Aa
How long/often does Lhermitte's typically last?
Hi All,
I have recently been experiencing very typical signs of Lhermitte's. In January I began noticing numbness on my right side of my body- legs and bottom 3 fingers in both hands. Over the course of a few weeks, the numbness evolved into buzzing every single time I bent my neck forward. Once the flexation of the neck symptom began, the intensity of the electric shock right through my body to my feet was very very intense. The super intense buzzing lasted roughly 2 weeks before it started to somewhat ease up. I am now roughly 6 weeks into this constant buzzing when flexing the neck and it has tapered off to be very minimal but always still there.
I have had brain and spinal MRI with/without contrast and both came back negative. Neuro seems to be perplexed as my symptoms are pretty clear. I was given some anti anxiety meds to see if that was possibly the issue, but tried it several times while experiencing intense symptoms and it did not prove to be effective.
So I am 'in limbo' like so many others I have read about. My main question to the group I guess is how long should I expect to feel the lhermitte symptoms>? Do they tend to go away for weeks, months or years before re appearing?? or is it something that will always be with me- sometimes subtle, sometimes intense??
I just cant wrap my head around where this is leading.
I meet with my Neuro again next week for a follow up. I am going to report that the anxiety meds did nothing and that I am toying with requesting a spinal tap to try and get some answers.
thanks for hearing me out and sharing your experiences/insights.
On top of the classic lhermitte's symptoms, I have experienced localized sharp intense shocks in both my right and left abdomen. I have noticed that when I exercise and or increase my core temp, the buzzing intensifies significantly....
cheers, and I look forward to your responses and guidance!!!
ps- blood work all good, b12 etc. Xrays negative
I have recently been experiencing very typical signs of Lhermitte's. In January I began noticing numbness on my right side of my body- legs and bottom 3 fingers in both hands. Over the course of a few weeks, the numbness evolved into buzzing every single time I bent my neck forward. Once the flexation of the neck symptom began, the intensity of the electric shock right through my body to my feet was very very intense. The super intense buzzing lasted roughly 2 weeks before it started to somewhat ease up. I am now roughly 6 weeks into this constant buzzing when flexing the neck and it has tapered off to be very minimal but always still there.
I have had brain and spinal MRI with/without contrast and both came back negative. Neuro seems to be perplexed as my symptoms are pretty clear. I was given some anti anxiety meds to see if that was possibly the issue, but tried it several times while experiencing intense symptoms and it did not prove to be effective.
So I am 'in limbo' like so many others I have read about. My main question to the group I guess is how long should I expect to feel the lhermitte symptoms>? Do they tend to go away for weeks, months or years before re appearing?? or is it something that will always be with me- sometimes subtle, sometimes intense??
I just cant wrap my head around where this is leading.
I meet with my Neuro again next week for a follow up. I am going to report that the anxiety meds did nothing and that I am toying with requesting a spinal tap to try and get some answers.
thanks for hearing me out and sharing your experiences/insights.
On top of the classic lhermitte's symptoms, I have experienced localized sharp intense shocks in both my right and left abdomen. I have noticed that when I exercise and or increase my core temp, the buzzing intensifies significantly....
cheers, and I look forward to your responses and guidance!!!
ps- blood work all good, b12 etc. Xrays negative
Yes. He wants to see me on a bi-monthly basis and most likely have MRI's again after a years time.
He suggested a LP but I am not convinced that will lend anymore info to the situation.
It is just a waiting game at this point I guess.
He suggested a LP but I am not convinced that will lend anymore info to the situation.
It is just a waiting game at this point I guess.
2 Comments
That's great follow-up, Robbie. Better than any I've ever heard of. I'd wait on the LP at this point ... No point of having it if it's too early and nothing will show.
Auto-correct, sorry roobie :)
I take it from your name that you experience double vision?
I have only experienced Lhermitte's thus far....unless I just havn't clued into any other symptoms.
what sequence did your symptoms start ?? Lhermittes and then double vision or vice versa...or what other symptoms have you been experiencing?
I have only experienced Lhermitte's thus far....unless I just havn't clued into any other symptoms.
what sequence did your symptoms start ?? Lhermittes and then double vision or vice versa...or what other symptoms have you been experiencing?
Thanks all for your support and insights.
I have not had any changes in condition, in fact the buzzing caused from the neck flexation has somewhat leveled off. I experience it everyday all day, but it has been manageable. I find right in the morning when I wake up it hits me hard just to remind me its alive and present. As I begin to move about it tapers off but always subtly there.
