I'm sorry for coming back here with more questions, as I feel that I'm bothering you with many "stupid" questions, but can't help myself.
From what I have read about MS, legs and walking are emphasized while there's not much talk about arms. Do the arms get affected also (I would guess so)? If yes, is there any "rule" that they are affected later, or more mildly, etc.
I'm asking because my arms do not feel "normal". I can't say they are weak because I can lift things, but thy seem kind of "light" and slightly numb and get tired more easily than before. I'ts difficult to describe actually. In my case it does get better with anti-anxiety meds, but it's not going away completely.
There are no "stupid questions". You are most welcome to ask.
Because your legs carry your body weight, your gait is often a noticeable symptom. Yes, arms can be affected through weakness, numbness, and/or coordination. If you use your arms often, you might find that you can get exhausted. I know I did when i was exercising my arms. While I dismissed my leg problems for 5 years, it was when I started dropping things- even light objects- from my right hand and then my right arm went numb and then became useless.
If you have MS, you may or may not have arm problems. It really varies between each MSer.
I would allow your anti-anxiety meds to keep working and to enjoy a restful vacation. You may find that this will be quite satisfying.
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
I work most of the time in front of the computer, so I don't use the arms to do heavy physical work, but even typing a lot in a computer makes them kind of tired.
As you say, with weak legs walking becomes difficult, while with weak arms I guess you can still eat, get dressed, type in a computer, etc. Probably only in extreme cases the arms become totally useless and affect the quality of life badly.
Matrix,
Ill second that there are no stupid questions.....so ask away.
Let me tell you, I have been dx with MS for about 7 years. My onset symptom was in my hands and fingers. I have over 80 lesions on my brain and brainstem- and none on my spine. The location of the lesions is what causes problems...not how many. (lucky for me!).
I have zero gait problems and no leg problems. No muscle weakness in my legs, only the occasional tingling in my feet- and thats random; however - my arms, hands and fingers have hurt for 7 years. They tingle and burn- I have definately lost strength and muscle tone- and Im female and small to begin with. I was never a body builder or someone who lifted alot of weight; however, now , carrying in a bag of groceries exhuasts my arms. I cant play tennis any longer (used to love that) and I have learned to do quite a bit of things I enjoy with one hand, as the left side is significantly less able than the right side.
ive been a student for the past 7 years as well- in order to type thesis's and now my disseratation, we are talking thousands of pages, I use voice recognititon software because typing doesnt always work for me. I can tell my brain what to type, but my fingers dont always cooperate. Now I speak to type...and it saves me both strength and frustration. I can still drive because I can use my feet just fine; but I can no longer drive a manual transmission, because my hands dont shift the gearshift the way they should.
My point here is that everyone is different. They call MS the snowflake disease. Just like no two snowflakes are identical, youll never find any two MS patients with the exact same symptoms or progression. Its also invisiable to most people. In the 7 years Ive been dx, not one person has ever known Ive had MS unless I tell them. I can be having the worst day of my life- being cognitively all over the place and mentally and physically exhuasted- but I still work full time, still take care of my family and home- still go to school at night and on the weekends, and no one suspects a thing. Im very careful who I share my disease with. Ive learned the hard way over the years that yes, people DO judge. And they arent always kind about it.
Your questions arent stupid, and your fear is legitimite. I think we have all been there. I have gotten some terrible news about my disease recently and am juggling a whole host of emotions and fears- its good to share them with others who understand, so never stop asking about whats on your mind- just make sure you are asking people who "get it" ...we do!
Exercise has helped me, though I still have some finger coordination issues. The one thing I am most careful about is carrying things. Any suitcase/computer case is either a roller or has a shoulder strap.
I have never noticed exhaustion when at the computer, only when I have used the major arm muscles.
Your computer work should allow you to enjoy a long life career. As to typing, you mentioned you got tired. You can use short cuts, program some tasks, use voice commands, and there are eye tracking devices in place of a mouse. Exercising your arms and fingers and implementing stretching might help you.
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
Exercise has helped me, though I still have some finger coordination issues. The one thing I am most careful about is carrying things. Any suitcase/computer case is either a roller or has a shoulder strap.
I have never noticed exhaustion when at the computer, only when I have used the major arm muscles.
Your computer work should allow you to enjoy a long life career. As to typing, you mentioned you got tired. You can use short cuts, program some tasks, use voice commands, and there are eye tracking devices in place of a mouse. Exercising your arms and fingers and implementing stretching might help you.
