EMG's/Nerve Conduction Studies trigger burning???
 

In the old Brain Talk forum, I posted a thread once asking if any others had experienced burning as a result of the EMG/Nerve Conduction studies that are performed by Neurologists. I remember getting a few responses stating that others, besides myself had had similar reactions.

Are there any here who have had reactions like this to these tests, or adverse reactions to various vibratory testing or treatments?

Melody brought up this subject in another thread. I am posting this here, because I am terrible about hijacking threads (I don't mean to, it just happens.)

After an Orthopedic Surgeon found abnormal reflexes, I was sent for head-to-toe EMG/NC studies. I am not exaggerating when I say I screamed through it. It set me on fire, starting at the area above my knees in the lower thighs, spread to calves, then all over my body. It was very, very painful, and I still suffer from burning like this, although at least a part of it is kept in check by the medications I am on.

My current Neurologist had never heard of this, but there were actually others who responded with similar stories. Many people have had no problems with this, although this was NOT their favorite thing to do, so if you are due to have one, this does not necessarily mean you will have the same experience. I have wondered if the cause could actually be small vessel vasculitis, which I also have, but did not know then.

The Neurologist I now see wants to repeat these tests and I have refused to allow this to be done. I believe if I am already inflammed, that adding additional insult to injury will only make it hurt more. I feel that we are within our rights to refuse or decline testing that could possibly cause more pain, unless it is a life or death situation...

How about it? Any of you experience this?

Cathie

Cathie:

The next time you go to your neurologist and they start in with "you really need to have an emg/nerve conduction study, simply reply with: 'Oh, no problem, as long as I can do one on you first.

Take a look at their face when you say this!!!

HAH!!!

Melody

Cathie,
 

I just had NCS/EMG number 10 or 11 (cant remember which) - full body - both arms, legs, down my back, etc..... aside from some qiick pain from a few of the shocks, and quickie stabs, (most I didnt feel and nothing left over...) and no residal pain. I've had one that was done by a resdient that apparenty thought he had to put the EMG needle all the way thru a person - that hurt a lot at the time - but just shaky for a while afterwards... the SSEP left me sore for a couple of days from all the vibrating I think.... (each doctor seems to have a very different style on dong the tests too)

Could the needles have triggered something in your muscles???????? Hope someone here has an answer.....

The first one i had done back in October of 2003 made my feet hurt worse for a short period of time. I dont remember exactly but for around a week. The next 3 that i had, did not have that effect. My feet have become much more numb since October 2003. They are not pleasant tests, but i do not find them that bad either. I wouldnt hesitate to get another one, to keep track of the progression.

Ah, what fond memories emg/nc tests bring back for me.

The last one (because I had a pinched nerve in my neck) and I know I posted this story before but for those of you who didn't read it......I was sent for an emg/nc thing and I arrived (and I REMEMBERED THE FIRST ONE I HAD FOR CARPAL TUNNEL) so I was not in a good mood to get another one.

I sat on the table and the nurse has this cattle prod thing in her hands (now this was over 8 years ago so maybe they've stepped it up a notch with the equipment, I really have no idea), but when she just touched me on my arm (and I felt a little shock) and I said a little "ow" and she zapped me again higher up, and I felt a little bigger shock and I said an even bigger OW!!. And then she moved up my arm and zapped me and I jumped off the table and I looked her dead in the eye and I said 'touch me again with that thing and I'll punch you in your F.....nnnng face".

She just smiled sadly and sighed and said: "I know, I know, some people find this a tad uncomfortable. I thought she had lost her mind.

Now Alan can go and get EMGs and NCs and feel ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Doesn't bother him one bit. And he's had plenty of them.

Maybe I'm hyper sensitive, I have no idea!!!

Melody

Pain from EMG/NC's
 

I had a very short second one done several weeks after the first one. I was hospitalized at the time. The doctor who did this one told me to tell my doctor that "something" was irritating my muscles...

OK, like why didn't he put this in the *#%&$!@ report TO my doctor??? But he didn't. Try telling a doctor something like that...

