Spasticity?

Morning guys, I hope everyone is well (or as well as can be expected x). I woke this morning and just could not get my legs to move, it really scared me after 20 mins or so I regained full movement. I had no pain and retained most feeling so I know it wasn’t cramp. It’s never happened before, so my question is, is this a sign of things to come, I.e. is this my first episode of spasticity? Im really worried and my wife just wasn’t interested :frowning:

I had something like this after the birth of my first child. I literally had to shut out all distractions and concentrate like mad to get my legs to move. After 10 minutes or so they were back to normal. This happened on and off for about two weeks and then never came back although I have had lots of other symptoms in my legs e.g. sensory, stiffness, weakness etc. Not sure if it was a relapse or not. I know what you mean though; it really made me panic! Hopefully it is one of the more fleeting annoyances we have to put up with, rather than the start of something more challenging. Good Luck!

Boo

In my experience, no, spasticity doesn’t come in episodes of as little as 20 minutes, and isn’t the same as paralysis - although it does make movement generally more difficult.

I think of it as more of a chronic problem, where the muscles get excessively stiff and tight (like after a workout in which you overdid it).

I have spasticity all the time, but I don’t have attacks of it. My muscles always feel stiff and tight. I have to take muscle relaxants and do stretches, to try to combat it.

I had spasticity years before I was diagnosed - I just didn’t know it. I’ve found it very slow and gradual. My legs just got stiffer and more tired, and I actually noticed I was GAINING muscle tone (peculiar, for a middle-aged woman in a sedentary job, but I didn’t know it could be a sign of illness).

Unknown to me, the muscles were getting a permanent, unwanted workout, thanks to the MS. I couldn’t relax them properly.

I don’t doubt what you describe has something to do with MS, but it doesn’t sound quite like spasticity as I know it. More like a problem with motor control.

Tina

You could have a google at “sleep paralysis” - sounds like it might be a possibility to me. Scary thing to happen :frowning:

Karen x

Thank you guys x.

I’ve checked out sleep paralysis, all the info I’ve read says this is a full body issue, when you get it when waking, it can be individual parts of the body when it occurs just before sleep. Really need to find answers, both my legs were “glued” together bent as I woke having slept on my side (my usual sleeping position). Suggestions anyone???

my son has sleep paralasis and this doesnt sound like it to me. he sees, hears and feels things that arnt there and is powerless to move apart from his eyes. very scarey stuff.

what you describe sounds more like signals not getting through to your legs, but i aint no expert. it has happened to me in previous years when walking and ive ended up in a heap on the floor. all feeling gone but it did come back after a while and i could carry on. odd int it!

x

Hi

Was reading through posts this morning and this rang a bell. I have been having moments like this for the last 4 months but in my case it is my arms. They suddenly stop working and this can last from 10 minutes to over an hour. Spoke to my neurologist who doesn’t think it is MS related or a neurological problem as the episodes are so short. Sent me back to my GP to have further tests. It scared me the first time but now I know just to wait and they will move again. It’s a bit like an out of body experience, I can see my hands and know they are mine but they won’t do what I want. Very strange. If it doesn’t happen again don’t worry about it, just accept that your body does some wierd things at times.

xxx

Hi

Was reading through posts this morning and this rang a bell. I have been having moments like this for the last 4 months but in my case it is my arms. They suddenly stop working and this can last from 10 minutes to over an hour. Spoke to my neurologist who doesn’t think it is MS related or a neurological problem as the episodes are so short. Sent me back to my GP to have further tests. It scared me the first time but now I know just to wait and they will move again. It’s a bit like an out of body experience, I can see my hands and know they are mine but they won’t do what I want. Very strange. If it doesn’t happen again don’t worry about it, just accept that your body does some wierd things at times.

xxx