Weakness in arms and legs...uh oh
 

I have noticed the last few days that my forearms have a heavy weak feeling to them...when I'm walking outside or when shopping, I put them in my pockets to hold them steady...they feel so weird.
It's happening in my quads too. A heavy but weak feeling...and I'm sleeping many hours throughout the day and night...
So is this MS related? It is very new to me...and scary.

I felt like that for about a month or two (or three?) before my latest flare that made my legs weak and has had me wobbly walking for the past month or two.

I agree, it's scary! Terrifying in fact. (look at some of my posts for the past month. I was freaked!)

All I wanted to do for weeks was sleep. Couldnt sit down without falling asleep. Then one morning I woke up and could barely move my right leg. I had a cold the week before that happened. (cold went away quickly, which was weird) and I also had an undiagnosed asymptomatic UTI for a month or two at least, before that flare hit me.

Today was the first day in weeks that I felt a lot better. (about time!) I'm worried I'll wake up tomorrow feeling just as crappy as I did the other day tho. Been feeling like a yo-yo a couple of times the past few days with one or two of the symptoms. Symptoms have been going back and forth on improvement and un-improvement some.

Hopefully whatever is going on with you is something that is just temporary. Do you have any symptoms of a UTI, or a cold/virus? Things like that can cause MS symptoms to flare.

I live in fear of getting a cold or an infection. I wish I didnt have to do that. MS sucks.

It most likely is MS related and in that case, I hope it goes away soon and hopefully not the start of a flare.

There are also many mean little viruses running around. So get yourself checked out at your Doc's. Some of these bugs can be treated by ABs and some by AVs.

Feel better soon sweety.:hug:

I just completed a round of ABs for the bronchitis. I've been asymptomatic with that for a week now. So I don't think I have an infection. I just want MS to go away...

What antibiotic were you on? I'm not a doctor or pharmacist, but I've been told some antibiotics can trigger neurological stuff in some people with neuro diseases. I dont know if it's true or not.

Cipro can and does in some people.

that explains why my toes get more numb on cipro.

no advice, just hugs! :hug:

Hugs to you, Debbie. :hug: I'm having an issue with weakness in my left leg so you're not alone. I think it's just "par for the course" with MS. I do hope you get to feeling better soon, though.

Thanks...I was on Levaquin, but I've been off of it for almost a week now.
My arms are worse today. I'm having difficulty holding the steering wheel when I drive. I am tempted to call my neuro, but the window guys are here installing windows and I don't want to leave. Grrr...

Levaquin is like Cipro, so could explain your sx.

I think the quinilones (class of antibiotics like levaquin) are one of the types of antibiotics that can cause some neurological symptoms.

I'm always worried when I go on one of those antibiotics, but usually I'm more scared of whatever the infection I might be taking the abx's for might do to me. So, the antibiotic is the lesser of two evils for me.

Deb - :hug: I'm sorry you aren't doing well. It's probably MS related due to the cold/bronchitis that you had.

I just went through 2 1/2 months of what felt like he!! after I had strep in the beginning of December. :eek::( Last week, I was finally able to start moving around more and, this is the exciting part, I was able to take a shower without anyone helping me or needing to be here in case I fell. I can brush my own hair now. My arm doesn't get tired when I brush my teeth. I can type more. It's so liberating!:D Hang in there and know that you will get there too.:hug:

Monitor it and if it gets worse, don't hesitate to call the neuro or even your PCP.

I hope you start feeling better soon.:hug::hug:

Wow Trish...I don't recall ever being affected like this. So do you think it was from the infection or the ABs?
I do notice my joints are very achy and I am stiffer again...oh well, every day's a surprise, isn't it/:rolleyes:

That's MS, if you dont like the symptoms, wait a little while...they'll change (to something more annoying usually)

And it is good to check in with yourself once in awhile and ask:
Do I have MS or does MS have me??

I like to say Neither/Nor.:D

Deb - It wasn't the abx. I did great for a week after the Z-pak but then all heck broke loose. Of course, I had the added stress of my Dad being ill and they had me up my gabapentin, which did not go well at all and caused more muscle spasms and tremors as well as other issues and just feeling so sick. This combination of the infection, stress, and increase in meds just prolonged everything for me. I get sinus infections at least once or twice a year (some years more) and I have never had any issues with the MS due to the Z-paks or Levaquin.

