Leg pain: oh boy, ouchie ouch!

[supermum_ms]

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I really cant see how this has happened but today, from the moment i first climbed out of bed this morning, my right leg has been killing me when ever my leg is even just slightly bent. Not sure i can explain just how weird this is, its literally a straight line of pain. Its not even obviously the thigh muscle but if it is, its just one part of it and its the outer edge, it even hurts just to touch it. I dont get it but it reminds me of what my arm felt like the first time i pulled the muscle off the bone. Again that pain seemed to be in a straight line and hurt with just the slightest usage, and my leg is doing the same thing. The only difference is that when i did my arm, there was a cause and the resulting effect, i just can't think of doing anything that would explain why my leg is hurting so bad.

Getting out or into a chair is bl@@dy painful, over the top pain. Another thing, is that instead of it getting better as the day has gone on, like you'd expect if i'd somehow corked the muscle or slept like a pretzzle or something. Its actually hasn't eased up at all but just got worse and worse as the days gone on, and to top it off my left legs now starting to hurt because i'm trying to get it to do all the work, and thats my bad leg.

Any ideas on whats going on?

Cheers......JJ

[supermum_ms]

Morning,

Bugger its now day 2 of this, i had high hopes it was a one off but apparently not.

The pain is not the knee or even near, though technically all the thigh muscles help the knees in specific ways. Its actually the upper, outside edge of the thigh, i believe its called the Vastus Lateralus (see chart below)

http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/anatomy/human-muscles/knee-joint/vastus-lateralis

Apparently we utalise this muscle when we climb stairs or cycle, i've not done either and i haven't done anything that would account for pulling or straining any of my thigh muscles, which is the conundrum here. All I have done is walk like a string puppet, and i've been doing that for a few years now so why now specifically, i really dont know.

The muscle wastage is visual and not by true actual measurements, lol i really dont want to know know, lets just say its becoming obvious. I'm a small person and have always had very low body fat (its genetic), I have a fast matabalism and easily burn off the calories I consume. Its just the way i've always been but it changed in 09, basically the more things have progressed the more problematic its become to keep my weight stable. How fast i burn the callories is just one aspect, my motor nerve system is negatively affected too.

The more i work out or do repitition, the less muscle tone and control i have, I get physically weaker, the tremor becomes more prominant and my balance, walking and talking really start sliding down hill, can't ignore it or i dont function. In my head, what happens is still the exact opposite to what i expect, and even though i'm still basically doing the same strength and toning exercises, stretching etc that i have for a decade or more, the result are just not the same at all.

I would like to blame the wastage on lack of activity but I just cant and even if i could get away with that one, it still wouldn't explain why usage actually makes muscle strength weaker or why 'all' my muscle issues started on one side of my body, before it started happening on the other side. I have been loosing functional mobility in my leg(s) for a long time, I can't see how anything is going to stop it, pain pain isn't a normal problem with my leg(s), this is very new.

The problem with taking pain meds (eg Gabapentin) for 'sparodic' pain issues even if it was spasticity, is that they commonly weakens the leg muscles and further effect mobility, its a precarious balance to get the does right with out weakening muscles and i do need all the strength i've got more than i need pain relief. "Some anti-spasticity drugs can cause the muscles in the legs to weaken, reducing mobility, so it is important to get the correct dosage and find the balance between getting the right amount of pain relief whilst maintaining muscle function. "

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseaction/show/pageid/752

It doesn't matter, its just another weird in a long list of weird!

Cheers........JJ

PS what i mean by hurt to touch, if i put my hand on the side of my thigh and move the muscle with gentle pressure, i still get the ouchie ouch and the muscle isn't even working.        

[maxthecat43]

Hi JJ,

What an awful way to start the week!  You say the pain seems to be in a straight line?  There are long nerves that run in more or less straight lines down your legs.  The sciatic nerve runs all the way from the top to the bottom of your leg. There are other long long nerves that may be the culprit too.   I'm not saying that's what it is, but it really sounds like terrible nerve pain.  You don't have to have actually injured yourself to have this pain either.  As you know, people with ms have weird, painful nerve problems all the time.

I wish I had any ideas about how to stop it.  Gabapentin, in large doses helps a little, but nothing stops all of it.  If you are already taking it, and you are still in this terrible pain- I have no idea what to suggest.  When it happens to me, I just basically writhe with pain until it finally subsides.  Since yours has bee a problem for several days, you might want to call your neurologist.  Who knows, it may be the beginning of a relapse.

(((Hugs))),
Tammy

[zoefromsussex]

What's the muscle wastage thing all about? Sorry if its a silly question; do you mean from weight loss or from not being able to exercise? I assumed it was MS related as you can't recall doing anything to cause the pain. I don't really understand much about spasticity and the pains which us MS'ers get. It's all a nuisance though; I know that much! Oh if you don't like taking stuff (I'm the same!) what about Deep Heat or a hot water bottle? Even if it just takes the edge off the pain

[sllowe]

hmmmmmmm don't know, but hope it backs down.

Can you be more specific? Is it in the knee, thigh?  What kinda pain? Hurts to touch?

[supermum_ms]

Hey Zoe,

I really try to avoid taking anything unless i'm begging for relief, i figure if i can cope with TN for a week before i'm a weepy puddle, then i can deal with this too. This has totally stumped me because i haven't done anything for it too make sense, lol spasticity is a possible though i'm going to scream if it is! Crickey i already walk like a string puppet and i need my right leg, i mean 'really need' my right leg!

Grrrrr i started sliding down hill last week, but i put it down to the weather warming up over my way, though it was only 2 days lol wishful thinking maybe. I've got a bit of muscle wastage going on now, seriously can't keep my weight on, and i'm still doing all my stretching and trying to keep the strength ones going but its getting to be a joke, not sure what i'm suddenly doing wrong, if anything?

Yeah i hope it eases off too!

Cheers.........JJ

PS. I'll give heat a try and see how it goes, ta

[zoefromsussex]

Hiya JJ,

Ooh that doesn't sound like the best start to your week :-( Have you taken anything for the pain? I've had a few issues with arm pain which the MS nurse said could be caused by spasticity. I wonder if that could be the cause of your pain too. I think it's because the limb has to do more to compensate for not working properly. Would heat help? I find it helpful sometimes. Hope it eases off very soon for you. Take care, Zoe x