Cathie

First I will start by saying I'm confused on all aspects if this nerve issues but I do know pain. I'm not sure what you mean by burning but I had the emg/mri. I also had an mri of my brain/spine and of ankle/foot. I'm not sure if that may be another option instead of the emg. I have had mistakes the past 3 months like pt that kept me in the worst pain of my life and then I just get a "sorry" from the doc which doesn't take the pain away so I understand being hesitent. I'm suppose to go to a pain clinic where I feel the same way because all they have done is make me worse with meds and pt. Sorry not much help but also I'm trying to not let my mind fear the worst because of the past. It may have been a fluke but at the same time though the doc never heard of it doesn't mean it can't happen. Like I say even if there is a 1 percent chance. Could you maybe call another doc and explain for a second opinion?It also seems like your after symptoms might give them a clue of what the whole picture is. Take care and good luck.

Cathie
 

I haven't had as many emg/nc exams as other members of the forum but I found that some of the discomfort can be relieved by a skilled practitioner. The 1st one I had for both feet, calves, thighs, legs and my back in 2003 nearly took me off the table when the "Dr" caught the muscles behind the knee during the emg and I have a high pain threshold - he was fortunate that I happened to be positioned facing a wall because my reflex could have taken his head off although the wall didn't do much for my foot.

After that I've had subsequent exams done @ UPenn by a "technician" but under the guidance of the chairman of the neuro group and even though the tests have been far more extensive, feet, ankles, calves, thighs, legs, arms, back, fingers, and toes they have been much less unpleasant. When I discussed w/ the UPenn neurologist he indicated that the skill of the practitioner can have a great influence on a discomfort during a patients' test and I know many patients in the area go to UPenn for that reason.

I can tell you that I was much less sore after all of the subsequent exams than the from the 1st one - I was nearly hobbled for a couple of days. I can understand your reluctance to repeat the last experience - perhaps as Daniella suggested a second opinion and/or a different neurologist to do the test might be somewhat helpful.

I hope you find some relief and answers soon - good thoughts to you.

Alkymst

"The 1st one I had for both feet, calves, thighs, legs and my back in 2003 nearly took me off the table when the "Dr" caught the muscles behind the knee during the emg and I have a high pain threshold - he was fortunate that I happened to be positioned facing a wall because my reflex could have taken his head off although the wall didn't do much for my foot."


AFTER READING THIS PARAGRAPH, IF I EVER HAD THE INCLINATION TO HAVE ANOTHER EMG OR NCS, WELL, FORGET IT!!!!!

lol Melody

Daniella, have you ever asked for narcotic drugs for your pain, like the fentanyl patches? I feel so strongly that pain must be treated aggressively. I think that pain breeds more pain. Please consider giving narcotics a try.

Our favorite tests: EMG/NC studies...
 

Like Mel, I think I will have to pass on this. I have never been able to find out why this reaction occurred, but it was NOT fun. I will have to settle for just getting by the way I have been.

Karen: I don't know about the muscle part, no one seems to know why this reaction occurred and claim never to have heard of anything like this.

Prior to that, painwise, I can't think of anything other than some joint pain that seemed to move around, and then the feet hurting. ???

Daniella: I will send you a PM.

Alkymst: Maybe the UPenn Neurologist is correct in that skill determines the discomfort, but I am not too excited about being tested again...

Joe: Do you mean that the more you become numb, the less you feel when they do these?

Thanks all,
Cathie

My Emgs and NCs were ok with me because I didnt feel a thing. My husband was in the room and I could hear him gasp but I didnt feel anything. When they did the sural nerve biopsy, I didnt feel that either. I just cant feel. I guess Im lucky.
The sural nerve biopsy wasnt fun but it did show my nerves were being eaten up fast from the inside out. I have a beutiful 5 inch scar to prove it, but still there was no cure so I dont know why they did it other then see it was real!

Dana

I never felt anything either, just a couple muscle twitches only from an EMG and nothing from a nerve conduction test, i don't know whether its the skill of the operator or if its how damaged the individuals nerves are or what it is really.
I wouldn't hesitate to have another if i had to, i am happy and lucky that it doesn't affect me after reading how some of you guys talk about, it sounds like slow torture.

