Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum.  ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Lhermitte's sign with every movement
Answered by
Lama Chahine, MD - Neurology
Cleveland Clinic Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.

Lhermitte's sign with every movement

by Coexist, Jul 06, 2009 08:35AM
I have been diagnosed with MS.  I take Lyrica for pain. I have Lhermitte's sign on a regualar bases and was initially why I was prescribed Lyrica.  I am now getting "shocked" with almost every movement!  Even eye movement?  Is this some new symptom I need to worry about?

Thanks!
Coexist

by Lama Chahine, MD, Jul 09, 2009 06:00PM
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Lhermitte's sign is, as you may know, often related to demyelination resulting from MS in the upper spinal cord. Treatment can include lyrica and other pain medications for neuropathic pain (pain coming from nerves), such as lyrica, neurontin, or elavil. Eye movements are not typically something that would trigger Lhermitte's phenomenon; if you have eye pain when you move your eyes, inflammation of the nerve to the eye (optic neuritis) would need to be excluded. If your eye pain leeds to Lhermitte's sign, it could be because in general, with eye movement some neck movement occurs too; while Lhermitte's sign is classically brought on by neck flexion, other neck movements can bring it on too. In general, Lhermitte's sign improves with time, but in the mean time, medications like Lyrica can be helpful, sometimes more than one medication, combinations, or trials of other medications is necessary.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Member Comments (6)

by Coexist, Jul 09, 2009 06:19PM
To: Dr Chahine
Thank you so much for your answer.  I am currently taking Lyrica but trying to stop.  I am not being very successful.  I have gained about 25 pounds since I began taking it.  I was scared the answer may be optic neuritis.  I have an Eye Dr appointment in a few weeks.  

Thank you again for your answer!

Peace,
Coexist

by djm2009, Jul 09, 2009 08:04PM
To: Lama Chahine, MD
Hi Doctor and Coexist,

I hope you don't mind me posting on this subject, only it's just that my questions are related to it. I am new on this website as you've probably noticed and am fascinated that other ppl are having similar symptoms.

Ok, I have the electrical shock sensations going downwards through my body, but more often than not they travel upwards to my head.
Amongst that I have twitches, tremors, numbness, and progressive muscle weakness.

Despite the above - my main concern is: increased electrical activity (like firing neurons) in my brain and upper neck. This in the recent month has now become accompanied with a fizzing/sizzly sensation that goes up from the base of my neck.
More noticable when I slightly lean forward.

I am still patiently waiting for a neurology referral, but this seems to be getting progressively worse.

Any ideas please Doctor?

by kath223, Aug 17, 2009 02:59PM
To: neurologist
someone I know is having leg(only 1 side) numbness and this
does not occur every day. It also is now affecting his 1 arm
on the same side of body. (not every day either).He recently
failed the reflex test and is scheduled for an MRI soon.
Please give some indication what this might be. The person is
only 39 and has had reoccuring symptoms for about 3 months
now off and on.
Please help.we are very worried.

by kcrandy, Aug 17, 2009 06:45PM
To: kath223
sorry to jump in on this thread but it is impossible to get a question answered otherwise.

i have been having bouts of dizziness a feeling of leaning to the right, and on a couple of occassions i have awakened with blurred vision that lasted the whole day and then went away.  i have been feeling nauseas with moderate headaches.  i at times lose the feeling in either my left and or right hands and arms, and on accoassion in my legs ( just started recently ).  i do have degenerative discs on my 5,6,&7 of my spine.  at tmes i feel like i am about to pass out and it will last for 15 to 30 min at a time.  sometimes it feels like pressure  from my upper jaw to the top of my head.  i get the feeling of being disoriented and sometime i appear to see things that appear to be abstract.  these are the majority of the issues i am having.  if i am in the wrong forum could someone please leed me i the right direction to help me get some answers?

again i am sorry to intrude on this thread.

by kcrandy, Aug 20, 2009 05:15PM
To: all mds
can someone please respond to me
Related discussions
  • MS or ?? (4 replies):
    Ok, I have the electrical shock sensations going downwar...[more]
Continue discussion
RSS Expert Activity
What You Can Learn From Tiger Woods...
16 hrs ago by Steven Y Park, MD
When the Mexican Drug Trade Hits th...
Dec 03 by Arnold L Goldman, D.V.M.
In the ER: Coffee, anyone?
Dec 02 by Jon Geller, D.V.M.