Anyone had full body convulsions?

[Shiela]

I went to the emergency room the other day because my whole body (even my eyes and toes) were moving uncontrollably. Has anyone ever had this problem? I believe it had something to do with sensory overload. I had had a lot of visitors. I don't know if it was connected to MS or not.

[Thinkimjob]

No, thank God.

[rdmc]

When I get sensory overload, I "buzz" all over. But I've never had convulsing. I have had shivers like I had a fever and chills (but didn't have a fever.)

Occasionally, when I get overheated, things will start "jerking" randomly...my leg will jerk, then my arm, etc.

What did the ER say? Did they prescribe anything? I've been in the hospital before, post surgery, and gotten bad myoclonus in a limb where I couldn't control the shaking, and they usually give me an injection of a benzodiazepene to calm it down.

[YukonArthur]

Hi Shiela,

A version of this was one of my major symptoms during my first attack. It focused primarily on my left side and not my whole body though.

If you drew a line from the top of my head to crotch; all my muscles on the left side of that line "flexed" and held for about 15 seconds. They flexed harder than I can consciously flex them.

They were preceded by an "Aura", a feeling of "edginess", I can't really explain it better than that. I was getting these waves of spasms every 15 minutes, and they only stopped when the emerge doctors administered IV Valium.

I haven't had them since that first attack. I have had the "aura" a few times since but it never culminated in a spasm. I was initially prescribed Dilantin and Tegretol to control them but have since been taken off of them.

I hope you find some relief and that they never come back for you. They were the scariest symptom I have had with my MS to date.

Cheers,

Arthur

[angelpach]

I too have had this but mostly on the right side. It started for awhile my right foot & leg... Later I started having this on the whole right side (even to where my head would jerk back at the same time as my right side) it was so bad that some nights I don't know if it stopped or I got so exhausted that I slept through it. When it happened I'd get a few moments. Between "jerks".
Now I get it here & there.
I'm Sorry you had to go through it. Hope it's better & never comes back.

[Shiela]

@RMDC, They kept me overnight for observation and gave me IV of morphine for MS Hug which was also present and vallium, they kept the lights low and the shades drawn and kept it very quiet. It took 8 hours for the convulsion/tremors to stop. Then before I went home, an internist visited me and told me I should get a second opinion from a neuro in a metropolis area. He said I may have a variant of MS that is uncommon. (It's been a week and there is still injection site damage. The morphine really stings going in, but it did help the pain).

[jumpinjiminy]

This is what happens to me sometimes while falling asleep. It starts with a buzzing inside my head that's intensity increases and spreads until muscles all over my body start twitching (like you see dogs do when they sleep). The last time it felt like my eyes were rolling in different directions at the same time (which is likely impossible) and then I woke up. It was the scariest dream I think I've ever had, but it felt so real.

It's another one of those mysterious things that have been going on for a long time. It only comes on when I'm fatigued and under heavy stress. It's so bizarre I've been afraid to mention it to anyone.

Last month it started happening again, and since a diagnosis is still pending, I finally got brave enough to bring it up. I doubt it will help any, but just in case, they should probably know about it. One neuro said it sounded like nervous system hyperactivity, the other asked for me to come in to be seen.

Because it only happens while falling asleep, during episodes of fatigue and heavy stress, I've always considered it stress. It's scary enough to happen during sleep. I can't imagine it happening while fully conscious.

Hugs, Shiela. Your experience sounds pretty frightening. It's bad enough to feel loss of control over isolated body parts, but the whole thing at one time?

[KatieDidNOT]

That sounds pretty scary. I hope you never have to experience something like that ever again.

Katie

[angelpach]

"He said I may have a variant of MS that is uncommon."

What did he say it might be?

[MSW1963]

I had convulsions associated with extreme sleep depervation over a very long period of time.

I also had a dx of epilepsy from many years earlier. Seems the epilepsy could have been presenting/early sx of MS.

[mjan]

How awful for you.. sorry hon. Did they ever give you an EEG while these tremors were going on? I mean its not generalized clonic/tonic (gran mal) if you were aware of them..but they could look for signs of an abnormal EEG.

I have had episodes where I get an "aura" and then as I droop over..I CAN get tremors..but its not a seizure. Then years later I was having signs of seizures and had a 5 day video EEG in hospital. My EEG WAS abnormal but Epilepsy was ruled out. I was even on anti seizure meds for awhile and could not drive for 6 months. This epileptologist also treats MS so she thought it was more related to MS.

And I used to get these tremors INSIDE my head that happened either when I was just falling asleep or when I was just waking up. I mean violent shaking inside my head. Weird eh?

Good luck to you and let us know what they find out ok hon?

Hugs, Jan

[jumpinjiminy]

And I used to get these tremors INSIDE my head that happened either when I was just falling asleep or when I was just waking up. I mean violent shaking inside my head. Weird eh?

Mine used to feel and sound like a thunderstorm with lightening inside my head, now it's just buzzing like a TV channel that's gone off the air.

I have had episodes where I get an "aura" and then as I droop over..I CAN get tremors..but its not a seizure.

This probably is a question for the neuro, but since the topic has come up I feel compelled to ask. Can these be split second episodes where you feel like a small piece of time has disappeared? Sometimes I get this feeling while sitting in class (or at home for that matter) that a little blip of time disappeared and afterward I'm off-balance, like I almost fell over.

[mjan]

[QUOTE=jumpinjiminy;1347845


This probably is a question for the neuro, but since the topic has come up I feel compelled to ask. Can these be split second episodes where you feel like a small piece of time has disappeared? Sometimes I get this feeling while sitting in class (or at home for that matter) that a little blip of time disappeared and afterward I'm off-balance, like I almost fell over.[/QUOTE]

I would certainly report that to your Neuro ASAP or find an epileptologist to test you. Its nothing to fool around with esp if you are driving.

I HAVE lost periods of time from a few seconds I guess until someone would say something I would never know. AND I used to make critical mistakes writing at work which made no sense. So this is why they did a major work up for seizures, including 5 day video EEG inpatient. Epilepsy ruled out but EEG was abnormal for "slower waves"

Now the Epileptologist who tested me also treats MS so she was familiar with what seizure-like signs come with MS.

Good luck but get this checked out ok hon?

Warmly, Jan

[jumpinjiminy]

Thanks, Jan. My next appointment is coming up very soon. It may just be a temporary loss of balance. The thing is, I don't recall a sensation of the world coming back on with any other vertigo or loss of balance experience.

Shiela, I didn't mean to hijack your thread and thank you for sharing your story. I never knew others experienced anything similar to this and have been afraid to bring up the topic myself. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better.

[Shashi]

I don't know if what I'm having are convulsions or what, but often I will wake up and my entire body is having tremors. They often happen if I'm overheated, like when I forget and leave my electric blanket on. I usually only use it to heat the bed up a bit before I get in, but sometimes I'll go to sleep with it on and wake up overheated.