Cathie
 

I had that reaction on the first. Being a old nurse i agreed to let a
Resident do it (they got to learn) not on me for that again. I was
on fire. Than went to Mayo,this time a skillled Dr. no trouble at all.
Why i'm still not sure. Just know that resident is a Dr. on the loose
now. :eek: I would consider a second opin.if this is a problem for you,
they can be a good idea anyway.

You have tummy Neuropathy don't you could you tell me more about it,
I hear it's rare,but i seem to be as well. :rolleyes: :hug: Sue

Thanks I pm you back. I was also thinking when I had mine the doc told me that he would start with less energy to see how I coped. Could you ask maybe for them to start with less? I don't know if that is possible but the doc told me some people are more sensitive so that is why he started slow.I still think maybe another doc too.

I felt the emg/ncs less in subsequent tests and also had no additional pain as i had had with the first one for a week. The numbness had spread between the tests.

You should have seen Alan when the Social Security guy had him in for a nerve conduction and emg. Alan had applied for Social Security Disability about 6 years ago when he couldn't feel the pedals of the car and I made him STOP DRIVING, before he killed us. We were at a red light and he thought he had his foot on the brake and we started rolling and Alan said "Oh my god, I can't feel the brake". That's when I said "enough, we are not doing this any more'. So we adapted to not having a car.

Then he gets the letter to come in for an examination at the Social Security evaluation offices. So we go and I go in the room with Alan and the guy says 'okay, Alan, this might sting a bit" and Alan goes "oh, sting away, I don't feel a thing". The guy smiled (not believing a word Alan said'.

Well, the look on the guy' face was priceless. He kept zapping him and saying 'YOU DON'T FEEL THIS, ARE YOU SERIOUS". Finally when he gets to a portion above his foot and Alan felt THAT!!! the guy goes "whoa, you have some case of neuropathy here".

Alan was approved 3 months later. He never had to appeal.

I guess (because everybody I know gets turned down 2 times), that this guy KNEW Alan could not drive anymore and couldn't do his job.


Oh, I have a question about diabetic neuropathy. I once read that the majority of diabetics with neuropathy, don't have the pain, they just get the numbness. Is this a true statement?

Melody

Hi. I'm going to email you as well but was thinking of you cause I just had my second emg and an ssep which was way worse. Anyhow this time with my emg I was in so much more pain and even now am throbbing through 2 vicadin. I had tears and I was thinking that it may have been worse because my symptoms are worse the past few days. So maybe when you had your emg your symptoms were flaring and that made it worse. Will see how I will be later and tomorrow but I don't think I can go through that again when I'm having a flare up. Also I don't know if I said this but just because something is rare such as your after burning with the emg doesn't mean it can't happen. I guess I hate when my feeling are not validated so I hear you and I hope you can find a way to get the help you need without extra pain.

