I just got back from my neuro's office. All we did was talk today about what's been going on. He didnt do a neuro exam because of my knee.

Told him I'd had a few issues, but that for right now, the MS hasnt been too bothersome. Forgot to tell him about the big annoying patch of numbness on my right thigh (probably because the numbness seems to "hide" when I go to the neuro and I forget about it if it's not picking on me at that particular moment)

Also told him my right eye is bugging me (annoying Uhthoff's phenomenon, so it's probably not anything that's actually active)

Mentioned to him that my hands go numb when I'm sleeping and it wakes me up a couple of times a night. He said that it might be Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (I had surgery on the right hand in the early 90's) and that we could do a test for that to make sure it's CTS. He said that if I wanted to, the next time I go for a visit (in late April) he could have an EMG (?) test set up and we could test for CTS or something involving the ulnar nerve or the brachial plexus then. If I test negative for those 3 problems, then he said it would be an MS-ish thing. Said it was an expensive test (they hook up electrodes to your arms and make your fingers twitch...did that 20yrs ago)

So, I just have to decide if I want to get hooked up to the electricity for that. I have a few months to decide if I want to subject my insurance company to paying for an expensive test. I guess I'll see how annoying my hands going numb while I'm sleeping gets.

Otherwise, my neuro visit was pretty boring. (that's a good visit...because if it wasnt boring, then I'd have problems)

Hi Erin
I have the same prob at the neuros. My most annoying sx seem to disappear until I leave. If I write them down and mention them, they seem to not be bothering me at the doctors. What's with that!

I have the hands fallling asleep too. I had carpel tunnel surgery done on both hands in 1990. Still the same old sx. Mine is definitely MS as my hands are the most affected part of me ... bummer.

I got a memory foam pad, for my bed, for xmas. Crazy as it sounds my hands are better (a little). I think because it allows them to "float" on top of the mattress and don't sink into it. At least, that is my theory.

Unscientific testing was done when I lent it to my Dad the night he came home after his hip replacement. The following 2 days, I was miserable. And until I got the foam pad back didn't realize what a benefit it was.

These results are not proven by anyone but me.


I've been through the electicution and needle tests twice, last time in 2007, and nothing showed up. Think carefully before the torture. I hope it resolves itself and you get some relief soon.

That's interesting about the memory foam. I had a memory foam pad for about 6 months before I got my first super obvious MS symptom (numbness in the legs, which was promptly ignored by my doctors office)

I had to give my matress pad away because the memory foam made my numb leg problem feel worse. (I actually felt more numb when laying or sitting on my bed) and my arms going numb at night started when sleeping on the memory foam.

I would sink into the memory foam and NEVER MOVE AT ALL at night, and I'd wake up with a hip that was so sore, I wanted to scream when rolling over.

The matress pad was great until the numbness started. Also had a memory foam pillow and it was nice until I developed Optic Neuritis. I had some weird numbness in my face around the eyes at the time and the pillow drove me nuts.


I had the CTS surgery back in the early 90's...it could have been as far back as 1990, but I think it was '92 or '93. I only had the right hand done. (open surgery) Never did have anything done with the left. The surgery seemed to work, the pain I had in the right arm back then was so bad, that I could barely do anything, but after the surgery, I felt pretty good. Even now, other than numbness in both hands at night, my arm doesnt hurt like it did then. It still hurts, but nothing quite like what it was in the early 90s.

The neuro said that if it's CTS again, and if it's bad enough, he'll recommend that I get another surgery done. (he does not recommend the laproscopic surgery, so it would be another open surgery with all the "pretty" stitches again.

Not sure if I'd do another surgery, the CTS would have to be pretty bad, but at least I could crochet or knit for therapy. (crochet and knitting is therapy for me now...it keeps me from killing people )

i erin,
i have had 2 CT repairs, in each hand.
it's important to know if it's CT. if it is and the nerve in the wrist gets too compressed, it can cause nerve damage. that can decrease the strength and function in your hand.

you might try using some wrist splints at nite and see if the problem decreases. also, it's common to have sx's in your hands when you drive.

imho it's worth investigating if your problem con'ts.

yeah, I actually still have my splints from when I was trying that treatment out before my surgery (I'm a pack rat, I save all sorts of stuff...you should see my yarn stash..it's out of control and taking over the house)

I have 3 months to decide on doing that test (next neuro visit is end of April) I talked with my dad about it, and I think I'm going to see if the problem gets worse in the next month or so and if it gets worse or doesnt stop, then I'll get the EMG done.

The neuro said that in the right hand, I could have scar tissue from the one surgery that I had. I already know that I must have had some neuro damage from the surgery or the CTS before the surgery. I was taking sign language classes for a few years before the surgery. After the surgery I could no longer do certain signs (some of the letters in the fingerspelling alphabet)

For me the downside of the memory foam is it traps heat and that makes me real shaky limbs and head in the morning. I just take off the covers and let the cold room bring my temp down for a minute before getting out of bed. I actually found it helped the hip pain I was experiencing and sleep longer because my hips hurt less.

MS sure is inconsistant as far as experiences go. I too would be crazier without crochet.

Right now the crochet is driving me nuts. I'm trying to teach myself hairpin lace crochet, and I swear, I feel like I did a year and a half ago when I was trying to teach myself to knit. I've seen hairpin lace done, and you'd think I'd remember how they did it, I seem to be having problems trying to figure out which way to turn the loom. argh!!

I gave my memory foam pad away a few months before I actually got the optic neuritis and before I knew I had MS. I dont think I was experiencing Uhthoff's (worsening of symptoms from heat) at the time, so I'm not sure I was having problems from heat making things worse. If I was, I didnt recognize the signs and dont remember how things were.

My boyfriend's room mate inherited my mattress pad, and I've heard that he totally loves it. Apparently he'd had problems finding a bed soft enough for him. It was a $200 pad and wasnt even 6 months old yet, and I just gave it to him, so he was totally tickled by that.

Tonight the numbness that was hiding from me has reappeared...yeah...now that I'm not at the neuro's office... my legs feel weird, and my sore knee/leg has decided to hurt me like crazy AND be numb...why it cant be painless and be numb at the same time I dont know.

Hi Erin
Hairpin lace? Just the name sounds intimidating. Although it is beautiful, I sure wouldn't frustrate myself to attempt it. I hope it clicks for you soon, and you finish that project successfully.

I'm so glad the mattress pad had a good home.

I get the numb/pain combo, I don't know why they don't cancel each other out.

I'm sorry your knee is hurting so much. Please rest yourself.

If I hadnt given the mattress pad away, I probably would have taken it to a parking lot and lit a match to it. (I'm really not serious about that)

Kinda sucks, I'd wanted one of those mattress pads for a long time, and had gotten it for Xmas. I slept great on it until early April when I first developed the numbness in my hip. After that, it was no longer comfortable.

I was all freaked out by the numbness, which had started one day at the zoo...about 10 minutes after my boyfriend and I got free rides on the zoo train (steam engine) up in the engine area. It was seriously hot right on the train engine, since they were burning wood to make the steam for the engine. It was also an unseasonably warm April that year.

I didnt know where it came from, and for awhile, I thought it was the mattress pad. I had read people talking on the internet that memory foam was causing them health problems. Because memory foam outgasses the chemicals in the foam (outgassing would be the chemicals leaching into the air from the foam)

Erin,

Go ahead and have the EMG. It's not that bad of a test and can reveal a lot about your situation. Who cares what it cost the insurance company. Look at what you pay a month for that coverage. All I had to pay was a $20 copay when I had mine done three years ago.

Either way, I hope they can determine and treat any problems they find.

Good luck.