Can MS affect the heart? - Multiple Sclerosis Message Board

mnewhall · 01-05-2007, 12:59 PM

Just curious since MS affects muscles and the heart IS a muscle. I have been dx'd with an irregular heart beat where is puts an extra beat right after another - but all tests show my heart is healthy.

I get this feeling sometimes where my heart seems to stop for a second and when it does I get a sinking feeling in my stomach and a quick shortness of breath. This only happens occasionally, but I'm wonder if there's a connection just like MS can cause muscle twitching and jumping and the heart is a muscle. I also get twitching and jumping in my bladder.

Just a thought.

I'm in limboland and just had a lumbar puncture last Thurs and awaiting results. I've been MRI'd from head to low back and no lesions showing. But I have a great neuro who said even if the LP results are negative and the MRI's are negative that STILL does NOT mean that I don't have MS. So he's willing to go the extra mile to find out.

I have terrible twitching in my calves today that started last night (nothing new to me). It feels as if I have something crawling around under the skin in my calves all the time - you can actually see the muscles moving and pulsating on my legs and arches of my feet. ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCE THIS? This comes and goes; I can have it for weeks and then it stops for weeks only to start again.

Thanks for listening to my rambling. Be blessed and good health to you!

michelle

luggnutt · 01-05-2007, 09:18 PM

Your heart is a nerve too. I been tothe ER twice because I thought I was having a heart attack, lol. All they can figure out was my M.S. messing with me. It canalso mess with your breathing which scares you at times.

mnewhall · 01-08-2007, 10:02 AM

Thanks for your reply. I'm interested too if there are any others out there who have experienced the same thing with their hearts. Thanks again and blessings for good health.

mindasch · 01-08-2007, 01:39 PM

Hi...

I have only been dx'd with "probable MS" but my first symptoms were heart related. I was driving to work and experienced what I thought was my heart stopping and then it started racing (115-145 bpm at rest). I had the full cardiac workup with nothing found. Doc said " some type of autonomic nervous system malfunction. I lost about 20 lbs in 3 weeks, then it subsided and the muscle twitches, pins and needles and muscle cramps started. It all comes and goes and occaisionally still get an increased heart rate,short of breath and the skipped or additional beats.

Mindasch

mnewhall · 01-08-2007, 02:37 PM

Thanks Mindasch! I knew I wasn't crazy

I had the same experiences you had and a clean healthy heart check. Sometimes I also get an "internal tremor" that feels like it's my heart racing but it's not, just shaking in my torso with a normal heart rate - usually comes in flares and wakes me up during the night.

Glad I'm not the only one. I started to think it could be MS related - still no dx here either.

Take care!