VIRBRTING FEELING WHEN BENDING NECK FORWARD

Hi everyone,

I've been having a vibrating feeling down my spine when I bend my neck forward, I havent heard of this.  I have heard of "electrical" shocks.. but mine is different.  Could this be ms related?

I went to my PCP and she noticed that I had hyperactive reflexes on the left leg and almost none on my right. also she said I have extreme weakness in both legs but mostly on my left which suprised me becasue most the time it seems like the right leg is the one giving me more trouble.

anyway My PCP told me she is going to call my Neurologist about what she saw and also i'm due for my 3 month MRI follow-up in a couple of weeks but she wants me to have it ASAP.

My fatigue is soooooooooooo bad and let me tell ya i'm sooosooooooooooo SICK OF IT!!!
So much I want to do and I cant.  I went to work yesterday and was noticing that I was having a heck of a time walking (picking up my feet)  thank goodness Saturday is my short day and was able to come home early.
I came home and slept 7 hours straight.  I know i would of slept longer if my back pain didn't wake me up. so I got up after remembering what day it was.... lol I took my pills and off to bed again. slept 7 more hours. geeeeeeese will this ever end????

Love you all
Ray

[ohwild]

Hey Ray sorry  cant help on this one, just to let you know am thinking of you
big hugs
CJ :)

[spastic]

Hey Sweetie, I have heard of others talk about the vibrating feeling down the spine.  When I experience the vibration I notice its the muscles having spasms, sometimes I feel like my spine is snapping.  I am with your Dr on this and having your MRI repeated asap.  You need answers and a treatment plan.

Love Ya Girl,

Ada

[JonM]

It is called Lhermitte's syndorme or sign.  Its typical with MS sufferers.  Here is a link that describes it in detail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lhermitte's_sign

[RAY911]

Thank you i'm still a LITTLE CONFUSED (story of my life)  I dont really get "electrical shocks"  mine feels more like vibrating in my lower spine.  does this make any sence?  I was hoping it wasent MS related guess I was wrong.

Thank you so much for your replys

Ray

[sllowe]

Hey Ray,

The sensation varies, it may not be exact text book word-for-word.  JonM is right, it is called Lhermittes.  A Doc should verify this, if that is what it is.  

I have it, and never had shocks.  

In the meantime, avoid bending your neck forward.  I know you have to sometimes, but when you lift it straight back up, it should resolve.

Hang in there.  I know it's hard.  I had no-clue what the heck mine was.  Thought that my hard drive, something electrical had gone astray (I keep my leg up on it) and everytime I went looking for the culprit, my "buzzing" feeling got worse.  

It was only after driving home in my car when I realized it.........every time I looked down at my cell phone my tailbone would buzz.  I'd lift to look at the road and it would go away.  So, there I was, driving, looking up, looking down - buzz, no buzz, buzz, no buzz! OMG, I thought, how histerical is that - that I thought it was coming from my
computer...LOL!

All this happened prior to diagnosis.  I knew NOTHING about MS.  And, I mean nothing.  I felt scared to tell the Doctor on my 1st visit about the strange buzzing right in the middle of my keister, but I sucked it up, and did it.  He said this strange word....I said....What?  He said it again, Lhermittes, and my friend wrote it down.

I'm mentioning all of this because I came home and looked up the word quickly.  The description did NOT fit what "I" had going on.  I immediately (because I'm a pain) figured, this Doc didn't know what the heck he was talking about.   I was wrong though Ray, very wrong.  Further research describes that it varies greatly from person to person.  Mine is, and was, from a lesion in my spine.  The Doc called this even prior to the MRI of the C-spine.

Hang in there!  We'll get your through this.  Onward for you!
-SL  

[doublevision1]

My Lhermitte's presents in various forms: buzzing, tingling, electric-shock, and vibrating.  The common denominator is the trigger being the forward flexion of my neck.

Lhermitte's is highly prevalent in MS; a "classic sign" as per my GP.  It was my first MS symptom and my doc said most it was most likely MS, less likely a B12 deficiency.  I first noticed it in the car...I had forgotten that till I read Sllowe's post!  

Some UBC researchers in Vancouver wrote a paper on it in 2005 and confirmed its high correlation to demyelinating cervical spine lesions on MRI, indicative of MS.  Also, they proposed this definition:  

"A transient short-lasting sensation, felt at the back of the neck, lower back, or other parts of the body following neck movement, commonly flexion.  The sensation is usually electric-like, but can be tingling, buzzing, or otherwise.  It propagates rapidly and disappears on resuming normal posture."  

I agree it's a good idea to have your MRI done sooner rather than later.  Make sure they do c-spine and not just head; in fact, t-spine as well.  The c-spine is important in light of the symptom you describe which sure sounds like Lhermitte's.

Keep us posted.

db

[Sue31961]

Have they done an MRI of your spine yet?  You probably have a lesion on your spinal cord.

I have this too and it's very frustrating (in more ways than one).  I don't just get it transiently.  Mine can stay for hours or days!!  I can't stand it!!  Mine is like a tickling sensation from my neck down my spine.

I hope you get some answers soon.

[debral09]

Hope it helps you to know that you are not alone!  This forum has been great and everyone cares for each other!  I too have this same sensation and it is annoying but what can we do?  Let's all just walk around with our heads held high and don't ever look down!!!!!!:)

Hope you get all the answers that you are looking for!  

Be well!
Debra

[doublevision1]

If it is very bothersome it may respond well to Neurontin or a similar medication.  I rtake Neurontin for nerve pain in my arm and have noticed my Lhermitte's is much less noticeable lately.

db

[Jason732]

I had a lesion in C3-C4 and it was the root cause of my symptoms, including the Lhermittes sign. Although the lesion has pretty much cleared up at this point, I sometimes still feel it. When I put my chin to my chest, it feels like there's a vibrating or resonating feeling in my torso etc. My neurologist let me know that it was something I'll probably have to deal with for the rest of my life, depending on the severity of the demyelination of the nerves in the area of the lesion. I know it can be creepy sometimes, but if yours progresses like mine, with treatment you'll start to feel it less and less. It's been just over 2 months since I had my last IV therapy of Solumedrol and I still feel it (and other symptoms) from time to time. I don't know what your treatment regimen is, but don't let it get you down and keep your doctor up to speed if anything changes about it.

Hang in there!
Jason

[IUMOM2]

Ray,

I have the buzzing in my spine too. I am not dx'd yet though.

Several years ago, at night when I was trying to sleep, my neck kept buzzing. It was strange. It was buzz for a few seconds, then stop, then start up again. I started on Neurontin and it seemed to help.

It sounds like your PCP is taking you seriously. Hopefully, you will get answers soon.

[ReiIshida]

Wow thats scary; i sure hope everything works out.