Can some explain Hyperreflexia?

[coco31]

Hi All,

I have felt so unwell for the past week. Seeing my neurologist tomorrow morning. I started rebif about 6 weeks ago and thought maybe I was having side effects but over the past few days I feel I have gotten much worse.

It started about a week ago. I noticed I had urinary urge along with hesitancy. Slowley my arms started to get a "tight" "ache" sensation which has not gone away but gotten worse and now spread to my legs. My lumbar spine aches and my hips are sore. My shoulders have hunched up and to grab anything or stretch feels so bizzare. I have these incredible sensations of little bubbles bursting in my muscles everywhere spontaniously.

I went to my GP 5 days ago and I had hyperreflexia in both arms and urinary symptoms. He referred me into Emergency room where I saw my neuro. My Neuro exam to him was realtivly normal and he prescribed something for urinary urge. Since then all the symtpoms above have developed. I can literally touch my knee and my leg swings up!!! same with elbows and arms.

Can anyone tell me what this is indicative of? I have lesions in cerebellar pundcles, pons and mid medulla oblongota, but I also had Cauda Equine Syndrome 3 years ago L5-S1.

Any help or advice on how to alleviate these symtpoms is appreciated.........

Sharon

[twopack]

Here's a link to a topic I started asking about hyperreflexia soon after I came here.  Dr. Quix offered some really good information (as usual) that helped me understand myself.  Maybe it will help you too Sharon.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/Hyperreflexia/show/1094942

Since November when the topic first appeared, I have learned that I do have some intermittent muscle spasticity that probably contributes to the problem.

Mary

[tonyad]

   Hey Sharon,

   Hyperreflexia is defined as overactive or overresponsive reflexes. Examples of this can include twitching or spastic tendencies, which are indicative of upper motor neuron disease as well as the lessening or loss of control ordinarily exerted by higher brain centers of lower neural pathways (disinhibition).

   The most common cause of hyperreflexia is spinal cord injury (see autonomic dysreflexia). Standard stimuli like the filling of the bladder can cause excessive responses from the nervous system, such causes are not known.

       But hyperreflexia can be developed via many other causes, including medication and stimulant side effects, electrolyte imbalance, serotonin syndrome and severe brain trauma.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreflexia

    Just wondering if that DR was using this dx a bit loosely?  Because I think that in MS the over exagerated reflexes we have are actually a bit different...but yet the same...Just not Officially named as this.

    Has anyone changed or added meds for this?  GP must have been very concerened to send you to the Emergency Room!  Then what your actual NEURO says Nope, nothing is wrong??

    Have you called your Neuro or GP back??  Seems that this needs to be Re-visited.

         I hope I am making sense.....Someone let me know if I am wrong Or if I am making sense to you....

~Tonya

[essdipity]

Hi, Sharon. I'm so sorry you're going through this. You need a different neuro, as that one is bad news.

But read up on our Health Pages in these two areas:

http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Measuring-The-Tendon-Reflexes/show/157?cid=36


http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple-Sclerosis/Muscle-Tone-And-Spasticity/show/159?cid=36


If your problem is mainly spasticity, there are meds for that, muscle relaxers. Your GP could prescribe this for you, since your neuro seems useless.

Please do start looking for a new neuro, and keep us posted about all developments.

ess

[Wobbly]

sorry I can't' help with any of this, but wanted to say hang in there and hopefully your Neuro will find out what is causing your symptoms and help you with them.

Let us know how things go..
take care
wobbly