I was recently dx with MS after a ct scan and mri. I'm scheduled for a lumbar puncture that will show where there are flare ups and to check for other diseases like meningitis etc. My symptoms previous to the dx were the same, but worse. I have constant surges all throughout my body.I have no relief. It was so bad at one point that i swelled like a balloon and had to go on prednisone to relieve swelling. The surging never ceases and I have a severe case of exhaustion so much so that when i fall asleep i can't get out of it. This just started recently. I feel like i'm being drawn by a surge into a sleep and find it difficult to wake up.It is very uncomfortable to try and explain that you feel electrocuted or have power surges, but when you think of MS it makes sense as it is a demylenation of the nerve sheaths exposing the nerves much like a frayed wire cord, which with every flare up is damaging that area. It is progressive damage. If it attacks an area a second time and so on it is continuing to do damage. Antibodies turn and attack your bodies cells, but they have meds that trick the antibodies into believing the meds are the bodies cells to steer them away. Look into a possible dx of MS. good luck!
HELLO,
I CAN RELATE TO THOSE ZAPS.
I ALSO STARTED GETTING THEM. JUST A COUPLE
OF WEEKS AGO. THEY COME AND GO FOR ME.
MY GP TOLD ME IT HAS TO DO WITH MY MS.
I WAS DX IN MAY 2007. I HOPE YOU FEEL
BETTER AND IF U GET ANY INFO. LET US NO.
I WOULD LIKE TO NO MORE ABOUT ALSO.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
KITT
I have ms and have the zaps that are very strange, feels like and electric pulse. I have not told my doctor , he will just look at me weird I am sure. But they are real I think it has something to do with the nerves getting overloaded somehow because ms effect on the nervous system it makes sense that you could have weird sensations. The body is electrical anything interfering in the wiring can cause problems. This is my theory of course.
Hi David,
My mom has painful zaps in her head too to the point where she cannot move they are so painful. They run thoughout her body and she will get a burning sensation. She has been to numerous doctors and all they say is that she has migrains and they give her a new pill. About 17 years ago she was diagnosed with MS but they are not sure if these zaps are related to the MS. She has had CT's and MRI's but everything was ok. She is on medication for seizures, sometimes it works and sometimes it dosent. It seems like sleeping more is helping. Before she could only sleep 2 hours a night, now she is taking a sleeping pill and it is helping. I hope this is helpful. If you find any different information please let me know!
Hi David,
We've not talked, so hello! I'm so sorry for those sensations you are having. I know how you feel when you say you can't describe them. I too, had sensations for 3 months. Mine were, and here goes my jerky explanation, it felt like blood was not flowing to my head. When I got them, they lasted for seconds, and during those seconds (less than a minute usually) I would lose my speech, writing ability, etc. Prior to and after the sensations, I had general slowness that affected everything I did, particularly reactions, and thinking properly, however during the sensation, everything went t's up, if you know what I mean.
I don't know if these are 2 completely different types of sensations, as you call your a surge, and I can relate a bit. Do you have anything going on during them, and do they come and go all day, with no rhyme or reason? What are you experiencing during them and how long do they last?
Hang in there. My primary MD told me it was classic stress. Perscribed me xanax and sent me on my way, w/ MRI's order in hand. Further tests and Dr's told me it wasn't stress and I was dx'd last year w/MS. I have to say though, that something that calms you down during though does help. Even though it does not the cure for the root of the problem, it's a least a coping technique. When I got excited from varying symptoms and limitations, the sensations were off the chart and worse.
I hope this helps a bit, please keep us posted,
SL
How are you doing? Please, try and be safe especially until you get seen by your physicians.
I am not too aware of how the brain zaps feel, although I can tell you that I get some very strong sensations similar to what you are describing when I have my extremely intense migraines. I have noticed more so lately that I am getting short term forgetfulness and/or confusion with them. I used to get the pain starting in the temple(s) or behind the eye(s) which could go into an electrical and/or burning sensation. Then, it felt like my head was being filled up and then like it was going to explode or the pressure escape sort of like you describe only perhaps with a wave sensation more so now. Had this going on pretty much for at least six months. The dilaudid and phergan and antibiotics really helped me this past month. I was to the point I could hardly keep my sense of positioning as it seemed everything inside my head was either moving, pulsating, waving, or whirling with an INCESSANT noise in my ears. That trip to the ER is the first time I have felt some normalcy since before summer. I was to the point I could not keep up with things very well and I kept forgetting names, etc. I felt like I was going crazy internally and trying to smile and keep it together externally so my insides might find some point of origin to stabilize.
