Hello all.
I have had a strange unexplainable sensory symptom for over 3 years. No doctor have been able to explain it to me, except one neurologist said it was related to SFN. But I have had negative skin bx for SFN.

I have had multiple white matter lesions that was suspected for MS. But I have had numerous repeat MRI to check for new lesions, not so far. I have had Spinal Tap, negative for MS.

The symptom is like this:

I have a sensory feeling of constant fine vibration. It can not be seen by others or felt by others, so it is just a sensory feeling.
It happens more when I am tired. And it happens after increased physical activity,
When I am exhausted after a long day, much walking and much activity i can feel as if I am shaking inside.
When I am physical tired, and standing up, the vibrations can be felt under feet, and it continues up legs and body.
When I sit down I can feel the vibration at back and under my seat where body touches surface,
Some times it feels as if furnitures are shaking, or the surface I am standing on
is shaking or moving.

My neurologist said he would order some new MRI with MS contrast. I wonder if I should ask him to also do MRI of spine. ( I have mostly had of brain before.

He said he would do Evoked Potential test which I have not had before.

The symptoms I have mentioned is very tiresome, and it is getting a little worrisome to me due to the fact we do not know what it is.

So I am asking if any one has the same symptoms.

Thanks for reading

Hello Synnove,

I get vibration/buzzing sensations. When I tried to explain this sensation to my Neurologist he asked if it felt like I was standing on an air conditioning unit when it is on. Yes. Some with this sensation will describe it as a cell phone on vibrate in the area of the body having this sensation.

I have been getting vibration/buzzing sensation for 28 years. It usually affects me from the waist down and yes, that includes the girlie parts.

Hope that helps.

I also have felt vibrations only in my case even my DH notices when I'm in vibrate mode, though not many others notice it. So for a long time I thought it really was just sensory. But it is most prevalent when I'm tired, and as yet DH and mother are the only ones to feel it.

My uncle has held an arm or a leg and says he doesn't feel anything, father, brother, sister, cousins and even the doctors, but hubby and mother both feel it. It's slight but there, just a low vibration, a bodily hum if you will. It feels more like it's humming to them then the stronger vibration I feel internally.

I get sensations like those you described. Sometimes in individual body parts and sometimes my whole body. When I wake up in the middle of the night I feel it in my whole body.

Absolutely!

I get it a lot in my thighs. Kind of feels like is the muscle vibrating against the thigh bone. Comes in spurts. Like, it'll vibrate for a second or two, stop, then a few seconds later, do it again.

I would look into getting the spinal cord mri'ed.

That's where they finally found my lesions. But my spinal tap was positive though. Good luck

It's important to note for those not diagnosed with MS:
Paresthesia (abnormal sensations) has numerous causes and may not be linked to a disease such as MS.

Please discuss your symptoms with your Dr. so proper testing can be performed and hopefully a diagnosis, of some sort, can be found.

Thanks to all for your replies.

Snoopy, for 28 years with this symptom, have you been getting any kind of medication that helps with the symptoms other than possible MS meds?

I take Lyrica and Amitripthyline for "all over burning" but it does not help for the symptoms of constant vibration,
I was recently on a long flight overseas, and after about 12 hour flight time and in addition getting through 3 airports and a timezone difference of 6 hours, I could hardly "keep myself together" The vibration was present "BIG TIME"

Yes, it feels just like the vibrations from a cell phone. It do not come for seconds and than disappear, it is constant. And it becomes exaggerated during exhaustion and physical and mental tiredness. If I am on my feet for hours, I can feel it strongly. these symptoms have not been clearly tied to any diagnosis yet. Only that neuropathy neurologist said " you will have all kinds of strange symptoms with SFN " I have a lot of parasthesis in my arms.

Snoopy,

I have been diagnosed with " sensory motor poly neuropathy" by positive EMG and NCS as well as Small Fiber Neuropathy by a neurologist specializing in neuropathy. But the skin biopsy for SFN was negative at the first time.
And it is the SFN and Autonomic neuropathy that would cause these vibrations?
OR, can it be MS?
My local neurologist is handling my case, and knows me well. ( He did endovascular embolization of my cerebral aneurysm.}
He is planning to at this point do further testing due to my symptoms and the lesions on my brain.
I have a lot of balance problems, and have for the last few years developed some memory problems.

Have seen many neurologists in my search for answers, but the above 2 has been helping me.

Snoopy,
Is there a diagnostic test for these above mentioned symptoms?? Like a EMG and NCS for other than the extremities??
My spinal tap was negative for MS
I have had positive test for autonomic neuropathy with one outcome being
gastroparesis.
The Tilt table test was basically normal 1 year ago, but I wonder about having it repeated. I have bad orthostatic hypotension, and recently had a fall which resulted in a sprain, and pain. I was lucky to not have any fractures.

I am now awaiting MRI testing possibly head?brain and also spinal cord.
And then Evoked Potential.

I WOULD BR GLAD TO KNOW WHAT THE VIBRATIONS ARE. It could also be related to the constant burning?
I know this is not normal, and difficult to explain to people.

Hi Synnove,

Testing, which can help support a diagnosis of MS, if positive is brain/spinal cord MRIs, EP and a Lumbar Puncture.

There is a criteria for diagnosing MS, The McDonald Criteria.

In my case, the answer is yes.

I have never used any of the MS treatments/Disease Modifying Drugs. I do not treat the sensory symptom of vibrations/buzzing. I realize mine is due to MS and that these sensations will not hurt me, so why treat with medications that can have worse side effects than the symptom

Over time I have learned I can and do ignore the vibrations/buzzing. Under certain circumstances this sensation will increase for me (when active, sick, a relapse, getting overheated and other reasons). When those "causes" for an increase decrease or goes away the vibration/buzzing goes back to what is normal for me.

I'm sure your other diagnoses complicate matters and I hope your Drs. can sort out your troubling symptoms.

Take care.

Thanks, Snoopy.

Yes, I agree with you and understand.

You see, I feel that once I just get told, and know for sure what these symptoms are, I would be able to adjust to it, and understand.

And I am able to realize, just like you, that these symptoms/feelings are just sensory symptoms/feelings, and they will not hurt me, it is just nerve cells misinterpreting things and sending wrong signals, to say it simple.

But until then, these symptoms can be sort of scary. I used to think at first that it would have to be some sort of systemic inflammation.
But blood tests and Spinal tap has been negative.

Hopefully, I will have answer soon.


thanks again

Of course it would be scary

Believe it or not I have not always been so calm about my body vibrating and buzzing,

Take care.