New symptom last night-scary!!

[Inny2009]

I have alot of symptoms...but what happened last night was really scary and weird. Id like to know if anyone has ever dealt with this before. I did alot of house work yesterday during the day, ran after my one year old and am now in charge of taking care of a 6 week old kitten ..needless to say i was stressed and probably did more than i should have. It got around 9 pm and my sister in law and i drove to the gas station and came back. Nothing remotely happened and it was quite a boring normal 5 minute trip. We came home and i started getting an irritated feeling on the back of my right leg calf. I checked my leg but nothing was there.

Then it started burning. And the burning sensation spread throughout my whole calf and then my leg. Then burning got worse and worse. It felt like my leg was covered in a 2nd degree burn..and it was seeping into the muscle. I started panicking because my brain kept telling me i needed to get rid of what was burning my leg but there was nothing there! I ended up calling a good friend of mine who told me to wrap it in cool wet towels and prop it up and take an anti inflammatory. So i did. It did help enough to not make me so panicky..it just ached.

I went to bed and then i knew i must of over did it because my right leg started spasming real bad (its normally my left one that gives me the most trouble) and then went completely numb after awhile. My leg is fine today but is weak. I have made sure not to over exert myself today. I just got really scared last night with the burning!

Does anyone know any other tips to take if this happens again? Why this new symptom all of a sudden? Is this even a symptom or perhaps something else? Thanks!

Inny

[Inny2009]

thanks guys for your concern. I completely agree that all things should definitely be ruled out and alot of problems probably go to the wayside when someone thinks..oh its just MS

It was just a symptom as it is gone now thanks to some rest and cool compresses and an anti inflammatory. There was no swelling to my leg, or redness or any seepage or anything else other than the burning sensation.

But that is definitely always good to bring up to everyone to always keep your eyes out and dont assume it is just a regular symptom. Always be on the alert for anything unusual to your body and make sure it isnt something else!!

Thanks

inny

[Lulu54]

JemmAus made the point I was going to bring up - don't assume it is MS.  Be on the lookout for signs of DVT - deep vein thrombosis - and make sure it is not something more serious than paresthesis.  

I know your experience in the ER was dreadful, but if this continues please been seen by someone medical, just to be safe.  Plus you want this documented for your records.

be well,
Lulu

[JemmAus]

can I just say I am always concerned that we may run the risk of thinking something MUST be MS, when sometimes it isn't. We also run the risk of being dismissed by Drs who presume whatever we are presenting with must just be MS.

I think one has to be careful with bad calf pain, in particular if it begins to swell, as that can be a clot. Not meaning to scare anyone, but my cousin recently had that and she ended up with a pulmonary embolism.

I hope your sore calf is 'just' MS!

Cheers.

[Inny2009]

Thank you guys so much! Im on no medication at all right now as they just decided to send me to a nuero this september for suspions of MS. Until then I just have to wait patiently and ride through these crazy symptoms

Im so glad this is a symptom..well I mean...not in my head...lol...I dont know anymore what is a symptom and what isnt and i want to make sure i have it all down pat. I will definitely bring this up and hopefully he will have some sort of medication for me the next time it happens.

I will try not to panick anymore, im sure as was said, it makes it worse. I guess i panicked because it was really painful and my leg looked completely normal, no redness or anything and that made me weirded out per say.

Thank you again so much for all of your comments.

Inny

[figuerpa]

I take lyrica for the burning. Talk to your doctor and he can decided what is right for you. I have a lot of pain, numbness, and tingling. I can handle those, its the burning that I can't handle.

I was on neurontin for a while but it did not agree with me. Lyrica helps but doesn't take the burn completely away but it makes it bearable.

Good Luck

Paula

[jdarie]

Paresthesia and dyesthesia usually come and go but can be life disrupting if they don't subside within a few hours (if excruciating) or a week or so (if just bothersome.)

