Knowing what’s to be expected from a medical condition is something most of us prefer, but patients with multiple sclerosis often don’t have that option. Although several multiple sclerosis symptoms are well known, such as extreme fatigue, pain, spasticity and difficulty with balance, there are less common and more unpredictable conditions. “That’s because the development of MS symptoms is often uncertain. It depends on which nerves the immune system attacks and where in the body messages are received,” explains Dr. Anne Cross, professor of neurology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Here are several of the odder problems MS patients may experience:
[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.]
Uncomfortable Embrace
This is the kind of hug you don’t want. “Patients describe the sensation like a girdling of intense pressure around their stomach area, chest and rib region. Some say it’s like having a belt or rubber band squeezing them tight,” explains Dr. Asaff Harel, neurologist and MS specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “You never know how long the MS hug (its technical name is ‘dyesthesia’) is going to last. It can be from seconds to minutes, but sometimes hours — or longer. More often than not, it doesn’t persist,” Harel says. If the patient finds the sensations really uncomfortable, there’s medication that can help with pain. Although the exact cause of the MS hug isn’t known, ” Heat, stress and extreme fatigue are a few possible triggers,” he adds.
Longer-Lasting Seizures
“Between 7 to 10 percent of multiple sclerosis patients experience seizures,” Cross says. “But unlike folks with epilepsy who, on average, are fully awake within 30 to 60 minutes after a seizure, it may take MS patients up to two to four days after an episode to get back to feeling wholly themselves,” she explains.
The good news is that MS seizure disorders are relatively easy to control with common anticonvulsant medications, such as carbamazepine or phenytoin. On the other hand, other medications can also contribute to problems. According to a 2009 study published in CNS journal, common anti-inflammatory medications used to control pain in MS patients, such as interferon-B and Baclofen, may trigger seizure disorders.
Insatiable Itching
Usually when you have an itch, you can go to the dermatologist, get a topical cream and you’ll stop scratching. But the kind of MS itchiness described by patients as feeling like sharp needles, burning and even stabbing can’t be relieved with topical treatments. “That’s because it’s neuropathic, meaning the itchy sensation stems from damage in the central nervous system,” Cross explains. “The MS itch can be felt anywhere, from a patient’s feet to their scalp. But most commonly, the itchiness is felt on the trunk of the body, including the chest and waist,” she says.
[See: 5 Rare Diseases You’ve Never Heard of (Until Now).]
Spinning Sensation
About 20 percent of people with MS experience vertigo. Yet, the dizzying sensation that makes you feel faint, light-headed, off-balance and is sometimes accompanied with nausea, is often misdiagnosed. “When someone, especially a younger person, complains of this condition, it’s frequently thought to be an inner ear infection or dehydration,” Harel says. But the cause of vertigo in MS patients is different. “It’s usually the result of a lesion, or several lesions, in the area of the brain that controls balance,” he adds.
Shocking Neck Bends
The clinical name for this symptom is Lhermitte’s sign. “My patients tell me that it feels like an electric shock running down their spine. They experience this uncomfortable, often painful sensation whenever they bend their neck downwards in a particular way,” Cross explains. The pain comes and goes, but some people learn to avoid it by refraining from lowering their neck. “The feeling can last anywhere from seconds to a couple of hours. If it’s a really frequent sensation, medication can be prescribed,” Cross adds. A 2015 study of 694 people with MS showed that around 16 percent of patients experience this condition.
Slurred Speech
There isn’t any research that confirms the exact number of multiple sclerosis patients who are dealing with speech difficulties, but a small Swedish survey of 77 MS sufferers reported that one half had experienced, or were experiencing, speech difficulties. Sometimes patients with slurred speech are mistakenly thought to be inebriated. “This kind of slurring usually occurs during an acute attack in progressive relapsing MS, and it’s temporary, lasting a few minutes to several hours,” Harel says. “It’s more common for MS sufferers to have difficulty finding words, a condition sometimes referred to as brain fog,” he adds.
[See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.]
Feet on Fire
“MS patients say that it feels as if their feet are literally on fire, or they’re walking barefoot over sharp pebbles or shells,” Cross explains. “Similar to other MS-related symptoms, the reason for the burning and stabbing sensations is connected to myelin damage in the central nervous system,” Cross says. “In this case, the damage is most likely in the spinal cord.”
Most MS symptoms, no matter how disturbing or unusual the sensation, can be controlled with medication or other treatments like physical therapy or relaxation techniques. The best advice? No matter how odd a symptom might feel, don’t hesitate to let your doctor know about it.
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Surprising Ways MS Can Affect You originally appeared on usnews.com