I am trying to be patient in hopes that it will just subside and go away, but deep down I know that there is more to come. I am just so lost mentally as I have to sit and wait. I look normal and for those around me its tough for them to even feel for me because I just carry on like nothing is wrong...meanwhile all day everyday I am experiencing this buzz and numbness.
I work in the law enforcement field and carry a firearm. I have been on modified duties for just over 2 months and am not sure if I should jump back into full duties and carry the firearm. I have pins and needles in my lower 3 fingers and don't feel it is fair to myself and or the public in the chance that my symptoms are intense on any given day and I am required to rely on the dexterity in my hands.....
any thoughts from anyone else who may be law enforcement and how they have handled this>??
I guess I am just venting at this point, as I just feel lost as to what move to make next.....?
I have not had any changes in condition, in fact the buzzing caused from the neck flexation has somewhat leveled off. I experience it everyday all day, but it has been manageable. I find right in the morning when I wake up it hits me hard just to remind me its alive and present. As I begin to move about it tapers off but always subtly there.
I am trying to be patient in hopes that it will just subside and go away, but deep down I know that there is more to come. I am just so lost mentally as I have to sit and wait. I look normal and for those around me its tough for them to even feel for me because I just carry on like nothing is wrong...meanwhile all day everyday I am experiencing this buzz and numbness.
I work in the law enforcement field and carry a firearm. I have been on modified duties for just over 2 months and am not sure if I should jump back into full duties and carry the firearm. I have pins and needles in my lower 3 fingers and don't feel it is fair to myself and or the public in the chance that my symptoms are intense on any given day and I am required to rely on the dexterity in my hands.....
any thoughts from anyone else who may be law enforcement and how they have handled this>??
I guess I am just venting at this point, as I just feel lost as to what move to make next.....?
1 Comments
What did your neurologist say when you saw him? Has he recommended you come back in the future?
Did the neurologist also check your spinal mri for physical spine issues? Disc protrusion etc.?
With a clean spine and brain mri, chances are pretty good it's not ms.
You said, "... just sitting and waiting for more symtoms to arise so that the neuro can take my case more serious is going to wear thin very quick."
Agreed -- it does wear thin, but with no lesions, please know upfront that if your symptoms can't be explained by spine issues, your future likely does involve a wait. MS is generally a pretty slow train -- there is much waiting involved, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. My wait was three years (and I had 12 lesions on my first mri, in the right areas for a diagnosis, but they didnt look typical of ms plaque.)
With no lesions, a lumbar puncture would not likely show much (except perhaps towards something else -- LPs aren't used nearly as much as they used to be. They can only support other ms diagnostic proof (i.e. mri lesions), but are not diagnostic on their own.
Keep us posted on what your neurologist tells you next week ... stay engaged in life, and feel free to vent to those who understand if he continues to follow you or does suggest "maybe" ms -- I can't imagine, but I'm not a doctor.
More importantly, post-neuro, if it's really not looking like an ms diagnosis, get your gp busy looking for other explanations. Too many conditions are missed when everyone just assumes ms.
With a clean spine and brain mri, chances are pretty good it's not ms.
You said, "... just sitting and waiting for more symtoms to arise so that the neuro can take my case more serious is going to wear thin very quick."
Agreed -- it does wear thin, but with no lesions, please know upfront that if your symptoms can't be explained by spine issues, your future likely does involve a wait. MS is generally a pretty slow train -- there is much waiting involved, it's frustrating, but it is what it is. My wait was three years (and I had 12 lesions on my first mri, in the right areas for a diagnosis, but they didnt look typical of ms plaque.)
With no lesions, a lumbar puncture would not likely show much (except perhaps towards something else -- LPs aren't used nearly as much as they used to be. They can only support other ms diagnostic proof (i.e. mri lesions), but are not diagnostic on their own.
Keep us posted on what your neurologist tells you next week ... stay engaged in life, and feel free to vent to those who understand if he continues to follow you or does suggest "maybe" ms -- I can't imagine, but I'm not a doctor.
More importantly, post-neuro, if it's really not looking like an ms diagnosis, get your gp busy looking for other explanations. Too many conditions are missed when everyone just assumes ms.
Thanks to you both for the insight!
Supermum- What you have explained seems to be something that may be coming to light in the younger generations. In my case, I dont think I can attribute it to curvature. I am an active 33 year old male who has never been a techi. I have a cell phone, but in terms of curvature, I am no different than the average joe and definately dont spend my days at a CPU or playing video games.
I figured that there is no real time frame for the Lhermitte's. I just thought maybe there was some general length of time that the symptoms would present and possibly fade for a length of time. I am currently about 2 months into feeling the symptoms but it has been getting less intense over the last cpl weeks- so i thought maybe it would go away and then re-present over the years...
