Originally Posted by lady_express_44

It would be interesting to do a thread on "what does numbness feel like to you?", as I'm not sure we all have the same sensation (even those of us with a dx).

Part of the problem is probably communicating these sensations to our doctors. If it doesn't fit what "he/she" is expecting to hear (rightly or wrongly), or our bodies don't respond the way that "they" expect, they assume it's not really MS but something else.

For example, when I had my first attack, I didn't have a clue how to describe what I was feeling. I told the doctors that I was "numb", yet I had no problem feeling the pin prick test. How can a person be "numb", but still feel those sensations . . .? However, somehow they knew, from the vibration, reflex, sliding sharp object, etc. tests that I was, in fact, "MS numb".

There were also many other symptoms that I experienced WITH the numbness; banding, shocking, flushing, imaginary heat/cold sensations, etc. It was the combination of those sensations that lead them to their conclusions (even before they did the MS objective testing).

My numbness does not always feel the same, and doesn't come on the same way each time either. However, it is the precise description of the sensation that enables them to determine whether it is MS-related (and it's isn't always, even for me). That's why I asked you to describe it in detail.

Cherie