extreme leg weakness, partial paralysis

I am a 50 year old male.  I was diagnosed with severe spine osteoporosis in August 2006.  My T scores of the lumbar spine were 3.27, 3.55, 4.56, 3.66,3.71.  I went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and they could not find a reason for the osteoporosis and put me on Forteo.  At the same time of the diagnosis of osteoporosis, I began having difficulty lifting my legs when in a supine position and my legs would feel "numb", and sometimes like pins and needles when I would try to swim.  The doctors did mri of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines.  The results were degenerative disc disease at multi levels, but no foraminal stenosis.  The leg weakness has worsened and now it is to the point of limiting all walking to only about 50 yards.  Even walking through a store brings on leg numbness, first in my left leg, then the right.  The numbness is concentrated in my thighs and bottom of my feet.    Now, when sitting in a chair, I cannot lift my legs at all and if someone holds up my legs for me and then lets go, I try to keep them up, but the leg has tremors and falls to the ground.   My legs feel like I am wearing ankle weights and it is very difficult to go up steps.  I have had three EMG's since March, all of which are normal.  I am on no medications for this, as the doctors have not diagnosed anything.  I did have a brain mri in March and there was demyelinating process, white matter disease, gliosis, T2 hyperintensities, and cerebral atrophy.  I also have memory loss, short and long term.  Do these symptoms fit a picture of MS?  One neurologist said to have MS my calves would have to be weak, not just my thighs and feet.  However, I am concerned that this extreme leg weakness is worsening.  Could this be MS?   Thank You.

[karzme]

Sounds like you have been going through alot lately. Sorry to hear about that. Waiting for answers from drs sure gets frustrating. It does sound like it could be MS. With pins/needles feeling. Weakness in legs. Sounds like you had some lessions on your MRI?  Have you asked to see if the problems with your spine, could be causing the weakness?/ Did you pinch a nerve or something? Just a thought.

Do you have sensitivity to heat? Memory problems? Balance issues as far as walking into walls, or can't walk straight? These are signs of MS. Do you have any vision probs? Double vision or anything else? Also signs of MS?            Karina

[Quixotic1]

Hi, welcome to the forum, but I'm sorry you come with such problems.  First off the neurologist that stated you needed to have weakness in a specific location to have MS sounds like a total dufus.  Was this guy at the Mayo?  The constant about MS is it's variability.  It can strike anywhere in the CNS (central nervous system) hitting areas and skipping others.

Your MRI, combined with the weakness, normal EMG's, paresthesias, cognitive problems, sound just about diagnostic of MS or something like it.  You need to get yourself to an MS Center, for a proper work up and diagnosis.  Along with the EMG's did they do nerve conduction studies?  You do not appear currently to be in the hands of a neuro capable of seeing the whole picture.  Your later onset, gender and the progressiveness of the disease make it harder to diagnose, but I would be concerned for Primary Progressive MS.  Have you had any periods of "remission" or improvement?

Answer what you can, but please look for an MS Clinic at a large teaching or research center.  If this a progressive type you would want to have access to study trials looking for effective meds.  For you I would recommend looking at the Consortium of MS Centers for a member clinic.  They are more likely to be on the outting edge of diagnosis and treatment.  Here is a link:

http://www.mscare.org/cmsc/index.php?option=com_center_directory&Itemid=528

Stay with us and ask all the questions you need to.  I am a physician, NOT a neurologist, with MS and I continually do a great amount of reading and some teaching here on the forum.  We can help supoort you in just about any way you need.  We also have other men, though, as you might know, women are twice as likely to develop MS in the younger years.  Over about 40 the ratio is about equal.

Quix

The osteoporosis is also concerning and is not a part of MS.  I assume the docs at the Mayo looked at the diferent causes of bone loss such as hyperparathyroidism, celiac disease, etc.  

[EL18]

Hi monotreme.  Thought I would say hello and welcome you to the forum too.

I'm here as I've been having a number of symptoms for many months, some come and go, others just won't budge!  

