Reading/Computer work and L'Hermitte's

[Guitar_grrrl]

I have daily paresthesias, L'Hermittes, arm and leg spasticity.  I woke up swearing and whimpering the night before last with bilateral leg spasms, R>L.  This hasn't happened since December, and I'm grateful to Baclofen for that.  Before Baclofen, it was almost a daily/nightly occurrence.  I can't read or work with my computer without getting the continual L'Hermitte's buzz.  It's not sharp or especially painful, it's a brisk, electrical, continual buzz.  The best way I can describe it is like this: it's like the electrical stimulation patches they used in physical therapy when I had shoulder injuries from sonography, or that bulging disc in L4/L5.  Turn the amplitude to the threshold where fasciculations begin in the area of patches, and back off a tiny bit.  I wonder if reading/working with this is dangerous?

[jensequitur]

That's not a bad idea - see if you can raise your monitor height so that you won't have to bend your neck.

[sllowe]

G-Girl,

L'hermittes can make you batty - is it happening upon neck movement?

Any way to change around your monitor and keyboard so you don't flex it much?

Feel your pain Guuuurl...
-shell

[Jifr]

Hiya:

I have L'Hermittes and several lesions in my C spine.  I specifically asked my doctor about the L'Hermittes because I had a C2 lesion that was swelling and causing my spinal cord to be compressed.  I was worried things like massaging my neck for example.  He said not to worry about it...external physical pressure, etc, was not going to cause a worsening of the L'Hermittes.

[doublevision1]

Sorry, I wasn't very clear.  What I meant to say was that my neuro said not to worry about experiencing Lhermitte's while exercising, as it is not causing FURTHER damage to my spinal cord, and that exercise does not make MS worse even though it may temporarily worsen MS symptoms.  

[Nancy T]

DV, is your neuro really saying that Lhermitte's is NOT a sign of damage to the spinal cord??

Maybe he meant it's not a sign of NEW damage if the location of the Lhermitte's remains the same?

Mine keeps spreading or changing places every few weeks or months, generally. I'm supposed to think this is meaningless.

I suppose if you always have it the same, in the same place, it's not a sign of NEW damage and thus not worrisome if it gets triggered.

[jensequitur]

I've had buzzing in the back between the shoulderblades before, and cramps along that area toward the front.  When hubby presses on a certain muscle on the right, I get fasciculations all along that muscle to the right side.

As far as I know it's basically a paresthesia, and an indication of where the damage is.  If your neuro doesn't know about the symptom, definitely tell him - but it shouldn't cause any problems unless you're starting to have problems with your arms/hands.

[doublevision1]

I don't think it's dangerous.  When I asked my neuro about Lhermittes and exercise, he said not to worry about triggering the this symptom with neck position and body temp, and to exercise regularly regardless.  He said it's not a sign of my condition worsening nor causing damage to my spinal cord.