I've heard those referred to as "brain quakes", which I thought was a very fitting description. I get them too, in my head and in my feet (or "foot", haven't noticed if it is just one). They happen to me when I lay down too.

Any abnormal sensation like buzzing, zapping, etc. is called Neuralgia or Pareasthesia, however for me, I suspect that this is more specifically L'hermittes due to spinal cord lesions:

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/LHermittessign.html

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/mssymptoms.html

Your footdrop symptoms sound like "footdrop" to me. Footdrop is really just that you drag your foot when walking (often tripping over your toes, as you indicated), and doesn't mean that you absolutely are unable to flex your ankle or that you will necessarily have permanent gait issues. My footdrop fluctuates too, like many of our symptoms, especially with triggers like heat, fatigue, stress, etc.

Cherie

Thank you for your responses everyone. We'll see how things go at my next appointment in a few weeks.
I'm really just so frustrated at still being in limboland. Especially since my neuro has stated that he wants to stay away from medications until we are 100% sure what we're dealing with.
I haven't had a neck/spine MRI in two years. I'm hoping to be able to convince him it's high time I had something besides my head scanned. Anyone know the chances of having lesions on the spine and not the brain?

I had a fairly severe Transverse Myelitis (spinal lesion) attack 12 yrs before I allowed them to do a MRI, although I was warned that the TM attack "could be from MS". I preferred denial.

When I finally had the MRI, I only had 2 - 3 small brain lesions, and 2 large spinal one's. I was confirmed for MS even before the MRI though .... when I experienced my second clear-cut attack.

So, we can go along with only spinal lesions for a long time, just like we can have only brain lesions. Spinal lesions are probably more telltale for MS, actually, so having them makes the dx process easier.

From the symptoms you are describing, it is entirely possible that you have spinal cord damage of some sort. The symptoms "look" the same even if they are from trauma, ADEM, TM, MS, herniated discs, etc. ... the trick is to figure out:

1. Is there damage showing?
2. What might be the cause.

My sister was suspected as having MS (given her symptoms and my history), but in the end she was dx with syringmyelia, which is another spinal cord disease.

Yes, I would suggest that if he has confirmed the foot drop, and you are experiencing symptoms that might be due to a condition affecting your spinal cord, you should have your C and T spine MRI'd.

Cherie

Thank you Cherie, great response.

I'm frustrated because I've requested spine MRIs several times in the last 6 months and the answer I get is that "two years is too short a time for anything to have changed since your last MRI of the spine." I personally think that's completely wrong but hey, I'm not a doctor so I don't have much to fight that with.

Its kind of a "exploding head" syndrome and I have had it. Usually if I have been under stress or have lack of sleep (as in last Jan when my mom died). I described it as "an electric shock between my ears with a loud WHOOSH that actually knocks me off balance". I was under the understanding its a brain stem issue. I told my MS doc and she said she was familiar with it in her patients, but I suspect other types of disorders can cause this too. I saw an episode of "House" where they suspected a young boy of MS who exibited symptoms of "exploding head". I really hated this feeling and I never knew when it was going to hit me. It was very fast and I even think I lost vision for a split second.
I posted here one time asking if anyone else has had it.

I sometimes get a 'zap' behind my ear - like there's a spark between my ear and neck.
Not often, but it's there.

I've had head shooting pains for a long time (way before other sx's started) but I guess that's different to zaps.

It's interesting that your neuro told you the MRI would be unlikely to show changes any sooner than 2 years.
My neuro on the otherhand says if I had MS it would've shown up by now in the 2 MRI's I've had (first one (head) was 5 and a half months ago). I had a spine MRI in August.
Like you said Ruth, I know we're not Dr's, but it sounds too assumptive (is that the right word?!)