nerve conductivity appointment

hi hope everyones ok

as the title says ive just got my app through.its a week on tuesday which will be a month after seeing the neuro,

the letter that came with it worries me a bit as it says it will be uncomfortable&may even be painful!!

im hoping itll be ok!!

have not had app through for brain scan yet though&was kind of under the impression both tests were done on same day or am i wrong?

also the letter doesnt mention that itll be testing for my swallowing probs which neuro said it would so im bit confused.com!!!

can anyone shed any light?

thanks

jane

Hi Jane,

I had nerve conduction tests and an EMG on Tuesday. It’s a strange feeling, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t cope with. When the electrical impulses that they used were at the highest voltage setting it was quite a sting, but for such a small amount of time it was fine really. They stimulated my nerves to make my toes twitch, which more than uncomfortable (which it was to some degree), I found quite hilarious and was giggling through it! It did help that the neurophysiologist was a bit of a joker.

The test for nerve conductivity I had seemed to involve two electrodes put at particular places on the skin and the distance between them was measured and I think from that they can work out how fast the electronic signal passes along the nerve.

I guess it depends on your hospital whether you would have your scan on the same day, but I think it’s more likely you’d have them on separate occasions. My local hospital has an MRI scanner but not the neurophysiology dept, so I had to have them separately.

I don’t know about swallowing problems, I don’t suffer with that so it never came up, hopefully someone else can let you know about that.

Try not to worry too much about it, it wasn’t as bad as I expected! I wasn’t too worried when I had it done, but got myself worked up afterwards because I’m sure something has come up abnormal, but I guess it could be anything including a trapped nerve so I started convincing myself it was proof of MS! I’l be quite glad if something has shown up, because I think at one point my GP didn’t believe I had numbness. But they don’t discuss their findings with you, it goes to your Neuro as a report as all part of the puzzle they have to piece together.

Ask if you have any more questions! x

hi dartist84

thanks for your help

i’ll try&keep all that in mind!im a born worrier but i’ll try not to too much!!

hope it doesnt take too long before you get your results

can i ask what your symptoms have been?

jane

I’m a born worrier too, but I tend to worry after the event and not before! Although I’ve managed to sort of talk myself into thinking I’ve got MS before I know…

My symptoms are fatigue, which has progressively got worse since about 2003, and then I’ve suffered lower back pain for quite a while which has sciatica thet’s got worse. Then in September last year, my left leg went completely numb and I had a burning patch on my back so I was sent to hospital to rule out a serious disc prolapse (which it wasn’t) but I do have a slightly bulging disc but they said it wouldn’t cause the symptoms. My left leg numbness did reduce quite quickly to just a patch on my outer thigh just above my knee and my foot. It has eased off even more over the last year, but I also have increased sensitivity all over my left leg. At the same time, I went through about 3-4 months of exhaustedness, so I guess looking back it could have been an MS episode (who knows until I see the neuro?).

Since I went back to work in February I’ve been functionally quite well, my leg has wobbles and feels very heavy when I’m tired but is usually not too bad. My foot is still numb, and sensation on my leg is odd. It took until July I think for my GP to refer me to Neurology, not sure he believed me! Had lots of vague stuff like stopping what I’m saying because I can’t remember what I’m saying, cotton wool brain! Muscles twitching (including what felt like my eardrum that my GP had never heard of), odd stabby sensations, for a few days I had the feeling I was sitting in a wet patch but wasn’t. Nothing visual but my eyesight has declined a lot very quickly.

I had a kidney infection about a month ago, so I was off work for a week and I had what may have been the MS hug (felt like a belt being tightened around my ribcage). I’ve not fully recovered from this and now I have vertigo (fingers crossed it seems to be going) and have been so exhausted I’ve only left my bed once (to go on a long bus journey for my tests) since I went to bed on Friday, sleeping up to 18 hours a day. I’ve obviously been off work this week too. Not sure if I’m having what may end up being a relapse, or if the process of going through the tests and waiting is just getting me down and I’m suffering depression/anxiety. However my left arm seems to be joining in on the act now…

Sorry, waffling a bit!

I hope you have a similar experience to me, and that it’s not too bad.

PS. I’m Rach, forgot to sign off before

Rach x

(similar exerience with the tests that is!)

hi rach

lol thanks for that!i hope i do too!!

ive got twitching in my legs which has now spread to my arms&shoulders.also they feel very heavy@times like im walking through treacle!pins&needles,numbness in my legs,swallowing probs,have had dizziness,which seems to have gone for now.also get the memory loss,forgetting words etc.

had a floater in my right eye since july plus aching&stabbing pains which ive been refeered to opthalmologist for

my physical exam was all normal though when i saw neuro but he wants me to have these tests done.ive been getting pins&needles,numbness in my right hand.plus shooting pains down my arm

been feelng tired but not to the extent of not being able to get out of bed.i have a 4yr old dd so have to get myself going to get her to playschool etc!!

jane