In my 35 years, the trigeminal pain( excruciating ) to burning sensations in neck, arm, leg, etc (bothersome and increase anxiety): TN? one must seek help from the ER but they do the quick fix (pain med) the first time I went to the ER for TN pain, he thought I might have a sinus or tooth issue, he did not equate it with MS at all; my primary got there and said get out, and told the nurse to start giving me Demeral IM until I was comfortable. this was 21 years ago and I have only had had one short bout since then BUT I have been on Tegretol then Neuronten since for aching and paraesthesia.If spasms are bad, ER might give  some meds for that, (Baclofen is better then Flexeril for MS usually) they are not MS specialists and might not even give you decent instruction on when, how to use a med to help you the most. A Primary MD that knows you and your pattern of MS is a better choice for chronic disease care. if you have one. Add a neurologist , if you can. All your MD's should be approachabe, if not be assertive and tell them what you need them to HEAR. Doctor hunt until you find a good fit for you. MS is for your life and ongoing care is important.

Any wierd symptom will more then likely subside with rest. "over excerting" might bring them on but sometimes they come anyway. Don't paic tho' it makes it worse.

On NMSS.org there are list of meds used in MS and under FOR PROFESSIONALS at the top there are articles on medication use (one written by an RN is very god).

Hang in there and sometimes just a short rest or two during the day (power nap) helps a lot!

I use cold for the burning, heat for the aching and I am on anticonvulsant Neurontin, Baclofen up the 3 three times daily , if I need. Antidepressant like Effexor XR helps the brain to reprogran and ignore some of the MS stuff, plus mood adjustment to help cope. Meds , activity, gentleness on yourself. Information is good from a good reliable source.
Again NMSS.org

Jan

[VictoriaDouglas83]

I take neurontin and cymbalta for this pain.  Most of the time it does take the edge off, but lately it has been getting worse.  I think I need to talk to my PCP about upping my doses.

It took about 2 weeks for the neurontin and cybalta to start working efficiently.  Before that I would be sitting up at night, or even during the day time just crying because of this pain/annoying tingle.  I described it as getting a tattoo all over my legs and arms.  It's painful, usually I can ignore it somewhat, but not lately.

Good luck again!  And I would ask your doctor about neurontin and maybe cymbalta.  It helps most of the time!

Victoria

[jensequitur]

Hmm... what's a good drug for paresthesia...  Neurontin, right?  Or Lyrica - it's supposed to help with neuropathic pain.

I would talk to your neuro about the burning sensation - it's not anything to be scared about, but it is part of the disease progression.

[rendean]

Hi,

I have a parathesia that causes my right calf to feel as if it is burning similar to putting my calf too close to a fire or touching hot metal to it. It seems superficial and dowsn't involve the muscle.

I also have a spot on my left thigh that feels as if someone is putting ice directly on the skin and it is burning from cold. The cold spot is actually colder than the rest of my like. I know, weird but also a paraesthia.

My calves cramp when I over do it so I take a antispasmodic at bedtime. Are you on Baclofen or anything for spasms?

BTW, this is a symptom. It is a sensory symptom that can be found in MS as well as other neuropathies.
In my opinion, which isn't worth much :-), I think you over did it and the result were the symptoms you described. Have you told you doc or neuro about this? I would give them a call and let them know.

Best of luck and sending feel better wishes,
Ren

[Inny2009]

thanks victoria! Im sorry that happened. I plan on not going to the ER for a very long time after my last incident so I am trying to do what i can for what I have right here at home.

Im sorry that the doctor said that to you. Isnt funny when they insult you to your face or say something inappropriate you just look at them and nothing comes to mind of what to say..just tears. And then, when ya get home and you realize..man why didnt i say something to that?!

I hope you get better treatment in the future. Thanks for the support..i really hope this burning thing doesnt happen again!

Inny

[VictoriaDouglas83]

I know how you feel and I'm sorry I have no suggestions for you.  I went to the ER yesterday because of a very painful and stiff neck, back and head.  I also told the doctor that my left side of my body was tingly and felt like it was burning.  He said, and I quote, "there is nothing we can do for that, it must be neurological".  

Duh...a good doctor would have done a MRI or something.  But I was given rx for vicodin and flexeril.  It doesn't take it away, but makes it so I don't focus so much on it and I actually sleep a lot while taking it.

I wish you luck and if you go to the ER, do not let them just brush you off.  I wish I would have said something to the doctor when he said what he said to me.  But instead I just burst into tears.

Good luck again,
Victoria