What do you do when . . .

Hi all. I haven't been here in a very long time but have had another bout of that leg weakness with the spring flu. What do you do when you can't stand for longer than a few minutes without shaking? Since this is the third time it's happened in two years, I figured I'd better find out before it happens again. That way, I won't be caught unprepared next time.

[supermum_ms]

Good Morning,

Ummm i think it sort of depends on what you mean by 'shaking'. Are you talking about your 'entire self' shaking/tremoring or is it only the leg(s)? If its your entire self, it could be related to the bug, or because of the bug eg blood sugar levels being low, anemia, low Vit B12 etc etc  

If its just the leg(s) are the muscles in your leg(s) visibly spasming or is it more a feeling?

I think with out knowing the why factor, it sort of becomes a 'how long is a piece of string' type question. Personally, for years i just thought i had a wonkie immune system, bugs and infections simply affecting me harder than usual. I'd rest more, eat a higher vit diet and adjust my exercises etc but then i started feeling 'shaky' even when i didn't have a bug or getting over a bug so the wonkie immune system didn't make much sense.

Hypoglycemia then got blamed but after 3+ years and everything just kept getting worse and I was religiously following medical advice and still no reading of low blood sugars or anything else low for hypoglycemia to fit lol. But I then had my big bang so it became obvious the issue was neurological and i couldn't eat and exercise my way to better health.

So what you do, does kind of depend on the why factor, it's never going to hurt to assume during and after getting a bug, that you'll need to eat, sleep and exercise better. If your leg(s) muscles are visibly spasming like my leg does, well i ignore it cause i sort of have too and i can't do anything to prevent it from spasming, it just is.

Sorry i realise i probably haven't really helped but some causes you can do something and others, its more acceptance or drugs to reduce the spasms.

Cheers............JJ

[jensequitur]

I have leg weakness, and unfortunately it hasn't resolved.  One of my very first symptoms was complete numbness and weakness in my right leg.  It got better, and then worse, and then better, and then a little worse, and better, and then a little worse... etc.  Today I have a lot of weakness in my right leg, and spasticity in the hip flexor muscle.  The muscles are weak in just the right way so that if I step wrong, my leg will buckle.  Very annoying!  That's when I'm feeling good.  When I'm not doing so well, my right leg is practically useless.

So I went through some physical therapy, which helped me learn how to walk without my leg buckling.  This has actually been very helpful.  I can walk more normally now, even though my leg is still weak.  

Like you, whenever I'm sick, I have problems with it.  I would invest in a cane for when you're feeling weak, just in case.  I have one that gets pulled out when needed.  Also, plan on some recovery time past the recovery from the flu.  I usually have a two-three day mini flare after I get better from a virus.  Most importantly, think about a vaccine (injection, not the live virus) for the flu and pneumonia.  You can't afford to get so sick.

The worst thing ever is to have urinary incontinence and be sick to your stomach!  

[jumpinjiminy]

Yes, it was just legs. It started with a tightening in the lower legs that overnight crept up covering the thighs and part of the pelvis. The weakness and shaking sort of came along with that whenever I stood up the second day, and started going away the third.

[jumpinjiminy]

Jen! ROTFL! That does sound awful! Had a perfectly normal friend that had the vomiting flu and the diarrhea flu at the same time. She called me crying, "What do I do with this?" lol She was childless and didn't know. Poor thing.

I had the flu vaccine in October after catching it in September. I'm working on the diet thing as best as can be managed right now, and hopefully will be quite resistant next flu season. The whole household came down with it.

Does a cane help when both legs feel like collapsing? Is it worth going there for a few days to two weeks of this per year?

[supermum_ms]

I just googled flu and calf tightness and apparently it can be a sx of the flu because it can affect connective tissue etc lol i never knew this.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5655442_flu-related-calf-muscle-pain.html

I'm thinking if it doesn't ever happen unless you've got the flu then it could be what additionally happen's on top of all the usual flu sx, when 'you' get the flu. I dont know if you've talked this over with your dr, but i think its something you should do, if you haven't done so.

Cheers...........JJ  

[jumpinjiminy]

Thanks for the info. I never knew that about the flu. I did talk to the neuro and they aren't really focused on the practical day-to-day experience of living with something like this. They're focused on whether or not to treat it and what to call it. The PT never called back. Thought maybe someone here would have some ideas. I'm getting the impression there isn't much you can do about it, except do everything just a few minutes at a time, or pretend to be super lazy and don't do anything. Is it okay to exercise during that time? Does that help? Or does it make things worse? Does it bring the use back faster? That sort of thing.

[sllowe]

Well Jumpin Jimminy look who it is!

Nice to see you. Does the shakey (shaky) feel like your legs won't hold you? That's what happens to me. All I do is get my legs up.
And, I and completely avoid standing still - that makes it so much worse for me. When they are mild trembly/shakey, walking does help me.

[jumpinjiminy]

Thank you! Good to see you, too. :-) It does feel like they won't hold me up. And it was definitely worse standing still. Walking was still shaky, and one flight up the stairs fatiguing. I tried doing my PT exercises thinking that might help and it was a few hours or more (ended up napping!) to recover after that, maybe even into the next day. It's mostly over now, thank goodness. Just a little more easily fatigued, twitching, wiggly toes and some lingering tightness that's coming and going.

It was scary. I could feel it creeping up through my legs in the middle of the night as it usually stops just above the knee. This time it crept up into the pelvic area. Now the tightness is all through the legs, whereas before it just stayed lower.

Makes me a little worried for the next time it happens. Hopefully, it doesn't happen again. Still limbo,dx migraines, and now depression. It's all taking its toll. On the verge of giving up looking for an explanation and treatment. Mostly just in need of practical advice when these things pop up here and there. Thanks for the help.

[jensequitur]

I doubt that the flu is causing leg weakness that wasn't there before!  It's simply a pseudo-relapse, or a small real one.  No need to make it complicated.

Yes, a cane helps with both legs, but mostly to keep your balance in case something goes off.  I use it to help me get up, and lean on it if my legs feel like they won't hold me up.  Problem is, your arms get tired of doing all the extra work.

My recipe for that sort of problem is just sleep.  Plenty of rest, and you should feel more normal.