Had surgery now exasterbation

[KJD4]

I recently had a gyn surgery about 3 weeks ago, when a week ago I started having numbness at the outside of my upper arm by my elbow.  The numbness only goes up a couple inches and its only in one arm. I have MS and was told the anaesthesia could cause an exasterbation. I had already noticed tingling and numbness in my fingers and tingling in my head symptoms I had since the beginning.  Also some tingling in my upper back, not on the same side as arm.  The thing about the arm that I'm confused about is when I pull the skin under my arm taunt, down toward the floor it causes  sharp burning electric shock pain in the numb area of the elbow/arm. The longer I pull the more intense the pain. Then when I let go the numbness is increased.  The further I move up the arm there is just pain without numbness and that pain is in both arms.  Like a spot I can push on the back of my arms. I'm waiting to see a new neurologist, since mine isn't practicing anymore.  I have a two week wait. So anyway I guess what I would like to know in this very long post. Are there nerves under my arm that can cause pain in the outer part of arm if manipulated and have any others with MS had these weird symptoms? I feel a little crazy.  Thanks to all who read this.

[Quixotic1]

Hi, there and welcome to the forum.  Your answer is easy.  When you pull on the skin of your arm to make it taut you change the pressure and maybe position of the nerve that is actually acting up on the outside.

The nerves are likely just fine in your arm.  As you know, in MS, the damage is in the central nervous system.  The problem that you are having in your arm is likely due to a problem in the spinal cord.

The numbness you are having is from a paresthesia.  This is a faulty signal in the pathway from the arm to the brain where you actually can "sense" what the nerve is saying.  As that signal moves to the spinal cord, it got damaged by MS and is sending jibberish to the brain.  When you mess with the arm like you describe, the jibberish changes a little.

I recommend that you read the arcticle we have in the Health Pages called "Paresthesias - Things that Go Buzz in the Night"

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Paresthesias---Things-That-Go-BUZZ-in-the-Night/show/378?cid=36

That might help explain how the attacks on the myelin cause such weird sensations.

And, you're right.  We often hear about exacerbations after surgery.

Hope this helps.

Quix

[slightlybroken]

I noticed your post going to the bottom of the page so I'll bump it so it can get answered

I hope you feel better :)