Another one for Spacticity :)

Good Morning!

I made sure to search the archives first, before posting so as to try not to be redundant to all of you :)  It's been a while since I last posted, but previously I'd complained about pain in my hips and legs and the docs couldn't figure it out.

Well, after much blood testing and continued pain... and me calling them every single month explaining the pain is not going away, we HAVE to do something!  I finally found resolution.  Geeze.  To me, it almost felt like I was crawling (literally due to the pain in my legs) on their doorstep asking for a reliever!  But it took years for them to realize I was not bluffing??  I don't know what they thought.  That it wasn't MS???  Whatever.  I have my saving grace.  I have MUSCLE RELAXERS - YAHOOOOOOO!

They weren't sure it would work because they weren't sure it was spacticity, I said - lets try it!  Let's find out.  After the first day, my buttox and legs felt like the day after being pummeled with boulders.  I felt so much relief that I could sit and walk again without pain, but the muscles themselves were extremely sore.

The prognosis is that I have spacticity very deep and close to the joints.  Spasms do not occur close to the surface where I can see or feel them jump or tighten, they happen so deep that I cannot notice when it is happening.

So, I have been managing by taking one relaxer a day.  Here's what I've noticed and want to know if this is common among others with spacticity.

I'm moving and have been packing my house for the past week.  Walking a lot, bending, lunging, squats, and all that mess.  I didn't worry about over doing anything because exercise is supposed to be good for your spacticity, right?  or so my specialist tells me.  What I've found is that when I walk my dog a lot, use my butt muscles a lot - that is when I get the most sore and tight.  That is when I need the relaxer almost immediately or more than once a day.  Does exercise make this symptom worsen?

My second question is related to this symptom and the cold.  I've been living in AL for the past 3 years and my husband may be getting transferred to Seattle in April.  We're so excited to get back to civilization, coming from DC previously that I can't stop jumping up and down on the inside! lol  But I read that cold weather can worsen spacticity symptoms.  Is there anyone else that finds this true?

Thanks for listening, sorry so long.  I just felt like sharing today :)


-Mayperl

[Sumanadevii]

Exercise tends to make it worse for me but I don't think I can afford to not do them.  The choice I would have is to stay totally wheelchair bound and isn't one I would care to face.  Even with exercise I spend most of my day in one.  Stopping my program will just make what MS hasn't taken worse.  I try to divide my program into three parts.  I do chair exercises early in the day.  I ride my recumbent bike for fifteen minutes later in the day.  I try walking thirty or forty feet with someone following me with a wheelchair should my legs give out. I try to do this about three times per day.  It isn't much but is what I can do.

I think the key is finding what you are able to do without bringing on so much fatigue that your day is shot.

[Lulu54]

Mayperl, it sure is good to see you pop up here.  That is interesting about the deep muscle spasticity and I'm glad the muscle relaxers work for you.  Spasticity of the hip flexors is very common and that may be what gets the workout when you walk the dog, but that is just my guess.

As for the weather, you will breathe a deep sigh of relief when you get to that cooler climate of the pacific northwest.  Seattle rarely gets extremely cold - Quix swears we should all come out there and live in that area, that it is the perfect climate for MSers.

Glad you decided to share today - I am  excitedfor your improved health and relocation possiblities.
Lulu

[mayperl]

Hi Lu! :)

I'm hoping someone can comment on whether exercise tends to make the symptom worsen or if I just need to keep at it.

Hurray for Seattle!  I can't wait :)  If anyone can recommend some MS docs out that way, I'll be in the market to select one in a few months.

Thanks,
Mayperl

[Sumanadevii]

Exercise tends to make it worse for me but I don't think I can afford to not do them.  The choice I would have is to stay totally wheelchair bound and isn't one I would care to face.  Even with exercise I spend most of my day in one.  Stopping my program will just make what MS hasn't taken worse.  I try to divide my program into three parts.  I do chair exercises early in the day.  I ride my recumbent bike for fifteen minutes later in the day.  I try walking thirty or forty feet with someone following me with a wheelchair should my legs give out. I try to do this about three times per day.  It isn't much but is what I can do.

I think the key is finding what you are able to do without bringing on so much fatigue that your day is shot.

[mayperl]

thanks for your response, Su.  Your last sentence is what's sticking with me right now as I just woke up from a nap after packing one measly box.  My butt / hip muscles are too sore to stand for very long today and my meds knocked me out for 3 hours.

I'll definitely try to take exercise in smaller doses next time.  The hard part is understanding how much can I do without overdoing it?  Finding that fine line will be a challenge, but thank you for your advise :)