Spasticity Now Effecting the Right

[slightlybroken]

Hi Everyone! I've turned into a lurker. Between the drama going on in my family and my physical state, I'm sick and tired in more ways than one. The family drama is nothing new. Something always is going on that's bad. I don't even think Dr. Phil could help our family out, which at one point we were invited on the show years back, but my father refused, so it was a no go. He's not necessarily the problem now, but his wife..but I guess I'm getting off topic Huh?

As far as my health, for the past 4 years my symptoms have mainly been on the whole left side. Then it decided to go in my right leg. I felt weakness, muscle spams, paresthesia, just like the left but it's not nearly as bad as the left. I use to have a lot of spasticity in the left leg, but that seems to have let up a little. The only limb that hasn't been effect was my right arm, which is good since I'm right handed.

That all changed since February when my right arm became involved. I thought at first that maybe it was because I had broken my arm at a young age and maybe arthritis had finally settled in, but I'm not so sure now. The muscle started to burn and it was hard to straighten the arm. The muscles were in a constant flexed state. It was quite painful. I had a hard time grasping things and it was painful to do so in the muscle area, all the way up to my shoulder. This lasted weeks, but I was left with some weakness behind.

Then yesterday I decided to help my hubby work on a car. I have smaller hands to get into smaller places then he does. All I had to do was pinch a clip closed and pull the socket off using my right hand. Well for one, I couldn't do. Second, my arm paid for it. It had spasticity in it so bad..the bicep was completely flexed and it is still that way today.

I took my Baclofen and added on a Clonopin last night to help ease the spasticity. It helped a little but the muscle is still sore and hard....all from pinching a plastic piece and pulling a bit. Geesh!!

So my questions is (which I think I know the answer to) can symptoms change from one side to the other in MS? Can symptoms be brought on by overworking the muscles (overuse & overworking)? I still wonder if I do have MS..you would think by now I would have more evidence after 4 years. Things have changed. My MRI is still nonspecific, I have a positive SSEP that showed slowing (that's a change from 2007 which was normal), and now my reflexes have changed from hyper to absent...which I understand is uncommon in MS, but can occur, so I really don't know anymore :(

[slightlybroken]

Hi Wobbly,

I've been wondering how you're doing. Can I ask you a question? How's your reflexes in your legs? Did you have any lesions show in the spine?

I've read that some MSers will have hyper reflexes with spasticity, but they can change to absent reflexes when there is axon damage in the spinal cord.

Both of my legs are weak now (the left is worse)..but the right is showing some of the same symptoms that the left one did when I first started to present. The weakness is worse the more active I am.

The spasticity & weakness I'm experiencing with the right arm is new. When all this is happening, I've been falling over a lot more, and I still have bladder incontinence off & on. The heat, even the slightest increase inside the house, brings on tingling and worse symptoms.

I think my reflex change in my legs was because the spasticity has let up a little in the legs. I just have weakness now and muscle spasms. My legs use to be hard to bend as well, but now I just can't lift them certain ways (just the left) because I think the hip is also weak.

Take Care

[Wobbly]

hi there. I just wanted to add that I have Progressive MS and it is on my Left side.  I do have days where my right leg will have pain and spasms.  I haven't had any weakness yet in my right side, but I have had a few time lately when I can't walk, both my legs will get weak and wobble.

take care
wobbly

[supermum_ms]

Family drama is better off not being on Dr Phil, seriously just look at the train wreck the 'Dr Phil family' ended up becoming, started with a baby at 15 and the drama didn't end with the 3rd child 3rd daddy, court, drugs etc etc. being on the show didn't help now did it?


About your questions.........

Q) So my questions is (which I think I know the answer to) can symptoms change from one side to the other in MS?
A) change from one side to the other is NO but thats not what you've described, your saying its added on from just the left side to now also include (to a lesser extent) the right. That wouldn't be out side MS, I thought that was a 'common' sign of MS progression.

Q)Can symptoms be brought on by overworking the muscles (overuse & overworking)?
A) Are you meaning 'new and never before' well it doesn't really matter from my understanding of the damage that MS causes. If the signal isn't getting through to the muscle properly, then the muscle reacts in an abnormal way. You may not be aware of the damage until the muscle reacts so i'd say YES.


Q) I still wonder if I do have MS..you would think by now I would have more evidence after 4 years. Things have changed. My MRI is still nonspecific, I have a positive SSEP that showed slowing (that's a change from 2007 which was normal), and now my reflexes have changed from hyper to absent...which I understand is uncommon in MS

A) But you do have more evidence, the MRI may not be picking up the new lesions but your body is, thats the evidence. Absent reflex is uncommon and from what i remember its a red flag but i dont know how foot drop and partial paralasis (sp) fits in with that though. It sounds like you reflex went from hyper which is abnormal to absent which is the opposite and still abnormal, the meaning of that is beyond my understanding, sorry!

Chin up kiddo!! you wouldn't be under a lot of stress now would you? Or in flare? I have loopy stuff happen when in an episode, lol i'm right arm dominant and the left one hurts like i've been using that one too much, makes no sense sometimes and i think thats part of the problem with MS, it doesn't always make sense.

Cheers............JJ