After Effects from a Nerve Conduction Study
 

I had a nerve conduction study done in August of 2003. It was ordered by a neurologist that suspected either carpel tunneling, the beginnings of Fibromyalgia and/or Peripheral Neuropathy. I found it painful and unpleasant during the NCS test. I felt weird when I left to head back to work that afternoon and my thumbs felt like they were burning. I went to bed that night and when I woke up I literally couldn't move. I felt like I had been hit by a Mack Truck. It felt like someone had pounded me all over my body with a baseball bat. It also felt like the Nerve Conduction Study tests were still going on. I was getting electrical shocks of shooting of pain up my legs and deep muscle spasms. From my elbows down to my finger tips were shooting electrical pains. I did not have the strength to life an object - I picked up a book and couldn't lift it up to read it. I had to lie in my bed for weeks not being able to do anything for myself. Unfortunately my Neurologist was away for a long conference and couldn't see me for about 6 more weeks. I finally had to go out of desperation to my local Emergency Department to do something about the pain. A Neurology Resident on call had never heard of anyone reacting to a NCS in this way but suggested anyway that I be put on Neurotin starting at a small dose and working up to a higher does three times daily. The Neurontin did the trick quite quickly as far as pain management was concerned and some of the shooting pains and muscles spasms quieted down. Unfortunately the Neurontin had terrible side effects. I had difficulty with short term memory and felt like I had a brain fog. The side effects got progressively worse so I had to get off the Neurontin. It has been almost 7 years since the Nerve Conduction Study. I was eventually able to phase back into my work - but I was forced to cut down my work (and salary) to only two days a week. I just couldnt function like my old self anymore. I still have muscle weakness and fiery burning pain. I cant feel my toes, feet, fingers and hands at times. I cannot sit in a theatre chair, I own a memory foam mattress on my bed, and my easy chair is also extra padded with memory foam. I eventually was able to hold onto my book but have to prop it in a pillow on my lap to read it. I cannot hold it up for any extended periods of time. I have been to see specialists who to this day say that they cant believe that a Nerve Conduction Study could have caused all of this - they had never heard of it before. You can imagine the frustration of the people that you are going to for help are shrugging their shoulders and cant help you. One doctor was a little bit nicer to say that he thought that the NCS somehow triggered something that was already laying dormant in me. No one can convince me that that nerve conduction study didn't effect me in a negative way. I live in constant pain and continue to lose the feeling in my hand and feet. I can take nortryptilline 10mg once a day only to take the edge of the pain off - when we tried me on a higher dose I was sweating profusely right through my clothes - so I had to be content with just the 10mg dose up to today. No one can explain what happened to me back in 2003 I would like to find out so that it can be corrected. I had to quit dancing classes, all extra curricular activities that kept me fit, I had to cancel a meditation group that met in my home once a week because I couldn't sit in the chairs for the period of time to run the group. I cannot go on trips anymore because I can only sleep on memory foam beds only. I cant go to the theater or go see movies or shows - sitting in the hard narrow theater seats is excruciating. I now have a little grand daughter and I cant do the things that she wants to do with her nanny. She doesnt understand why I can play like everyone else can. If anyone could shed a light on what could have happened to me - please let me know. Its been 7 long, painful years.

EMG Burn mark still there after 3 months.
 

Hi all i have a question for any one that may have a issue like mine. Just the high points for now after a VERY painful emg to my left hand and arm. I have a single burn mark at one of the needle sites.the pain during that test was beyond words it was between my thumb and pointer finger in the middle of the soft part. Dr's say never seen or heard of this b/4 long story short i had a work related injury to my left hand and wrist the hand hyperextended backwards over wrist. as part of there attempt to treat they are looking at or toward carpal tunnel type damage. to involved to explain where their going with this w/c injury but my question is this. why the mark . and could they have damaged the hand ? dr had emg test done before having a mri. which came apx 2 months later. which showed that there was a TFCC tear in the wrist needless to say left hand is a wreck it is in a semi hard cast for now till i can sort out who did what and if more damage was done by the emg than was ord there.any thoughts will be helpfull. Dave.

