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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Subject: Re: Numb tongue - MS symptom? : For about the last 2 months, I have had a problem where my tongue goes numb. If I touch it when this is happening, it is very hard instead of flexible, and speech is next to impossible. This happens 5-10 times a day and lasts about 20-30 seconds each time. Seems to happen mostly when lying down, sometimes when sitting, rarely when walking. About 6 years ago I was diagnosed with possible/probable MS. Symptoms then were legs that would go totally numb and just wouldn't work - I'd have to sit down or fall down. This would happen when I tried to walk any but the shortest distances (couldn't make it across a parking lot), particularly if I'd been sitting for awhile. A spinal MRI came back saying "suspicious for an isolated area of bright signal... an area of myelitis or demyelinating plaque is to be considered. Further MRI's of the brain are suggested to exclude demyelinating disease of the brain." Report of MRI of brain said "findings compatible with three isolated areas of bright signal in the white matter consistent with demyelinating disease." Problems had started in May, got much worse during the summer, and cleared up over a couple week period in October. Toward the end of this period, a spinal tap was done but did not show MS, thus the possible/probablediagnosis instead of definite according to the neurologist I saw then. Since then, I have had many periods of leg numbness but nothing nearly as severe as the first time. My question is this: is the tongue numbness probably MS-related? If not, could it be something serious? I am 54, overweight but otherwise in good health. Thank you for your time. ste buds were knocked out too (I learned that pumpkin pie when you can't taste the sweet is just SLIMY!) So while I don't know if this is common or could even have been a coincidence with me, I don't think it was, and I'm guessing your numb tongue could be one more MS issue. = A numb tongue is an unusual but not impossible symptom of MS, since MS plaques can affect any part of the brain or spinal cord, by definition any symptom is possible. What makes me uneasy in this case is that this comes on in the form of recurrent attacks lasting only 20-30 seconds, usually an MS symptom is long lasting and consistent over a number of days rather than fleeting like this symptom, the symptom is caused by a plaque which doesn't come and go so why should the symptom ? This sound more like irritation of the hypoglossal nerve which supplies the tongue muscles,9but not taste sensation )with possible spasm of the muscles. If this is simply spasm of one side of the tongue it is more likely to be due to MS but this is an unusual pattern of a rare symptom and a definitive answer may not be available. |
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