Hi, I have RMS with mainly mobility and fatigue issues with legs. Over the last year I have noticed I have been losing muscle mass to my legs. I walk as much as I can every day and go to the gym three times a week to use static weight machines to try and counter this loss. I seem to be losing the battle however. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this and moreover should I be concerned and if so discuss with my MS nurse. I must confess this is a worry to me.
Trev
I discussed a similar thing recently with my MS nurse. She referred me to a neuro-physiotherapist who was extremely thorough and came up with a number of actions for me to take which will hopefully improve things.
Good luck with it all
Hi Trev,
Even before I had a diagnosis I noticed that my thighs had become unequal in size. There is a difference in circumference of 40 mm. There is a difference around the calfs but not visibly. The thinner of the two legs is the one most affected by spasms and drop foot.
I was visited by a doctor who assessed me for DLA and she measured my thighs. I must have mentioned it somewhere.
Anthony
Yeh, lack of good mobility does affect the muscles.
Lost my leg strength/muscles a few years ago when I became a full time wheelie. My carer does some exercises with them daily. That way I do feel they are alive!!
I would think a physio can help you.
Pollx
Yes thanks for your replies. I should have mentioned I do have a Neuro Physio who has given me core exercises to do. All thes are a great help however I still feel I am losing muscle faster than I can put it back. All I can do s keep going. I just wondered what others experiences have been.
Trev
I have just recently noticed i am loosing muscle on my legs, i have always had thick set chunky legs at the top, but they are looking a lot thinner due to me loosing muscle tone,i always wanted thinner legs,but not this way.I have been pretty much house bound last few years and only walk round the house now and use a stairlift all the time now too,so its no surprise really.
Thatās a shame, I am fortunate to be more mobile for now so am surprised by the loss of muscle I have noticed recently. I am not sure if the MS accelerates the loss?
Trev
Hi, I am reactivating this thread mainly due to concern from my wife. Since 2014 I have lost about 8lbs. In itself not a great amount but given I am slim build she thinks it is more than I can afford to lose. My appetite is not what it was but more than that she feels I am looking skinny and seem to be wasting away. Now I appreciate MS is as much a worry and strain for her as it is me so there is an element of her being sensitised due to the stressful 18 months since diagnosis. I canāt argue that my legs have lost mass despite doing as much as fatigue will allow at the gym, three times a week, and walking etc. Overall I must have slowed down a lot over the last two years but I am by no means house bound. I have seen a Neuro physio and am following her core exercises. I am getting a lot of lower back ache which makes me feel uncomfortable and stiff. Just wondering if this is a shared experience as part of MS?
Regards Trev
Hi Trev,
About a year after diag of PPMS my physio noticed very extra swing on my hips when going up stairs. They were becoming painful. She said this was because of muscle wasting - likely due to the MS. From this I supposed that MS can cause loss of muscle tone. Other areas such as abdominal (tummy and bowel) and thighs now seem to be disappearing even with doing as much of the exercise routines as I can. When I mentioned this to my neuro I got no response! I took this as a yes.
My weight is still on the increase though so I really must try to find a diet that my OH and I can both follow. I still manage to do most of the cooking. Iām hanging on to my domain with gritted teeth!
So, in answer to your question Trev - yes. MS does cause muscle wasting - dam it!
Does anyone out there believe differently? Iām open to all comments and counter arguments ,(with a small āaā)
Regards, Anne
Please forgive the stupid question but are you eating enough protein, healthy fats and so on? The energy-in side of the equation is as important as the other side and gym-going isnāt going to help you much if you are underfed.
The reason for asking is that appetite is the first thing to go for me when I am ill, stressed, depressed or all of the above, and I tend to lose a few pounds I can ill-afford. A bad relapse and I turn into a feeble, gaunt creature who looks like a pile of wire coat-hangers dredged from the canal. It takes a lot of very deliberately loaded-in olive oil, avocados, cheese and peanut butter to get back up to fighting weight, put back a bit of muscle mass and look human again.
Sorry to make such an obvious point - Iām sure you have thought all that through thoroughly already in your own case. I know it is hard to eat more when one isnāt hungry, but you canāt expect to maintain steam pressure if the stoker isnāt shovelling enough coal into the firebox.
Alison
Thanks for reply Alison. I have a health diet and am always a big fan of eating fat off chops or any meat. I also enjoy a cooked breakfast once a week. I have an appointment with my Neuro consultant on the 4th August to discuss my recent brain and MRI scan. I will bring it up then. He is a nice patient Dr. so if I may I will post the outcome on this thread.
Trev
Hi everyone Iām too have muscle atrophy but I have it in my right leg and my left arm and shoulder is this normal? I still havenāt had a MRI scan and still no diagnosis
Alison,
I love your metaphors: āa pile of wire coat hangers dredged from the canalā! (A pile of coat hangers I get, but why are they dredged from the canal?) āMaintain steam pressure if the stoker isnāt shovelling enough coal into the fireboxā! (Are you actually a reincarnated train driver from the golden age of steam?)
Really?
They always make me laugh.
Thank you
Sue
Sue, you are too kind about my dreadful 'pile āem highā stylistic ill-discipline! Iām chuffed to have made you smile, though.
A
I took your advice when out for meal yesterday. I ordered mix grill and eat as much meat as I could before getting too full.
interesting - mine is mainly both legs and symmetrical. Good luck with your diagnosis.
Trev