Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and wanted to see if anyone has experienced similar symptoms to ones I am getting.
I have secondary progressive MS which is fairly well managed.
For about the last month I have been experiencing sharp electric shock type pain (seems to come from one ear), only lasts momentarily and only at night when I’m lying down. My GP is nonplussed and has contacted my neurologist who thinks this is not related to MS.
In the past before my MS diagnosis I experienced trigeminal neuralgia, this is similar.
I would be grateful for any information as I feel this is MS related, its also on the side of my body which my MS manifests mainly.
I was prescribed Amitriptyline which I had to stop due to adverse side effects.
This is really beginning to impact on my quality of sleep, I am nervous now about getting to sleep. I can get up to five or six of these shocks in one night.
I don’t have shocks like this, but do hsve trigeminal neuralgia. You don’t say if the shocks travel from the ear to another part of the face or body? A common MS symptom is Lhermitte’s sign which usually runs down from the neck. Maybe this is something similar. Everyone seems to have very different symptoms. My advice would be to see an osteopath specialising in cranial massage techniques. There are drugs that are used for trigeminal neuralgia (I think Baclofen comes to mind) that you may find helpful.
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Hi, I have this and they found I had a lesion on one of my vertebrae which is pressing on a nerve. I manage the pain through a combination of painkillers and stretching exercises on my neck. So far it has worked. Previously I had horrendous pain which eventually went down my arm as well. But, after an MRI, and I knew the problem I could work it. It was about 8 months before they identified where the problem was but the exercises reduce the inflammation and the pain. My neuro is looking into getting a steroid injection through the vertebrae and on to the nerve, they did it on my lower back and it worked so, fingers crossed.
Thank you for your comments. The pain I get stays in my head, I think I need to be persistent with my neurologist and try other pain relief.
Hi, thank you for your comments, they are useful. I have felt I carry a lot of tightness and tension in my neck. I will try and see if I can see or at least talk to my neurologist as at the moment I am being told it isn’t anything to do with my MS. I feel this is nerve pain and worry what damage this might cause plus its really unpleasant.
hi
see an osteopath specialising in cranial massage techniques.
fab suugestion! my cranail ostweopth played a huge part in helping me live with the unezxpected re ms.
i saw him every 6/8 weeks until he retired-i learned so much. i coyuld tell him what i felt anbout the fluid in my brain and spine in laymens terms and he comfirned in his proferrsional way. he was the muost importent professional of all the folk supporting me.
such skillls as his are hugelky underrated i think! (as those of a pharmcaist are too- the hardest thing to learn as a patient is who to ask to get as most info sa poss to make an informed decsoin but i digrtess…)
original poster-if the gp does prescibe somethinf dont be hesitant about discussing ANY questioms you may have with the pharmacisy.
tn is awful-hopw you find something to ease the pain.
el
Hi, I started getting electric shock pains in my head back in 2003, a short sharp pain just behind my ear. It lasted around 10 seconds and was really painful. Unfortunately, my pains evolved and when the pains came I had spasms affecting the whole of my right side as well as affecting my speech, taste and coordination - 10 mins later I recovered until the next pain came. I was in hospital for observation for 2 weeks and treated with iv steroids. I was prescribed carbamazepine. Nowadays I still get the pains every now and again. Stress seems a trigger for me, but I’ve never had them as bad since which is great news. So these pains could me MS related - other with MS have also said they’ve had them. My neurologist at the time said it was quite a rare symptom, but that could be related. Others have said they get sharp head pains too. Sharon x
Hi Sparrowlegs, I too have experienced electric shock type pains deep inside my head and which radiate down one side of my body for a few years, a symptom that I described to the doctor like being tasered in the head. Fortunately for me these symptoms are currently being managed by 800 mg of Carbamazepine per day and I have had no episodes since last October.
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