Muscle Wasting

[LuvMyBaby]

Does MS cause or can it cause muscle atrophy? I have an array of other symptoms that match various things, but "focal atrophy" as they call it, is my main concern right now. It's proximal muscles, I guess...upper arms, shoulders, trunk, thighs, and slightly in the upper calves. It's also asymmetric. A muscle biopsy showed ongoing denervation. Myopathy and EVERYTHING else "non-neuro" have been ruled out.

[Redwings]

Does MS cause or can it cause muscle atrophy?

Hi Luv:
The simple answer is yes, in that MS is ONE of the conditions that impair the delivery of nerve impulses that are necessary to stimulate muscles to contract. In cases of neuropathy, it's the lack of the contraction/relaxation cycle and non-use of the muscles that causes them to atrophy. If everything non-neuro has been ruled out, then the next step is to identify which neuropathy is causing your muscle atrophy. MS is only one of the possibilities.

[rosepetals]

What kind of testing is done to determine what kind of neuropathy you have?

[KoKo]

Rosepetals

What kind of testing is done to determine what kind of neuropathy you have?

Some other (there are more than these) conditions that can cause neuropathy:

Diabetes
Metabolic Disorders
Vasculitis
Guillain Barre'
Lupus
Vitamin Deficiency (B12)

So testing for these conditions (and others) could determine the cause of neuropathy.

Hope that helps

Take care,
KoKo

[Tawanda]

Certainly inactivity is a HUGE factor in muscle atrophy, and M.S. certainly can lead to inactivity. Of course, aging is a big factor too (I am middle aged).

I move weights around when I can. I am still fighting the good fight and try to exercise as much as possible, but I'm never going to be a hard body.

[LuvMyBaby]

Thanks for all of your responses. I think I'm using the wrong words or phrase when I say "non-neuro." This has been a very long process of ruling out, waiting, testing, etc with very little answers to anything going on with me, except that I'm crazy. I'm not sure of the correct word to use for this, but I guess everything not due to a deficiency or underlying autoimmue disorder have been ruled out? I'll explain further, because now I'm even confusing myself. I've had had every blood test run imaginable and repeated, then repeated again. Vitamin D, B12, Parvo, Lupus, Thyroid, RF, CBC, etc. I even had them check for other things like HIV just because NOTHING ever comes up. All the auto-immune conditions I'm negative for on top of the fact I really lack most, if not all, of their usual symptoms. They believed I had myositis at one point but the extent and rate of how I'm losing muscle is worse than how it usually goes for the myopathies. That on top of the fact my CPK and other markers are also completely normal too. They decided to give me a muscle biopsy from a fairly unaffected part of my leg and it came back showing no signs of any inflammatory process or myopathic change, but showed atrophy of both muscle fiber types, so that means it's not due to disuse, and gave me the microscopic diagnosis of denervation, which was explained to me as that the message is basically never even getting there. Guillian Barre, Vasculitis, Myositis, Mitochondrial, and metabolic type disorders show up different in the biopsies so it's some form of peripheral neuropathy or mnd. I really don't have much sensory type issues at all, which I know totally leads away from MS and stuff, but really leads away from most neuropathies too, at least from what I've read, which kinda leaves me with MND. So now I'm losing my mind and just trying to look into everything even remotely possible. This whole time they've believed I had some sort of rheumo disorder so my testing has pretty much revolved around blood tests and things like that. I had a CT of my head done once which was normal, but that's about it. I'm getting another biopsy done from a clearly affected part of my arm with the hopes that it will show something to bring me back to the level of myositis rather than neurogenic atrophy. After that, if it shows more pure denervation, I'm already set up with a neuromuscular specialist and I guess the other tests will happen then. I have a postural tremor I believe or maybe it's action? It only happens when my arms or legs are extended or when I'm doing something specific, like pushing the button on a toaster. It doesn't happen when I'm sitting still. I do get some vibrating type/tingly feelings now and then but it's not very frequent and I twitch more than anything. I also have "slightly brisk" reflexes in my legs and they never said anything specifically, but I've noticed they tend to have a problem finding the ones in my arms. It takes a couple times or isn't very strong I guess. Babinski reflex is normal or "indifferent." I can walk on my toes, but not my heels. And the one where you stand with your eyes closed is normal. I'm sorry this was so long but thanks to those who read or respond. I'm just very scared now because this was all completely unexpected and scares me even more that it's all starting to make sense.