Probably my description wasn't very accurate...in my case forearms are mostly affected. This is why typing makes them kind of tired. But it's not to a point that affects me badly. As you know I don't have a diagnosis...so there's a chance that it's something else that causing these issues.
Still, even if it is your forearms, there are exercises you can do to strengthen them. I use to milk 20 cows by hand twice a day and 60 by machine. The first few days my forearms ached, but I got stronger.
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
Exercise is one thing I have to really improve...it seems difficult with the leg and arm weakness, but I know that I must find a way to do it every day.
With the forearms you can do this daily just by having a hand squeezer or by holding a dumbbell in your hand while resting your forearm on your leg and lifting the weight with just your wrist. Do this palm up and palm down. Do not do this exercise quickly, just slowly up and slowly down. As you get stronger, you can add more weight. When I was powerlifting I would add weight when I could lift 15 times (15 repetitive lifts) in one set. I would do 3-6 sets each time for each particular lift.
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
The Following User Says Thank You to MSJayhawk For This Useful Post: matrix456 (08-16-2012)
There are no "stupid questions". You are most welcome to ask.
Because your legs carry your body weight, your gait is often a noticeable symptom. Yes, arms can be affected through weakness, numbness, and/or coordination. If you use your arms often, you might find that you can get exhausted. I know I did when i was exercising my arms. While I dismissed my leg problems for 5 years, it was when I started dropping things- even light objects- from my right hand and then my right arm went numb and then became useless.
If you have MS, you may or may not have arm problems. It really varies between each MSer.
I would allow your anti-anxiety meds to keep working and to enjoy a restful vacation. You may find that this will be quite satisfying.
Sorry to get back at this...but I have two questions (as always more and more questions by me):
- Maybe silly...but what do you mean by "dropping things". Is it when you try to grab something from the table (cell phone, keys, etc) and you don't grasp it well...or is it when you're holding something and suddenly drop it?
- You said the arm became useless. Did you recover from that? My understanding was that with PPMS once things get bad they don't improve. Am i correct?
Thanx again for listening to my never ending questions.
Dropping things- For me, I was walking on campus with my briefcase when it suddenly fell out of my hands. I thought it strange, but then I started dropping little things like pencils and eating utensils. The doctors thought it was carpal tunnel, but they could find nothing.
Arm- Within 2-3 weeks of my dropping things, while I was out with my fellow USMC platoon, my right arm simply fell to my side and would not move. While I could "feel", it was not a normal feel. I lost the use of that arm for about 6 months. It was this incident which led me to the University's hospital where I crossed paths with my first MS Specialist who happened to be on call and was called in to see the "patient with weird symptoms". I did get better, though I know it was never 100%, but still I got better. Within 4 years I started to lift weights with my arm and within 6 years I started power lifting (with a spotter).
PPMS does not mean if you lose the use of something that it does not come back. I have daily problems without breaks. Some attacks heal and others do not. My left leg has never recovered fully, but I keep pushing myself forward.
I have been bed ridden for about 6 months due to MS seizures where I felt like death was near, but I fought back and spent 2 years in my power chair and nowadays my power chair spends most of the time as my desk chair. It is a nice chair with excellent seat and back cushions and it tilts and reclines. I love to use it for my naps and for the times when I need to roll when walking hurts.
MS, to me, is a series of speed bumps in life. It is not fatal and it can overtake you sometimes, but you can fight back with prayer, optimism, and patience AND avoiding any and all pity parties!
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
I would sometime try to get my cell phone or keys from the table and would not grasp them good enough, so they would drop (mostly when using my left hand and I'm right handed). I had assumed I was "dropping things"...so it's good to know that I was wrong.
The same applies to to what I had assumed about PPMS...since my left leg feels weak or now my arms are kind of numb or tired I had assumed that if it is PPMS they would only get worse. It's good to know that it is possible to recover even if you are bedridden as was your case (I guess that's not always the case, but it means there's a chance for things to get better).
As you can see HA makes you believe always the worst case scenario.
I'm reading a lot about arm or leg being numb, but I'm not sure what it means. I had assumed that you don't feel it at all (like you can pinch yourself and not feel anything)...is that right? If it's so then I never had experienced a numb limb...in my case it doesn't feel "right" but I can feel the arm or leg...
Numbness or weakness can really vary. For example, the last bad attack I had on my left leg: Hip and femur severe pain and muscle weakness, 4 cm above the knee reduced feeling, 1 cm below the knee to my toes complete numbness.
