Numb from the Neck Down

I have been diagnosed with MS since 1996 and have delt pretty well with the wonder symptoms that come along with it.  Start on Saturday, my entire body from the neck down has been numb.  I don't notice it that much when I am sitting or laying down, but when I get up and walk there is a great amount of pressure in my upper adbomen and ribs.  The numbness goes up into my chest and down both legs.  I have never experinced this before and I was wondering if it is normal.

The nurse that I have been working with for the last 13 year apparently retired last week and her replacement has me waiting for a doctors visit, this has never happened either.  Can anyone tell me if this is normal?

I finally made it to the doctor this afternoon and apparently it is MSHugs.  All of the muscles in my body are in a perpedual spasm.  I start a course of steroids tomorrow.  At least I know what it is.

Hi Bytemi!

Just dropping in to let you know that around the first week of June, I experienced symptoms similar to yours, except I was experiencing numbness from just below my breasts all the way down. The pressure on my chest was unbearable, it felt like I was wearing a tight bra..even when I wasn't wearing one. I ended up going to the ER on night just to make sure my heart was OK, and thankfully it was. I found out it was the MS hug...but I had to wait for the confirmation that I had MS before I began steroid treatment.

I got diagnosed on July 1st, and I started my IV steroids the next week, and they made all the difference in the world! I hope your steroids kick in quickly and make you comfortable again.

MM

Hi Byemi!

The MS diagnosis did bring some relief, as I had suspected it for sometime, but the doctors ignored me. My numbness started about six weeks after spinal surgery, my initial thought was that the surgeon had nicked my spinal cord...luckily he didn't. My torso is completely numb free now, its just my hands, I have numbness in the pinky and ring fingers on both hands, that goes up the outside of my arms....annoying but I'm learning to live with it.

Bytemi,

It took several weeks for me to feel the anit-inflammatory effects of the steroids.  Are you taking any other treatment for MS?  My neurologist explained that the steroids don't lesson any disability or permanent symptoms we may be stuck with once a flare begins.  She says that by the time we start to flare the damage has already begun.  The steroids treat symptoms only and help us to feel better faster.  Where we end up after steroids is where we would have ended up eventually anyway, it just speeds that time up a bit.

I hated the steroids and so this conversations became the results.  I was asking if I had to do steroids.....did it really make a difference.  Again, she indicated that it can help relieve symptoms only.  It is not an actually disease treatment.

Disease treatments are currently Rebig, Betaserone, Copaxone, Avonex, Tysabri, and Novantrone. 

Wow!  Five more days!  That is a lot.  That should do it for sure.  I did five days total but I didn't really feel the relief until a couple of weeks after.  I hope you are feeling better real soon.   I am glad to hear you are on rebif.   Keep us posted.