The reason I 'm posting you is that my symptons started with total numbness in the left leg..this now comes and goes. Like you I can't lift my leg and it too shakes badly when my husband lifts it or doing a physical exam.  I'm currently waiting to see an MS Specialist. I agree with Quix, I've learnt the hard way that some Dr's are just so blind and unwilling to take the time to discuss and explains things...very dismissive.

Stay with us here though as you will get some support.

Take care  

[monotreme]

Thank you so much for your supportive responses to my post.  I feel better knowing I have some help here.  My wife is a registered nurse and she has gone with me to many doctors: four neurosurgeons to see if my leg weakness is coming from my spine disease (they all said "no"), three family practice doctors, two of which said my case is too complicated and they didn't want it, and one who said if I took an anti-depressant my legs would work again, and two neurologists, one at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles (we live in the East), who claims to be a MS specialist and researcher.  he won't do any nerve tests until I have a sacral mri to rule out nerve compression.  My wife said that he could run all the different tests at the same time to speed up a diagnosis but he refused.  Back at Mayo in the Fall of 2006, they told us to wait till I get worse and the diagnosis will be easier.  So my wife got so upset with the Cedars Sinai neuro, that she made an appt at the Cleveland Clinic MS center and we fly there on Aug 29.  However, even the neurologist told my wife she should not need Cleveland Clinic if we have him on the case but he has just watched me get worse.  I am afraid the doctors at Cleveland Clinic will mock me and tell me to get worse or tell me I should not be there because I have strong calves so thank you for making me feel like I am not crazy.
To answer the question of balance, I do not have balance problems, but I have alot of trouble picking my feet up to walk.  I shuffle, and in no way could run to save my life, since my feet just don't want to "go".    My wife feels so helpless as a nurse and to have to argue with physicians to run diagnostic tests.  There was even a bone doctor who evaluated ny osteoporosis and called my wife and told her that she should know that the beauty of medicine is that as I get worse the doctors will come up with a diagnosis.  However, I am afraid I will be in a wheelchair by then.  So I guess you all think I should keep the Cleveland Clinic MS appt my wife made for me three months ago?  Thank you from monotreme!!

[monotreme]

Hi.  To answer your question about relapses and remissions, I have good days where my legs are not so heavy or maybe one day a month where I can walk for a block or two and not have pins and needles in my thighs, but there are never good months, just good days here and there.
I was checked for hyperparathyroidism, but not celiac disease.   I do have irritable bowel syndrome and low testosterone, but the Mayo doctors said the low tes is not low enough to cause so much osteoporosis.  Thanks for all of your help Quix.

[karzme]

Definitely keep the apt your wife made. Sounds like you got a good allie in her. Maybe this dr will actually give you some answers, instead of ignoring your questions. I don't see how those drs can still practice. I can't believe they are telling you to get worse, before they will try to help you. What if it was them or somneone in their family? Would they say the same thing?

Just because they aren't as knowledgeable as other drs on your symptoms, is NO excuse to tell you to wait til you get worse. If you wait til you get worse, the damage could be permanent. You might not be able to recover from it. I find it very sad that they are saying this to you. No one wants to get worse. Heck no one wants to be sick, but it's part of life.    Karina

[T-lynn]

The MS facility at the cleveland clinic is awesome!!!!

If you don't mind which DR will you be seeing.

There staff is very kind and curtious and the DRs are very caring and concerning about ones well being.

If your out of town,please let them know so any test can be scheduled that day.

I live 2.5 hours from the clinic,they are my primary Drs and my local Neuro follows up with them,which works out great for me.

Welcome.

[monotreme]

Thanks T-Lynn for your encouraging words about the Cleveland CLinic.  Would they actually try to schedule tests if I haven't seen any doctor yet?  Or should I ask if a test could be done the next day?  I have six children so traveling there (plane ride) gets complicated when trying to make plans for someone to watch our kids.  My appointment is with a woman physician but i don't remember her name.