Stress & Spasms
 

Does stress ever trigger your spasms? I find that if I'm nervous, stressed...even cold...the spasms will hit. They happen other times too, but I've noticed them a lot in nervous or stressful moments.

I'm suppose to have an MRI on my hand, and I just found out they weren't going to just put my hand in like when I had a CT scan a few years ago. With full body RSD, trying to lay still for over 30 minutes with my arm above my head (which it doesn't do) would be enough to set off a major spaz fest. I'm not huge, but I'm not skinny either, and the last MRI I had (pre-RSD) the machine scraped against my skin and actually made scratches. AND...I'm in a wheelchair, so climbing up on the stupid table is gonna be a challenge in itself.

So, now that I've vented, I think I'll call my hand specialist LOL

[QUOTE=PhyllisJ;937691]Does stress ever trigger your spasms? I find that if I'm nervous, stressed...even cold...the spasms will hit. They happen other times too, but I've noticed them a lot in nervous or stressful moments.

I'm suppose to have an MRI on my hand, and I just found out they weren't going to just put my hand in like when I had a CT scan a few years ago. With full body RSD, trying to lay still for over 30 minutes with my arm above my head (which it doesn't do) would be enough to set off a major spaz fest. I'm not huge, but I'm not skinny either, and the last MRI I had (pre-RSD) the machine scraped against my skin and actually made scratches. AND...I'm in a wheelchair, so climbing up on the stupid table is gonna be a challenge in itself.

So, now that I've vented, I think I'll call my hand specialist LOL[/QUOTE

Sure stress plays a part in your spasms! From everything I've read stress can bring on or exacerbate current symptoms. I know if I get tense/stressed my pain go through the roof! I actually saw the tension moving in my hand last night, and it was making the veins in my hang "pop up" a little. With CRPS I wouldn't be too surprised with ANY symptom, even if I started to turn green. I am not ruling anything out when it comes to this "condition"!! :grouphug: :D good luck. I also have an mri of my left shoulder to hand tonight,.....we'll see how that goes....

Oh for sure stress sets me off! When my body gets to stressed in a paticular situation its like my muscles clamp down and start to spasm and my arms will turn blue and get cold and hurt terribly. So muscle relaxants for me is a must.

As for you, can you ask your dr for an open mri? There not closed in and there for people that cant be in the really closed tight ones. And if you cant get an open mri, can your dr give you a med to relax during it? And ive had MANY mri's where ive needed my arms over my head and since my arms can only go half way up, ask for them to put a cushion under your arm to give some support. Most techs know to do it if they see you have that problem, but ask anyways to be sure and that does help. And defently take all your meds about 20min prior to the MRI, but also save some for when its done so that way you have extra to take afterwards.

Thanks for the suggestions. Couldn't talk to my Drs office today cuz they closed at noon, but will definitely check into the open one. But I'm hoping they can just do the one they did before where it was just my hand. My meds are extremely limited because I'm on Xyrem for narcolepsy with cataplexy...no pain meds other than gabapentin twice a day. Actually those are the only meds I'm on.

When I had a MRI, I just put my arm over my head and nothing more. Maybe different institutions have different policies but it seems silly that they would put your full body in when they don't have to.
Stress does make your blood flow at an abnormal rate, making your symptoms worse. My muscle spasms used to be controlled by cortisone shots but they made my rsd spread so my doctor won't do it anymore.
I hope everything goes well for you. If going all the way in the machine means a better outcome for you in the future, just try to work with it. Weigh out benefits/risks and keep us posted.