I have this EMG scheduled for tomorrow morning after 2-3 toes in one foot went numb a couple of weeks ago. My gp ordered an emg and now i'm sitting here biting my nails as to going ahead with it or not. I am supposed to see this neurologist before it's done. I've had rsd for over ten years now and I have no idea where they plan to put the needles in, whether it's in my back or my legs. I get these weird tinglings and pain and numbness in the back of my thighs now for a couple of years too, even in my mid back etc. I'd hate to have this emg done in order to diagnose some nerve failure or damage which may be responsible for the toes bit only to have a terrible flare re the rsd. I did have an emg way back in '99 and i ended up worse coming out of that hopsital after five days than when i went in. barely could walk....And this emg done on my hands a year later didn't reveal anything either but sure caused a lot of pain in my hands even as the guy did it.

Anybody have any thoughts on this? Right this minute both feet are tingling, pulsing and weird. So are my thighs at the back.

I did read the rsd hope site on this but I wondered what you think here. And should i simply go to talk to this neuro but not do the emg?

Thanks,
Ina

Hi Ina,

Well...ouch!

As far as I can make out, EMGs are performed to find out if there is actual nerve damage. As a diagnostic tool, for RSD, they only serve to rule out identifiable nerve damage possibly attributable to a different physical disorder.

Since they're painful, and can cause scarring, I too would be very cautious; I presume, since you have already been diagnosed with RSD, you yourself suspect an additional complication with the nerves, not necessarily part of the RSD condition.

So...yes, I would go and talk to the neuro, and make up your mind after you've discussed it thoroughly. You need a crystal ball, really, don't you - if the test draws a blank and doesn't affect the RSD - well, great. If it finds something and doesn't affect the RSD - great too, kind of, because there's something definite to work on. But if it draws a blank and does affect the RSD - well hotdarn!, to put it mildly....

Good luck tomorrow with whatever you decide to do - and make sure they protect the RSD areas as much as possible if you do the test

all the best.

Hey Ina...

Personally (And only my opinion) I will NEVER have an EMG again. I had one a year ago when the drs decided that "RSD can't do this to a person so it's got to be some neurodegenerative disease" sort of thing and we agreed because of the pain involved that they would only do one arm... however, this was over a year ago and led to one of my worst ever flares which I still haven't got over (it managed to escalate the RSD to a whole new level)....

BUT... to balance this out, I know many people that have had EMG's and expereinced no problems other than raised pain levels for a couple of days after the investigation....

So.. whatever you go for.. Good luck...

is the numbness intermittent or constant? have you found that the it co incides with blackness?

Love

Froggsy xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

HI Artist and Frogga, Thank you so very much for the replies. I need some "boost" in me so i do the right thing. I have quite a few diagnoses that came more recently that my attention has been on them ( treatment for a brain tumour (benign but serious as they say, but if contolled, whch it appears to be at this point,then may only leave me with a few side issues)and at last count 3-4 heart issues including atrial fib)and so i spend less time on rsd although i do read here in chunks and have been following some posts. You put it very well artist... end thing being what if they find nothing and i end up with leg probs big time again.

Frogga, You are one strong young woman and have so much helpful to say here which i know helps so many.

I have to run now or i will be late, but thanks again for giving me a morale boost this morning as for the first time in a long time i am actually nervous about this whole thing...

Forgot to say that oh yes, I had the rsd diagnosis many years ago now and have gone through the hell of that plus episodes that are quite debilitating even the last year.My gp is test happy since my brain finding (he had never met any one with mine so missed it) and he and i never talk about rsd although he gives me meds and i keep him updated on what goes on. All of a sudden now I am forced to recall all the rsd stuff which i wiould be happy to keep in denial (i.e not think about it haha)..so to speak what with everything else.

hugs,
Ina

aieeee... i posted an update form my appt which i am now back from and i guess it was too long or something as it didn't post but i was logged out while writing it.

Ina

Ok hi!

I see the previous did go through. So here's my (shorter) second attempt!

The neuro decided not to do the emg as he didn't want me to go through more pain after he did various manual tests. he was great. Spent more than an hr with me and did a pretty thorough history taking.He wants me to have a new mri of the spine and some otehr things as it's possible the spine is the culprit or i am growing something somewhere pressing on a nerve. In any case having some reports with me helped him see the bigger picture. he did ask me quite a bit about my rsd history too. All in all the visit was good and they were warm and caring and interested in what was going on.

Again thank you for your support! it helped me loads today to stay focused and on target with what i myself said. I was actually rather terrified for the first time in 11 years about this when i've been pretty cool about evrything else.



Ina

Well done, Ina,

I get a strong sense that you're comfortable with the outcome, and that's the important thing (well, and also, good-o, less pain ). So nothing lost, remember that you can always take the test at a later date if the docs really need to see the readings, but it sounds like you've mapped out a very good plan for now.

Best of luck with the next stages, keep us informed, and many thanks for filling us in - I'm very relieved for you,

all the best

Artist,

Hi,
i didn't realize i'd have an update so quickly but the neuro i saw today called just now. Now this is a first for me in the last 11 yrs. He wants me to have this mri sooner rather than later and asked some other specific questions plus is calling my other docs. he wants me to see a surgeon for an opinion. I'm just glad someone's doing something and listened. I tell you over the years with rsd stuff i about gave up as after a while one starts shutting up about symptoms as one doesn't get very far often. Not so great of course that now they keep finding things, but so far they are treatable which is one blessing i guess. We'll see what happens in the next few days.

This has been a weird easter weekend. It's still a holiday here today. Ha! what a day.....



Ina

Have you had an MRI since having RSD?

I found an MRI to be terribly painful with the vibration since having RSD... I now ask if a CAT scan will do... and the docs have all said sure, no problem.

yes, daylily,

I have had six mris and two cat scans on my head , well maybe 4 cat scans, i can't remember now, plus an mri on my spine. I recall the spinal mri did cause some vibrations in my chest though, and once they forgot to have me take off this bracelet so halfway through the mri it started jumping around and all the hairs on my arm stood up lol....

My worst rsd site is one leg and that's never been mri'd. Only bone scans.

I never thought of the vibrations of an mri setting anything off to be honest. So far I've been fine with them. ( in moments of self amusement i tell myself oh good an mri will keep any depression away lol... that fact was discovered by accident in montreal according to an abstract although it did say one had to be depressed in the first place for it to "cure" depression for a while... weird eh?).... Now a ride in a car without super good suspension or a walk on a bumpy ground is murder for me.... that hasn't changed. I don't want to get into some cars friends might have. Also, unless I am in a flare most rides aren't too bad as long as i am not going far now that I think about this. If anything over 1/2 hr or on less than good roads, then i am indeed a mess.

Ina