Was This The Uhthoff's Phenomenon Or Something Else?

I haven't been feeling well, but I decided to go out last night to support some friends of ours. They are in a band and it was a big night for them. They were up against 3 other bands and whoever got the most votes last night, would play at X-fest. Some friends of ours rented a bus so we could all ride together.

My husband and I got there after 7:30pm and we started to mingle amongst our friends. I found a nice place to sit, but it was right in the sun. I started feeling overheated and I told my husband I needed to find some shade because I wasn't feeling right. He popped open the back of our Escape and I sat down.

Some friends of ours would come up to us and chat, but I still wasn't getting any relief. Then my vision started to go fuzzy. It was like looking at a TV station that wasn't coming in very well. I could focus on anything. I wasn't thinking straight either. I really couldn't think of what to do. I started to panic as my vision started to go. I felt like I was going to faint. My husband ordered me in the car and turned on the air conditioner full blast. I was sweating like crazy, but I was cold and clammy. I went pale, which is saying something, since I'm fair skinned anyways.

As soon as I cooled down (5 min. or so) my vision cleared, my thoughts cleared, and I felt normal. I stepped back out of the car and tried to shake it off. It scared me.

By 8:30pm the bus arrived. We all piled in. We were all laughing and having a good time, until I started to get overheated again. My husband tried to open the window up, but it was broke. By the time we were half way there my vision was almost gone again. I wasn't sure if I could stand, or walk. I felt disoriented, but I was completely lucid. By the time we got to the bar, I whispered to my husband to please..don't take me to the hospital, I just need to cool down.

We got off the bus. My husband helped me without letting the crowd know their was a problem. I sat down on a concrete block and I didn't know what to do. I just kept telling my husband, if I don't get cooled down I'm going to faint. What should I do? My husband grabbed me up and said we should go inside because it was air conditioned...Like I said I couldn't think. When we hit the door my vision became dim. We had to show our IDs and I reached for my wallet. I had placed my ID in a change purse rather than bringing my whole purse. I opened the wallet, but couldn't see the ID lying inside. My husband pulled it out and showed it to the staff.

I sat at the bar and drank bottled water. Slowly, like before, my vision came back, my thought process came back, and I felt normal. Once I cooled down I was OK. My husband said that my walking was worse and my movements, too, during the episodes. I could think, walk, and I really thought at several points I was going to faint.

Would this be Uhthoff's Phenomenon or something else? Can it make you feel like your going to faint? I don't know if I was going to faint or not, but when you have your eyes open and you can't see, it freaks you out. My mother wants me to report this to my neuro and my GP. Any insight would be appreciated.

[Quixotic1]

Yep, that is the perfect description of Uhthoff's.  The original description by Dr. Uhthoff was limited to the vision dimming when overheated and has since come to be used for the reappearance of any symptom.

This must be reported immediately to your neuro.  You MUST avoid all potentially hot situations, my dear.  Order a cooling vest and hat, always have iced beverages with you.  The faintness is worrisome and makes me worry about a autonomic nervous system involvement in what I believe is your MS.

If nothing else, copy your post and fax it to your doctor.  Is there any way you were dehyhrated?  Were you drinking alcohol?  Try to remember all of the conditions and AVOID them!!!!

BTW - this should have landed you in the ER.  Tell hubby, next time you are like this, YOU MUST GO TO THE ER!!  Let me see,...is there any way I can say this more clearly?

Freaked out?   Yeah...sight is not over-rated.

Actuallyfrightened (for you,

Quix.

[lovemy6monkeys]

I get the same way, to a much lesser degree. My neuro actually saw me when I was having Uhthoff's and it was at that appointment he said I have MS. I have not been at the point of seriously feeling like I was going to faint (I have been very light headed and woozy). I will get "twitchy", my limbs feel like they are moving in a jerky manor...I like the Frankenstein description Quix gave in another thread.

My husband has been very worried about how I will do in the summer heat and he went and bought me a spray bottle mister with a battery operated fan. It was pretty cheap, only about $10 or so, and it has been a great help so far. That and my camping chair that has a sun shade.

I would say call your neuro first thing monday morning. I hope you are feeling better today!

How did your friends band do?
~Jess

[slightlybroken]

Jess- My friends band did great. They had a pretty big crowd as well. We'll find out Monday if they made it to X-fest. I'll call Monday, but I'm not sure what they will do.

Quix- I know, I know, I should have went to the ER..I'm stubborn when it comes to going. I thought that as long as I started to feel better, than I was OK, which I did once I cooled off. I'm not sure anymore what warrants an ER visit anymore when it comes to my neuro symptoms.

I did have some lingering symptoms after the second overheating exposure. It only lasted for 1/2 hour or so. My left eye felt like it was on fire and was achy. My left side of my face was having some pain as well around the cheek area. I stayed inside and drank cold bottled water until the symptoms went away. My eye has been having the same issue for weeks because I've been running low grade fevers off and on and I can always tell when I have one when the pain in my eye is present.

I could have been a little dehydrated that day. I think I was sweating all my fluids out that day. I drank several bottles of cold water, but didn't use the bathroom once. I guess I should have been more cautious. It was a lack of judgement on my part.

[Quixotic1]

Hmmm, the fevers are concerning.  Remember that one of the most common reasons for a relapse is a hidden infection and the most common one is a UTI.  MS does not cause fevers.

You may have had several factors actor in concert.

Get a UA and maybe a CBC for me, okay?

Quix

[tjj3761]

Hi,

Quix is right....  This is exactly Uthoff's phenomenon.  I get this all the time.  It can be very alarming especially if you are by yourself.  

I too am going to look into getting the cooling vest etc.  Please be careful and always keep your phone nearby if you are alone.

HUGS....

terri

[slightlybroken]

Quix- I had a CBC last weekend and they did check my urine when I went into the ER. Everything came back fine. This issue is an ovarian cyst that is growing on my last remaining ovary. My doctors and I decided that since I just had a cyst removed in April, and I've managed to grow another, and I'm symptomatic with this one, I will have the cyst and ovary removed July 6th. They will put me on HRTs before I leave the hospital. I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do, but my doctors think my ovary will keep producing these large cyst if I don't remove it.

Terri- It was very alarming and I couldn't imagine what would have happened if I was by myself. I couldn't think straight, and I was panicking and I did know in my head I needed to get cooled off, but I couldn't think of how. I was so glad my husband was there.

[Eyesnlegs]

I also have had these sx follow me for a long time now, when it is at it's peak it can take a long time to go and makes me feel very faint and as you describe. My sight is usually the first to go!  My neuro team are starting to think by ANS is involved too since my circulation also has problems and recently I have had other issues too.

In fact, I have these sx so often that we see them as 'normal' for me if I overheat and being cold and clammy whilst sweating profusley is part of life when the weather or the room I am in warms up. My MS nurse believes that the latter is damage to my 'thermostat' - I am sure Quix knows which part of the brain that is :)

Let the medics know as Quix says, you are not alone, although it can be very frightening

Pat x

[slightlybroken]

Pat- It makes you think twice about going outside in the sun. I've had problems with feeling fatigued in the heat, but never anything like this. I hope this symptom isn't the type that reoccurs often, but I've noticed once I develop a new symptom, it will reoccur. I know that the whole entire time that it was occuring, I was consentrating on my breathing. I wanted to make sure that it wasn't too slow or too fast. I was scared that I was going to drop.

I called the doctor today. I'm not sure what they will do, but I did report what happened.