Doublevision, I am sorry to hear these are not the worst of your issues. I take it you experience double vision? What were your first symptoms of MS??
Im am at such an initial stage of having these symptoms that I am not sure I can couple any other common MS symptoms with it yet. My vision has been A-ok thus far and I am not sure if I am having memory issues and or balance issues as I have always been a bit clumsy and forgetful. I am hesitant to start searching for tell tale MS symptoms to try and fit an MS diagnosis but just sitting and waiting for more symptoms to arise so that the neuro can take my case more serious is going to wear thin very quick
Supermum- What you have explained seems to be something that may be coming to light in the younger generations. In my case, I dont think I can attribute it to curvature. I am an active 33 year old male who has never been a techi. I have a cell phone, but in terms of curvature, I am no different than the average joe and definately dont spend my days at a CPU or playing video games.
I figured that there is no real time frame for the Lhermitte's. I just thought maybe there was some general length of time that the symptoms would present and possibly fade for a length of time. I am currently about 2 months into feeling the symptoms but it has been getting less intense over the last cpl weeks- so i thought maybe it would go away and then re-present over the years...
Doublevision, I am sorry to hear these are not the worst of your issues. I take it you experience double vision? What were your first symptoms of MS??
Im am at such an initial stage of having these symptoms that I am not sure I can couple any other common MS symptoms with it yet. My vision has been A-ok thus far and I am not sure if I am having memory issues and or balance issues as I have always been a bit clumsy and forgetful. I am hesitant to start searching for tell tale MS symptoms to try and fit an MS diagnosis but just sitting and waiting for more symptoms to arise so that the neuro can take my case more serious is going to wear thin very quick
My Lhermitte's due to MS has lasted for nine years so far. It's not going away. It's the least bothersome of my symptoms.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome,
Lhermitte's can actually be caused by an over curvature of your cervical spine (neck), it's becoming more common in younger people now because of postural behaviors during gaming, texting, tablets, computers etc for years.
My son's neck is obviously over curved, he's a techi and grew up with a console attached to his hands and his chin on his chest looking at screens. He's now in his late teens, tall and lanky so his neck curvature stands out more chin to chest, and he has recently started experiencing the electric shock and or tingling nerve response on bending his head down to his chin.
I'm telling you this because if there isn't a cord lesion or structural damage of your spine, it's 'possible' that it's to do with curvature which wouldn't usually show on a spinal MRI and an alternative to consider. Unfortunately Lhermittes is unpredictable, causation does make a difference but how long no one can tell you, if it will completely resolve and or come back within a certain time frame is not generally how nerve issue work, so i don't think anyone could give you that answer either.
What i can tell you is that, no matter the causation, conscious behavioral modification is generally how people who experience Lhermitte's minimize the sensation whilst it's happening, a physio therapist should be able to help you work out how to function without constantly setting it off...
I hope that helps.......JJ
Lhermitte's can actually be caused by an over curvature of your cervical spine (neck), it's becoming more common in younger people now because of postural behaviors during gaming, texting, tablets, computers etc for years.
My son's neck is obviously over curved, he's a techi and grew up with a console attached to his hands and his chin on his chest looking at screens. He's now in his late teens, tall and lanky so his neck curvature stands out more chin to chest, and he has recently started experiencing the electric shock and or tingling nerve response on bending his head down to his chin.
I'm telling you this because if there isn't a cord lesion or structural damage of your spine, it's 'possible' that it's to do with curvature which wouldn't usually show on a spinal MRI and an alternative to consider. Unfortunately Lhermittes is unpredictable, causation does make a difference but how long no one can tell you, if it will completely resolve and or come back within a certain time frame is not generally how nerve issue work, so i don't think anyone could give you that answer either.
What i can tell you is that, no matter the causation, conscious behavioral modification is generally how people who experience Lhermitte's minimize the sensation whilst it's happening, a physio therapist should be able to help you work out how to function without constantly setting it off...
I hope that helps.......JJ
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Multiple Sclerosis Community
Top Neurology Answerers
Australia
ON
Queensland, Australia
Queen Creek, AZ
Find out how beta-blocker eye drops show promising results for acute migraine relief.
In this special Missouri Medicine report, doctors examine advances in diagnosis and treatment of this devastating and costly neurodegenerative disease.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Discover some of the causes of dizziness and how to treat it.
Discover the common causes of headaches and how to treat headache pain.
Two of the largest studies on Alzheimer’s have yielded new clues about the disease
