I googled MS & Brain Stem and got this illustration:

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

My neuro has never used that term....."brain stem involvement" but I have and have had some of the sx that this article says are common.

After reading that, Kell, we may all have some BSI. I had only heard about the heart, temperature and resperatory Symptoms.

My lasting symptoms (burning mouth, tremendous cranial nerve pain etc) my neurologist believes (in his last write up after seeing me) to be due to damage during a relapse to the brain stem region.

I'd previously seen another neurologist while mine was on vacation who I first talked to about the burning. He too mentioned that it's brain stem involvement that would cause this type of symptom.

Edit: I checked out Kitty's link provided. I've had 2 bouts of 3 week, then 2 week, long vertigo, as well as blurry/double vision (woke up to that one day) since summer 07. So perhaps my brain stem has just been taken to the cleaners by my MS.

Those lesions on the brainstem can be very difficult locate. I had at least one on my MRI, it looked like a small fuzzy streak like these below.

jackD

Oh my...Zat you Jack? Nice looking brain stem.

Thank you. I've never seen one before.

Noidy- I have lesions everywhere, definitely around the brain stem and cerebellum, so it causes horrific spells of vertigo.

I notice I can't sleep on my back as it will send me into the spins, even if I am sleeping.

Do you do weird/scary stuff in your sleep?

The reason I ask this is I am wondering if the brain stem lesions are what is causing this....

I shoot straight out of my sleep in a panic not knowing what's wrong with me, My inside's feel like I am dying, then about a minute and a half of being awake the feeling goes away and I can go back to sleep.
I am thinking that this has something to do with that lesion, my neuro said I am having little panic attacks, but I can't believe that. I don't have panic attacks and if I did wouldn't I get them in the day too instead of just in my sleep.

Hey Sally, we should start our own MS singles dating site. We could put up pics of our brains or MRI scans instead of photos!

***just kidding....sort of.***

lmao never heard of a hawt mri before, but you never know

Bend your head down as to touch chest with chin. Forearms tingle?

JackD showed stem slice well. That spinal cord shot - man C1, C2 is bad news. I pray it doesn't progress for you Jack. That's above breathing function level I believe.

Mine is/was at C4. 2 1/2 yrs of Copaxone made it almost not visable. I get my next MRI to show what 1 yr of Ty did (did not more like it) in 2 weeks. If you people would get your MRI's on cd you'd take a look for yourself. Increase contrast to make every detail visable.

I learned about the stem waiting in neuro #1 or 2's office (on #4? now) reading magazine while waiting. Author of article was showing his stem lesion and I said "Hey I saw that on mine!".