What you are describing sounds pretty bad. I hope it is not anything serious. Please, as the others suggested, have someone else drive you, if possible. It is not only important for your safe arrival, but sometimes the doctors will not treat you with strong IV meds or do certain tests if there is noone to drive you back home. I know it is not always possible, but perhaps you could have someone on standby to pick you up.
I would strongly suggest that you go to an ER when you are having these symptoms really pronounced if you cannot get into a doctor. There may be a good chance that they would at least do a CT on you. I would push for the MRI though as the imaging of the softer tissues is better detail. Do you get extremely sensitive to light or sound with this phenomenon? Certain headaches can cause that. I do not recall if you have any other vascular or seizure or other disorder suspected or diagnosed. Please, be extra careful around machinery or in the kitchen and on the stairs.
I hope that some others will described the sensations that they "feel" with the brain farts other than the forgetfulness, etc. Do many of you feel like your thought processes are becoming dyslexic as if it is because some parts of your brain or eye signals seem to be arriving before the others in the incorrect sequence? I suppose that this might be due to lesions or inflammation, although most of my problem appears to be in my spine.
Anymore input anyone?
Hi mam ( QUIX ) i phoned the emergency doc as it is out of hours, seemed like he did not want to listen or did not have time, quickly said it sounds like a nerve thing and to go up there first thing in morning to be checked over if i wish about 9.30 i could not really explain as he just seemed like he wanted to get away so fast and said because it is an ongoing thing nothing he could do at moment, but just to do that go up there in morning but that probably wont make much difference either
yeah maybe i have described something like brain zaps never heard of them before, i have not mentioned this before neither to my doc as i just could not explain it the feeling it is very strange.
about the confusion, yes i do tend to get confused even my wife mentioned that i just hope nothing drastic happens to me, also while im on the key what do you think in regards to the ct scan think there is any chance it may show something how likely will this be compared to the mri, also i did read in the letter it said about an injection maybe in to the arm for better imaging i take it they are talking about contrast there, did not say for definite but maybe if the neuro has requested this,
oh dear me what am i to do, i am going to go in to the doctors first thing on monday morning i think and get them to transfer me through to a private hospital, i looked in to this it has to be referred from my doc to see a neuro there i think this may be my only option, only thing is the expense, but i can go there pay for a session with the neuro there and then they give a diagnosis etc and say what must be done then the nhs has to follow this up and all relevant testing what do you think good idea, i couldnt possibly have them put me through the testing i i just could not afford this
get back to me tell me what you think and thanks again ladies
lotsa love David.
Perhaps Quix could give you a medical explanation of why we are worried. I do not have the medical background that she does, but we are both worried.
My love to you, Heather
Hi Heather, yes i am pretty worried about it all myself actually, i am in the doctors on the 9th earliest appt i could get to see the doc i have been seeing and also i just received today a letter for a ct scan from the hospital this is on the 14th, not that it probably will be any use should have been a mri scan but i will go anyways,
i have been to the emergency dept numerous times but they did not do anything for me just said best for you to wait and see the neuro as this is whom i need to see and packed me off with pain killers
dont think they have much clue they just givee me pain killers and send me away veryb frustrating, also i have tried the emergency docs but again same thing they say this is a chronic problem which they cannot deal with and go see my own docs then i see my own docs and look what happens even that bgoes wrong and is hard work too
most of the time i just get fobbed off they dont want to know and i just end up going round in circles
thankyou so much heather for your concern relly means a lot to me
what do you think about it all, if there is something you are thinking please tell me
this is all why i get so frustrated and it does scare me the whole thing even though i put on a brave face and just try to get on with it
thanks again heather luv David
You seem to be describing something that I have heard a lot of people with MS describe as Brain ZAPS. But, what you are describing sounds much more severe and I agree with Heather that you need immediate emergency evaluation. Your posts are even sounding a little confused. Please have someone take you to the Emergency. Do this, and then tomorrow, if they let you come home, tell us what is going on.
I am serious about this. Do you hear me?
Mum....uh, Quix
I know that you live in North England, but is there any way for you to get in to see a doctor right away? I am worried about you and the symptoms you describe. Didn't you say that you had a doctor that was going to order a CT scan? If so, you need to get a call into that doctor and tell him exactly what you just posted here.
You need to be followed up David and for goodness sake, if you DO go to the doctor, DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF. Clear?
If you can't get into the see the doctor you have been seeing, do you have anything over in England like a "urgent care center or emergency room." If you could get into an emergency room with the symptoms you describe, you just might get that MRI we have talked about, that I feel you need.
Please let me know what you do over there where you live, when you have an urgent medical situation. Which I think you have...
Heather