Subject: Re: Assymetric Jumpy Reflexes with right leg weakness
Forum: The Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum
Topic Area: Neuromuscular
Posted by CCF MD mdf on December 31, 1998 at 14:35:17:
In Reply to: Assymetric Jumpy Reflexes with right leg weakness posted by Julius Hollander on December 31, 1998 at 01:33:51:

Her neurologist sent her for examinations: EMG, MRI(Brain, Upper and
lower Spine), CAT(Brain); all were without pathological findings besides some slight changes in the neck vertebrae, which are not strange - my wife is 58. The original diagnosis was peroneal paresis.

Since then has been exercising - she never was athletic at all - and her
healthy left leg has developed nicely, and her (weak) right calf has
increased in circumference by an inch.
As time progressed her walking improved: in the beginning, a year ago,
her leg began to tire - to quake - after 5-10 minutes; but now she can walk
for over 30 minutes - often for hours - with no symptoms.

In the beginning she had some pain - like sciatica - but for the last few
months she has had no pain, and actually her general well-being and her
leg in particular feel better.

Last week another neurologist saw my wife and was especially
concerned about the following symptom:
She has jumpy reflexes - she has had jumpy reflexes as far back as we
can remember - but the reflexes are not symmetric:
her weak (right) foot has jumpier or quicker reflexes than her healthy
foot!
This symptom was also noticed a year ago - but, at the time, seems not
to have been thought to be of much importance.
This second neurologist said that my wife seems to be in the beginning
of "some neurological disease", but he says doesn't know what it could be .
He suggested hospitalization for testing.

However: my wife. to complicate things, suffers from Panic Disorder
related to medical issues: every time she goes for diagnosis she suffers from panic until the results are in, and she would find such a course of action terribly stressfull.
We feel that if the only purpose is to name a "neurological disease", that
cannot be treated anyway - she should not undertake such a course of
action.

Thank you for your help and advice.
Julius Hollander

=

Increased reflexes, if symmetric, are indeed not necessarily abnormal. But if the weak side is more hyperreflexic than the good side, that suggests damage to some part of the brain or spinal cord, NOT a neuropathy (such as the original diagnosis of peroneal palsy would suggest).

Some diseases are more treatable than others. I can't really say what the diagnosis is, either, but among the possibilities I can think of, at least some are treatable. Also, "not curable" is not the same thing as "not treatable."

Having some idea of what is going on, even if a practical treatment plan doesn't emerge, can help you and your wife make plans. At this point, you don't know if it is a potentially hazardous or merely annoying problem.

No one can make the decision to proceed with diagnostic evaluation other than your wife. I hope this adds to the information she needs to allow her to make the best possible decision for herself. CCF MD mdf.

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