New to MS, still figuring it out, what your opinion on this NEW symptom?
 

Hey there! First time post! I am 22 diagnosed with MS last year. For the past few days I have been experiencing a massive amount of pain in my back. My muscles in my ENTIRE back are very stiff, sore and uncomfortable. The only relief I get is when I lay all the way down. It feels like they're too weak to support my body weight. I'm only 5'4 and 127lbs. I feel like my muscles are really tired and over-worked in my back. I have been sure not to over do myself the past few days and it hasn't got any better. What are your opinions on what this could be.... I'm thinkin it's a new lesion in my spinal cord but I am still really new to the MS game....


Thanks!

Ana

Hey Ayna, I do think you should let your neuro know about this new symptom if it lasts for more than a few days. I have a lesion in the thoracic area of my spine that causes a lot of pain and muscle spasticity in my back and rib cage.

I agree with Barb that you should let your Neuro know about it.

I've found it helpful to keep a journal of all my symptoms and medications. It sure does help when the doctor asks what new problems you're experiencing and what meds you're taking. Plus, you can read back through it and get a better feel for what's improved and what's not.

With MS, I've discovered I have different aches and pains in different parts of my body quite frequently. Most of the time (for me, anyway) it's the weather and its changes causing my body to rebel. Summer to Fall to Winter is the worst time for me "aches and pains"-wise. Winter to Spring to Summer is the worst allergy-wise.

i agree with the others ana.
any new, different, painful sx (symptom) that hangs on over 72 hrs you should call your neuro about.

he might be able to prescribe something to break up the spasm.
it doesn't necessarily mean lesions but it's best to let the dr figure it out.

have you tried a heating pad. lay down and use it on low heat. on 20 min and off 20 min. you can also try cold and decide which gives you more relief.
don't use heat too long as it can dry the muscle out.

please keep in touch with us.
feel better.

Thank you all for your responses. I had an appointment with my neuro yesterday, but I canceled because I have no money for the $100 co-pay and no insurance so I didn't want to rack up a bill. My mom heard about the problem I have been having and is insisting I get in and she'll pay for it. So I called and left a message to schedule an appointment ASAP as I am having these problems, so I will keep you posted once I hear from the doc. Again, Thank you all! :)

Sincerely,
Ana D

Hi Ana,

With one of my worst MS relapses I had really bad back symptoms much like what you describe. My back was very stiff with pain that would only subside by laying down to rest. I also had what I call "noodle spine" and weak legs. It was in August 2002 and the first time I suspected anything was wrong.

I hope you'll call your doctor just to let him or her know what's going on. Take care... :hug:

Hi Ana, and welcome!

Back pain has been one of my constants. When I need it I take either bacolofen or Zanaflex. MIRACLES! I try to not take them on a regular basis, and save them for the truly tougher days.

Any symptom (sx) lasting longer than 24 hour straight with no breaks, needs to be reported to your MD. it could be the sign of a flair. You have about 10 days to figure out if you want to accept steroids IF it is a flair, and after that 10 day period, the recovery rate for those who took steriods vs those who didnt are about the same.

they have icy hot gels, heating pads (be careful because heat can trigger MS stuff) massage, chiropractor, yoga, stretches, visualization and meditation can also help. :hug:

The pain/stiffness in your back could be from you working very hard to maintain your balance. The laying down to get relief is a good indication of this. What is easy for others can be quite difficult for us.

Bill's right. I was having leg and hip pain and it was all because of the way I walked! We tend to tense up when we feel off balance or feel like we're walking on uneven ground. It can make a real difference in other parts of your body!

Thanks for the new responses! What you are saying makes sense. I already have balance problems but for the last few days I've noticed my gait is slightly worse than the norm so maybe me being so unbalanced lately is why these back muscles are suffering. How do you try to tell your body NOT to over compensate when it's constantly trying to balance itself? I do think my muscle spasms in my sleep have something to do with this. What I don't understand is why my back muscle spasms only occur in my sleep, when the spasms in my arms, legs, face, abdomen and feet occur while I am awake and functioning for the day? Still waiting to hear back from my neuro.....

