoms of MS at one time or another, but I'm a weird case.

[kerrtelli]

Thanks everyone.  I thin i am just trying to figure things out.

[HVAC]

A Neurologist can tell where you have damage just from Neuro Exam they do in the office. MRIs just document white matter damage. Most MS damage is gray matter damage which a MRI does not pick up. If you have inflammation that could cause symptoms. The symptoms will die down with the inflammation if that is the case.

Alex

[Sumanadevii]

Oh yea, and most large beach resorts rent sand wheelchairs.  They are a blast and usually colorful with cute umbrella's over them.

[Sumanadevii]

An MRI of the cervical spine shows the brain stem.  I have lesions there.  The problems I have had from them are breathing, digestion, and heart rate.  It also can cause pain in the face and unsteady movements and problems with coordination.

This is just from my neuro.  There may be other things.

As far as the kids, I just told mine.  MS doesn't kill.  It won't shorten my life.  It is just a disease.  It is what it is...If you are just honest with them they won't have to wonder what is wrong.  Mom is just gonna be slow.  It means nothing.