working out with ms

[susu32]

Hi everyone,

I'm not diagnosed, and I have posted twice before. Everyone here is so kind.

My symptoms can not be noticed by other people but I feel awful. I have gone back to work part time after having baby, I teach exercise classes (not sure I can carry on though) I have noticed that during and after the right side of my body feels so weak, hard to describe kind of stiff but weak and like I coudnt walk properly. I don't think anyone in the class noticed but I was so scared of falling over and cried all the way home. Is this an ms symptom? I feel ok with heat from bath etc, so don't think its do do with temp but not sure. X

[supermum_ms]

Hi, I honestly think you need to get MS off your mental radar, you've gone through all the testing and you haven't got any abnormal neurological signs, nothing to be suggestive of MS as causation. Your clinical neurological exams, general sx's and test results are all pointing away from MS but you have been dx with hypothyroidism and I think that's where you should be directing your focus.

What you describe is non specific, you've got multiple factors that could explain what you were experiencing and it is more likely related to what you know to be true, than relating it to MS because your still thinking about it. If you were not actually falling, unbalanced, stumbling and struggling to stay on your feet but you felt weak, fatigued and just awful, i would expect you had to of been experiencing some levels of anxiety, to be scared of something that you hadn't actually experienced.    

Take a step back for a moment and try to be detached from emotion........If what you were experiencing was not noticeable to anyone else, couldn't the fear your thoughts were generating, be what caused you to become so scared of falling and emotionally wrecked? That's not saying the physical wasn't happening but the psychological built and built and turned it into....more.

Please don't underestimate how disabling anxiety can be, sx's caused by disease can worsen by the fear alone! I suggest you go back to your dr and discuss all that you are dealing with and request some treatment options because you need better tomorrows and you need something that works for you and your life style!

Hugs............JJ    

[Maracamama]

I haven't been diagnosed yet either but have been dealing with symptoms for quite a while now.  I remember when I first started having symptoms, I was really stubborn and would try to workout like I had before my problems started and I would leave the gym feeling like I was walking sideways (kind of like the V8 commercials where the people are walking almost horizontal).

I've had to learn to not be so darn stubborn and workout based on my abilities of the day.  If I'm having a lot of balance problems one day then I will probably just use a stationary bike.  On the days that I'm feeling ok I will push myself a little more.

You may have to adjust things to work with your body's new abilities.  

Laura

[Sailorsong]

Yes it could be a symptom of MS. But could it also just be that your body is just not as conditioned after having a baby? It is hard to tell if that is the case due to the limited information you have given.

As for the effects of heat on pwMS this can and usually does include weakness, balance problems, and the like. I suspect if this is the case of MS you might be able to handle the baths with no problem, but suffer with the exercise because the exercising increases your core temperature quicker and to a higher level than your baths. It is the increase in core temperature that causes the problems to occur with MS.

Many pwMS do aqua therapy for this reason. The cooling effect of the water keeps the core temperature down.

Dennis

[HVAC]

Have you tried cold packs right after or during? There is a girl with MS who is a competitive runner. She has to be cooled down right after a race. I ride horses and have to where a cooling vest when it is warm out.

Alex