Hi Ana,
Let's think about this. You said your back spasms are worse when laying down and sleeping. You are not a large person. You said 127 lbs and 5'4".

Could it be your mattress? Maybe some extra padding, better support, or a Memory foam topper? Just a thought. When I lay down I wake to these pains too.

Since I bought the foam, 2 inch topper, the bones that stick out on my back get relief. I have large bones, but I am thin too.

Just thinking of other ideas. :) I hope you feel better soon.

Thank you for your response! I guess my bed could be a possibility. I only get relief when I lay down, I have back muscle spasms when I am sleeping never while I am awake.. I am waiting to hear back from my neuro hopefully he calls back today.

Do you have a cane or some other aid to help you balance? I rarely use my cane anymore except when I go out to places like a restaurant or somewhere I don't have a shopping cart to hold onto.

You know I have been told by a few people to use a cane when I'll be out walking to help support my body and not put as much strain on my body, and also to use a wheel chair on long days where I'll be on my feet all day. I haven't done these two things as I feel that will be giving up my mobility? It scares me.
But
Maybe I'll start doing so because it seems it will buy me more time in life out of a wheel chair.

Steroids indeed
 

Sooooo I talked to the nurse at the MS Clinic. She said it most definitely sounds like a flare so I get another 16-day Prednisone treatment. Sucks alot, but at least it will put my MS in check, I just feel I have had faaaaaar too much prednisone in my body this last year of my life. I'm bummed about it but at least it will heal the damage being done at this time.. Thanks again for all your concerns! And also thanks for the support beause honestly without you guys I would have stayed in this flare without medication...

Thanks again!

Ana

Ana, when you are in a flare, you have inflamation and Steroids help to calm that and thus, sometimes, shorten the flare...but...Steroids are not a cure of any kind for your MS.

It stopped working for me after about the third time, so I avoid steroids now.

Be sure you check for a UTI before starting steroids. A UTI can emulate a flare and steroids will make a UTI worse.

:hug:

Yoga
 

Hi Ana; I'm new to this posting also but might be able to help.

You probably need to strengthen your core muscles which support your body. The best way is to find a Yoga instructor (local MS Chapter can help) and work those muscles daily to keep them from letting your body down. A strong body core is essential. I've been through what you are experiencing and Yoga was the only thing that worked for me. Hope this helps you too.
Have a great day, John

Hi Ana. Welcome to the group!

I'm not really one to offer any suggestions with your back issues so I'll refrain from making any. Just wanted to welcome you to the group.

16 day prednisone treatment? Oral? What's the dosage? This doesn't sound in line with other steroid based treatments I've heard about.

My wife's decision to swap from a water bed to one of those really really expensive mattress/box spring jobs improved my sleeping, but in reality I've never had much of an issue with back pain/spasms. It's mostly my legs for me.

Okay, I can't refrain... I'm 5 months shy of 23 years with MS. I still basically live/work/play a normal life. I attribute my avoidance to beer and bar-b-q! But I'm weird...

Again, welcome.

Tom

Amen Brother. Beer and BBQ'd ribs. The best therapy around. John

Hey there everyone!

The nurse asked the same about the UTI and I don't have any symptoms of that so they went ahead and put me on the Prednisone.
It's a 16 day treatment with 10 mg pills (also got the fluconzale to help with the nasty thrush that prednisone gives off) starting with 6 for 4 days then 4 for 4 2 for 4 1 for 4. Is that a different dosage than you've had?

Also this is my first time back on prednisone since last fall, altogether since my diagnosis 2/8/09 I have been on prednisone 6 times and I have had 2 3 day IV treatments along with one 5 day IV treatment. I feel like I am too fresh into MS to have that many steroids, but I would assume my neuro knows what he is doing... right?

Thanks for all the support everybody! And I will be sure to check in with my MS chapter about yoga.. I so didn't know they could help with that and yoga has been something I have really wanted to look into.

So thanks again everyone! Hope you all have a great day!