lilly2988
 

Hello, i can see there are many people who have been hurt by this test. I realise the general public may be completely unaware what the after effects of this test are, and before you know it, you are in the exam room and (they) have not told us anything about what (they) are going to do. It seems the medical profession is unconcerned with how people are left after any procedure.
My father suffered through a lung biopsy, for example. He yelled out, help! help! this elderly man, to stop the procedure! they put him upside down! The doctors told me to wait outside that I shouldn't be in the room. (They) forbid me to be with him. He had skin as copper and beautiful as a penny, but after the biopsy,when he came out, he was as pale as a sheet. There is much abuse in medicine to the public and is designed to make money for (themselves), becasue (they) keep hidden as much as possible about how they will damage us.
Anyway, about your concern, I have knowledge about a place that does this procedure. It is the same situation. They don't care to let the patients go out of the office with more pain than when they came in. I am happy I found this website because there was question in my mind when one of my patients told me about this concern and she made me realise I am working in a place where (they) are hurting people! No one had ever told me what was going on behind closed doors. No one cared to say anything. but now I know. I would say no to any procedure. I just can't believe where this america has ended up. Its not happening in many other countries, mostly America that I know of.
The nervous system has poor circulation except the brain becasue we need oxygen to think hence blood vessels, but the rest of our bodys nerves have poor circulation. at the place Im at, they do cortizone shots too. that makes the nerves, as slow as they heal, to heal even slower, so people are not even aware that they are making themselves hurt for the rest of thier lives basically. the way our bodies can heal is when we let NATURE heal it. when another thing and another procedure and another is advised by our decietful doctors, the body cannot heal. it is too busy trying to break down the cortizone shot and trying to heal the damage from the EMG, all at the same time. the body heals at a certain speed with the right nutrition and the appropriate sleep, stress reduction and alternative treatments like meditation and breathing relaxation. The things we were born with inside. When we trust these doctors who prescribe a certain dose to everyone across the board. there is no discrimination to individuals bodies. our bodies are all different, they digest differently, our livers are different etc.
A lovely patient i was seeing at a nursing home died becasue she was the unlucky victim of some doctors medicinal experiment. she died and i cried!
what is happening out there is really really bad!
please send me a reply if you would like to. (c)

lilly i have had a number of emg/ncs's and they really werent that bad for me with no lasting effects. It was the only pn related test that i have ever had that has come back positive and with which i have been able to track the progression in my legs, feet and hands/arms. People with PN react differently from each other with the same tests, meds, therapies. What is good or bad for one may well not be the same for another.

painful post NCS
 

I too am suffering from a painful post NCS. I had been referred to a neurologist for my weirdo big toe (sharp, stabbing pain that didnt respond to either surgery, narcotics, lyrica, ssri's, lidoderm patchs..etc), so i was told "hey! lets figure out whats going on with you!" sure! im game! im 28, overweight, but other than that, in relative good health. i dont complain about aches or pains, just my stupid left toe. so, not knowing what i had in store for me PRIOR to the appointment, the dr came in, said we are doing this "NCS" thing, the nurse came back in, started hooking me up, and thats when all hell broke loose. figuring i'd be okay, and that i can deal with it (i have a fairly high pain tolerance), i was wrong. the nurse was apologizing left and right as i was crying. this was repeated on the other leg. then the dr. did what i call the "need thing" (ems, esm, i dont know the acronym). from that point on, my entire body has been on fire. i have been in constant, throbbing, aching full body pain that feels like its radiating from my lower back up through my arms, back, legs and feet. its almost like the NCS awoke something nasty within. unfortunately, 3 wks has passed, the neurologist doesnt believe me, and my pain gets worse every day. i just need help, and if someone, anyone feels so compelled to point me in the right direction, please feel free to do so.

I had a very bad reaction after my EMG. I had been having parasthesias in my legs and some burning pain in my feet for a month, so Dr. ordered me an EMG. Night after the EMG I woke up with parasthesias all over my body. Dr. said it couldn't have spread due to the EMG, never seen it happen before. But within days it spread all over and then I started to have burning pain too, all over body. Dr.s insist EMG didn't spread it, but I'm not so sure.

Question for Rose.......
 

Rose, if you don't mind sharing, what were your results of EMG? Did you have a skin biopsy? Did Docs come up with a cause of your Neuropathy?

Your presentation and symptoms sound so like mine, I am just curious.

Thanks.

Burning Pain
 

I shattered my heel bone 11 weeks ago. Had surgury 10 weeks ago. Ever since the surgury i've had a burning sensation thats starts at my smaller toes and travels thru my ankle and up my leg. Along with the burning sensation i also have a tingle going along with it and involantary movement of my 4 small toes. Finally after a doctor visit 2 days ago he gave me a script for LYRICA. It seems to lessen the pain and is a med that works better the longer you take it' so relief is on the way. I'm scheduled for an EMG next week to find if my pain is form nerve damage. So for i've had numerous xrays and 2 Ct scans with no definate answers. So if an EMg caused her what to feel the pains i've been feeling for 10 weeks i don't know what to think.