Hyper(?)reflexia.........

[twopack]

Since destruction of myelin slows or distorts nerve signals, why is a symptom of MS HYPERreflexia?  

Is this what is involved when I react over-the-top-and-out-of-proportion to an unexpected noise (especially that @#$% phone) or light?  I'm fine if the stimulus builds up over even a few seconds.  Otherwise my alarm switch gets flipped into flight/fight mode.  I reluctantly admit to tending toward the fight side these days....or at least a slap and simmer.

~Mary


I thought I posted this question last night after work but couldn't find it this morning.  I apologize if it shows up twice.

[Guitar_grrrl]

Spinal MRI lesions are hard to see.  According to my neuro, I have a spinal lesion, but it doesn't show up on MRI.  he says "imagine a kid walking through the house with a 5lb sledge hammer and pounding holes in the wall.  Mom or Dad comes up and patches the wall, but the wall is no less compromised.  The lesions we see on MRI are produced by the kid with a 20 lb sledge hammer!"  

Yes, I'm hyperreflexic in both lower and upper extremities.  I'm grateful it's not my hearing!  Twopack, good luck.

Cheers,
Guitar_grrrl

[twopack]

Nothing is ever quite so simple as what I want to make it. lol

I'm still trying to figure out what my body is doing these days.  I'm not sure I have any hyperreflexive joints or spasticity, although I am sometimes aware of tension held in muscles even when I'm not using them.

Quix said, "If the filtering mechanism is faulty the brain gets bombarded with strong signals that cannot be tolerated."  Wow, that describes it pretty well.  Is that what happens in autism?  I've heard that children with autism can be extremely sensitive to sound or touch but sometimes a normal (to us) sound will send them into a screaming reaction that is way out of proportion.

Honestly, that's what I do sometimes.  A sound surprises me in the quiet house.  Instead of just jumping and then relaxing again right away, my body retains a tension. I will sometimes scream, cuss, throw something and/or pound my fist on the wall (only for a few seconds).  I'm left wondering why my brain thinks the noise I make myself is so much better than whatever little thing set me off.  Somehow it just seems to dispell the extra 'energy' that was created by the startle a little faster than can be done in situations where I must stay 'in control'.  Sounds crazy, no?  

Oh boy, I sure put myself out there if this ends up not even being related to the MS.  But...risk not, learn not.

[mistylee]

My neuro exam showed hyper reflexia in ankles and knees. But no spinal lesion showed up on the MRI.  A silent lesion perhaps????

Mistylee

[Quixotic1]

Mary, I'm not sure I can answer that.  That brain and brainstem have a lot of inhibitory action going on between them.  All of it allows us to move calmly and precisely.  We often startle but jump very little.  However, if you would normally jump very little and there is nothing the inhibit excessive movement, then you will jump all over.

We see this in an exaggerated way with spastic kids.  A little stimulation will cause the spasticity to go into high gear and you will see them stiffen or jacknife.  Do you have any stiffness of the muscles around your hyperreflexive joints?

It can be the same with central pain, neuropathic pain and pain as is seen in fibromyalgia.  Normally a pain signal is filtered through the thalamus and what gets sent on to the brain is a small signal.  If the filtering mechanism is faulty the brain gets bombarded with strong signals that cannot be tolerated.

Quix

[twopack]

Interesting....So that's why I feel so jumpy much of the time.  It's nice to know why but I DO HATE TO FEEL SO OUT OF CONTROL.  (sorry to yell--I just get so frustrated)

Yes cali, I'm sorry you know this feeling but it is nice to know someone else appreciates that I'd gladly stop it if I could.  Anyone here who doesn't know what I'm describing but wear glasses?  It's like what happens when someone knocks into you and smashes the glasses into your nose.  Dukes up!

So Quix, when I have that strong startle to sound and/or light does it originate from the cranial nerves, or the brain, or somewhere else?  

Thanks
~Mary

[Quixotic1]

My spasticity is also in my right leg, but no where else so far.

[Quixotic1]

The tendon reflex is a nerve loop that goes from a stretch receptor in the muscle to the spinal cord and back down to to muscle.  So when the tendon is tapped the muscle stretches a little and the loop impulse swings up through the spinal cord, back down to the muscle and causes a contraction.  The brain exerts a continuous "calming" effect on this reflex so that we are not jerking all over the place.

In MS a lesion in the spinal cord often interrupts the "calming" (or inhibitory) effect from the brain, and the muscle is left to be hypersensitive to anything that stimulates it causing it to  contract all over the place like you guys describe.

This is why hyperreflexia is always a sign of a spinal cord lesion,  You can also read the Health Page on Measuring the Tendon Reflexes.  Loss of the inhibitory effect from the brain is also behind the stiffness of spasticity.

Quix

[cali1892]

Wow, I do that to.  I HYPER react to noises especially.  And I also have hyper reflexia in my r leg.  
I don't know why, but it's nice to hear of someone else who does it too.