There is indeed a feeling the something is not right. Numbness can be slight to total. Much of the perception is based upon what has happening or what is happening with the nerve impulses. This is where anxiety and MS separate. While anxiety can cause this same feeling, either a VEP or nerve conduction or even a reflex test can show this.
I would urge you to lay aside MS types and leave those labels to the doctors. Dr. Internet can be a poor doctor when it comes to labeling disease types and classifying patients into certain categories. When you take vacation, leave Dr. Internet and enjoy a relaxing vacation!! IF IF IF you have MS, relax and over time your doctor will be able to see if you fit into a type of MS. While my MS might be progressive, I call myself an MSer. Progressive is written on my medical bracelet, but I rarely use it.
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
The Following User Says Thank You to MSJayhawk For This Useful Post: matrix456 (08-17-2012)
I came back from about 2 hours of hiking in the mountains. I had no real trouble, even though all the time the sensation of weakness in my left leg was there.
My own non-professional and subjective interpretation is that the nerves that are responsible for the muscle movements are normal...so the strength is there. The problem is with the sensory nerves send signals to the brain...and in my case the brain is receiving signals that the leg is weak.
Does this even makes sense? If yes, is it a good or bad thing?
Welcome back. I think you have made some good observations. Now determining what is causing the signals is another thing to figure out.
For me, compared to a regular person, I have large muscle mass which is still strong, but it is weak to me. Interrupted and blocked signals can cause the feeling of weakness or can cause actual weakness due to the signals. This is different than an actual muscle weakness caused by a muscular disease.
Keep up the keen observations!!
__________________
MS diagnosed since October 3, 1982
MS onset circa 1977
Proud to be MED FREE!
Eternally blessed and eternally optimistic!<><
Thanx for your answer. I guess MS can affect both nerves that send signals from tbe brain as well as sesnsory nerves that send signals to the brain, right?
There are no "stupid questions". You are most welcome to ask.
Because your legs carry your body weight, your gait is often a noticeable symptom. Yes, arms can be affected through weakness, numbness, and/or coordination. If you use your arms often, you might find that you can get exhausted. I know I did when i was exercising my arms. While I dismissed my leg problems for 5 years, it was when I started dropping things- even light objects- from my right hand and then my right arm went numb and then became useless.
If you have MS, you may or may not have arm problems. It really varies between each MSer.
I would allow your anti-anxiety meds to keep working and to enjoy a restful vacation. You may find that this will be quite satisfying.
I am writing this in show of appreciation for all your postings. I was "diagnosed" with MS after a bout of optical neuritis some 12 years ago. Given steriod eye drops sight in my right eye returned in about 3-4 months. My DEEP concern is now with my daughter. She is 27 years of age, and began the dizzies, numbness of the right side of her mouth & throat. We took her 2 the emergency room where they gave her a CAT scan. Of course it came back normal. Having no health insurance, we have been knocking on doors until our knuckles bled, when she finally got an appointment with a neurologist. She was given and MRI w & w/o contrast of brain & spinal chord. To date they have discovered only one lesion in the center of her brain, none on her spinal cord. She has seen a neurosurgeon ( neurologist suggestion) & they have ruled out brain tumor. The neuro is labeling her case as a "unique" one as she only has one lesion, not MULTIPLE lesions required for a definite diagnosis of "MS". The dizzies have gone away, her inner mouth & throat have gotten feeling back and she can taste again, However she is now experiencing "jelliness" & weakness in her right leg & constant feeling that her hands & forearms are "wet". They finally gave her a 3-day steroid drip cycle (ended 2 days ago). So far no outstanding results.
I also have one lesion on the lower left of my brain. Seems like my "little girl" has become more syptomatic than I ever was. They want 2 give her a spinal tap, but at this time it is not financially possible, and we honestly think not necessary (at this time) as there were no lesions on spine.
She is a hairstylist by trade and has been going to work everyday, but her syptoms (dragging of right left & sometimes unable to hold blowdryer steady) is making this all the more difficult. She has another appointment with neuro this wednesday.
My concern is could it be that due to it taking 2 months to get that steroid IV be the reason this has magnified symptoms? I told her she has to give it some time, but when she asked me how long I hadn't a clue. My heart breaks for her and I feel helpless in this situation. I have been a single mom for many years & this is the first time I have not been able to use "mommy magic" and make it better. Please don't misunderstand, she's a tough young lady (alot like me) and I've advised her not to surcome to the disease as I never did, but my case seems mild compared to hers. Any input in this situation would be greatly appreciated. Wishing you all of life's blessings and good tidings!!!