Sally - Can you say DENIAL?!?!:D Don't worry, I say DENIED all the time. I just pretend I don't have it. It seems to work well for me until I overdo it and/or end up in a flare. :D

I just got home from physical therapy, which I started two or three weeks ago. When I first started, I couldnt lift my right foot off the ground, and HAD to use a cane to walk across the room. My left foot could barely come up off the ground. I wasnt driving my car at all.

The whole not being able to really lift my feet up was making it really hard for me to put pants on. Still having a little problem getting my right foot to find it's way thru the pant leg, but at least I can now lift it up to get it to the pants leg.

I think the physical therapy has helped a lot, even tho I've only been doing it for a few weeks. I can walk across the room, with a limp, but without the cane now (unless I get really really tired or overworked, and then I need the cane), and I can lift my feet up off the floor if I'm rested...oh, and I can drive my car again. (YAY!!!) My car is a manual transmission, and I'm not having a problem driving it now other than getting in and out of the car.

I think maybe my flare is letting up on me a little bit, but I also think the physical therapy is helping me a LOT.

Maybe you can get your doctor to Rx some physical therapy that could help with the weakness that you're having?

Jim's starting Cipro tomorrow until we know what his culture result is. Thank God he has no feeling...:rolleyes:

I hope Jim doesn't have another UTI.:hug::hug:

Unfortunately...yes

Well, POOP!!:mad:

I'll second that POOP!:mad:

This sounds like a Flare to me....why don't you think that it is? You said last few days, so new symptoms, lasting more than 48hours are considered a Flare. Isn't that right??

Daisy, I'll be darned if I know...I just do not understand when a flare occurs or when it's just an exaserbation. I have had it explained many times, and it just won't sink iin.
In fact, I understood MS better two years ago than I do now:confused:

BTW the weakness in the arms is a bit less intense, but still there.

I understand Debbie. I have symptoms that come and go, but have never had as bad a flare as my first one. I felt horrible for months, was entirely numb from my rib cage to my foot on the left side, and could barely walk. So I guess I compare all of my symptoms to that. For the past few days, I have experienced a new weird (sensory) feeling on my chin - kind of painful and tingling. But I don't think of it as a flare.

Hope you continue to improve.:hug:

Wait! Isn't flare, exacerbation, and relapse the same thing, just different words?:eek: Now I am confused. :confused: I know pseudo exacerbations can happen especially after being sick. But I did not know there was a difference between a flare, exacerbation, and a relapse.

Glad to hear the weakness is easing up a bit.:hug:

Yes....you are right! A Flare, Exacerbation and Relapse are ALL THE SAME. It is a new symptom, or a old that that has reappeared that last for aleast 24 hrs and is separated from the last Flare by atleast 30 days.

A pseudo Exacerbation is a temporary increase in symptoms, caused by being out in the heat, or taking too hot of a shower, etc ......once you cool down the symptoms go away.

That is why Debbie's episode sounds like a Exacerbation to me....

Thanks. That was my understanding. And then I thought, omgoodness all these years I've had it wrong.:D

See? I just don't get it...:Hum:

Every time I call the neuro's office with a new thing that's worrying me, the nurse first asks, "Do you have a UTI?"

Well, no sxs, so how do I know? I guess I should start using the home test kit before I call them. When I bother to nowadays...:rolleyes:

UTIs can go undiscovered for a long time and create quite a bit of havoc. Its a very common cause of flares, and issues. Next time she asks the magic question just say "dont think so, but if you want I can come pee in a cup for you." Now, before I come all the way down there, can we talk a bit about my sx?

I hope you feel better :hug:

I have a friend in town with MS. She had a UTI and didn't know it. Over the summer she ended up in a major flare and in the hospital only to find out she had a UTI and that caused her flare.

Don't worry Deb, I get the same remark when I go to the neuro. And, since they don't do any testing or ordering of testing for a UTI, I now go to my PCP 1st to rule out any kind of infection.

I hope you start feeling better soon.:hug:

Ha Trish, you have to go to a Doc to see if you have to go to Doc.:rolleyes::p

Isn't this the truth! I feel like I just go round and round and round and round. DD20 has been going with me to my appts lately and she just doesn't get it. She notices the same thing - go to neuro they say see PCP, go to PCP they say go to neuro. She laughs about it. I finally have given up and just go to my PCP for everything. If she says, you need to see your neuro, then I make an appt. It has made things much easier.

I get the same thing. I see the nurse practitioner or my pcp and they say do you have an appointment the neuro. I really think you should make an appointment. I get an appointment with the neuro and he says, you are stable. I'll see you in six months or a year. It depends on his mood. The next time I see the nurse or pcp they say what did the neuro say? And then they sigh. :rolleyes: