Scheduled For An Emg On August 15th

[Maxine]

When I went to Cleveland Clinic I saw a neuromuscular doc, and he ordered an EMG for next month on the 14th.

My tolerance for pain is high, but for weird sensations in my chest it's very low. I fipped when they did the quantitative sweat axon reflex test.

Acetylcholine was used in the testing. When they started the small electrical charges, my heart flipped out----or so I thought. It felt like my heart, but the ANS lab tech. said I had normal sinus rhythm. I was still hooked up to EKG. I had ANS testing at Case Western in Cleveland with Dr. Chelimsky. The lab tech held my hand and said keep going. However, it felt like something was flip flopping A LOT inside the chest or upper abdomen.

I have no idea why it would do this-------------it shouldn't.

Anyway, I know with EMG you have electrical current go through a think needle, and I don't know how deep the current goes.

It was such a bizarre thing, and I know this was real-----the flip flopping.

My feet get buzzing in them now, and I also get this sensation now in my fingers.

Have any of you experienced any heart related problems during an EMG?

The Doc from Cleveland Clinic wanted me to have the EMG there.

Maxine :0)

[Nauthiz]

I haven't experienced this or the test but if the tech said your rythem was ok maybe it is your nervous system being over sensitive to the feelings of your own heart beat.

Edited July 19, 2009 by flop
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[mjan]

Hi..

I had the dreaded EMG twice actually and did not find it to be so bad. I did my "labor" breathing to calm myself. Felt I have been through more significant discomfort than the test itself. The needles are so fine you do not feel them going in..like accupuncture I imagine. The shock was so quick and that did not feel bad either. I cannot say it was even painful.

I do have electrical like pains shooting down my legs and that hurts worse. I had the EMG on my arms and hands..and I think my upper back. I remember the back did not hurt at all.

But remember I was doing my centered relaxing breathing so my body was not tensed up which could be a factor to others who report discomfort. Each little stick is quick...and bearable.

Good luck and keep us posted. They read the results and then give you a report.

Jan

[janiedelite]

When I had my EMG at Mayo, they said it would last 45 minutes but I was zapped for 90 minutes. I also seem to be overreactive to pain in the sense that it sets off my adrenaline and I start shaking uncontrollably. Not the best scenario while you have a little needle next to your nerve! I didn't notice any heart problems, though. And they needles were very uncomfortable, but not overtly painful. I was lying flat during the whole procedure and they gave me blankets and adjusted room temp as needed. I just tried to pretend I was on the beach!

[futurehope]

I think you'll be fine. I had an EMG in my forehead and possibly arm, can't remember. I did fine. No problem. After the stuff we suffer with POTS and other things, this was relatively easy. You'll be surprised that the anticipation is worse than the actual test. Hang in there.

[MightyMouse]

The current really isn't enough to bother your heart, but the pain can be pretty tough to deal with. I've had several emg studies, and none were a picnic, but the only issue with my heart would be that it would speed up from the pain response! Unlike "thankful's", my test was overtly painful--and provoked some spasms in the muscles which is a common occurrence during the test b/c the needles, are, after all, being stuck in the nerves that control the muscles and ligaments.

I will say that once the needle was out of each area, the pain stopped instantly, so it's not like you're going to be miserable for long... just momentary for each location if yours happens to be an over reactive area. If you have major nerve damage, as I do in a few areas of my nerves in my arms, I didn't feel it as much.

Nina

[mjan]

The current really isn't enough to bother your heart, but the pain can be pretty tough to deal with. I've had several emg studies, and none were a picnic, but the only issue with my heart would be that it would speed up from the pain response! Unlike "thankful's", my test was overtly painful--and provoked some spasms in the muscles which is a common occurrence during the test b/c the needles, are, after all, being stuck in the nerves that control the muscles and ligaments.

I will say that once the needle was out of each area, the pain stopped instantly, so it's not like you're going to be miserable for long... just momentary for each location if yours happens to be an over reactive area. If you have major nerve damage, as I do in a few areas of my nerves in my arms, I didn't feel it as much.

Nina

WELL...maybe THATs why I didn't think it was THAT painful..my nerves are shot!! LOL

Jan

[mkoven]

Let me echo what Nina said. I would describe my experience w/ emgs as unpleasant--like a mild bee sting or burning your hand briefly on the toaster. But it is shortlived. And of all the pain I've experienced in life, it doesn't really even rate. Pain is individual, of course. what may unbearable to me, is okay for someone else, and vice versa. the worst pain I've ever had would have to be my presurgery sciatica and a couple headaches-- if those were 8s or 9s, the emg was a 4 tops, and maybe a 3. For me, I don't think it had any ans effects. I was also lying down.

If I had to have one again, I wouldn't look forward to it, but wouldn't really dread it. Actually, in my case they weren't even that accurate. We knew I had some damage to the l5-s1 and l4-l5 nerve roots that it didn't pick up.

[Maxine]

Thanks for your replies and help!

Mkoven, that is one thing that concerns me---------------the EMG not picking up nerve damage. I have no idea if there's any damage, I just know my pain and symptoms.

I almost have trouble describing my symptoms. Right now the pain has neen exhausting. The worst of it being right at lower cranium and neck area, and mid part of my back. I describe the pain as crushing, and a broken feeling in the tiny bones behind my ears, and lower cranium, and severe instability. It's so bad that when my husband bumped into me in the store the other day, (I stopped suddenly, and he wasn't watching where he was going---lol), and I immediately thought, "Oh no, here we go again"! I have to fear the consequences of every false move I make.

I feel like my head in being held on by a bunch of worn out old rubberbands. As far as neuro symptoms; buzzing feet and fingers, numbness in arms and legs, loss of footing when walking, sudden loss of balance after being upright for a while, slurring of speech, trouble swallowing, and trouble finding the right words while in conversation. I also have trouble holding onto things-------even little pieces of paper. I drop things, and can't figure out how it happens----it just drops like my mind didn't connect with my hand to grasp the object. My gut feeling is that the EMG won't be very useful. I'm not afraid of it as long as it doesn't stimulate my heart. Pain usually doesn't affect my heart a great deal unless it's extreme. When I had labor pains delivering my son, my heart rate was pretty high, but I don't know what it was. They took me into delivery because I was in distress, not my son. It wasn't long labor, but HARD----and I suffered a broken tail bone with forcep delivery. My pelvis is very narrow, and was way to small for normal delivery. They should have done a c-section, but my son was a trooper and hung in there until they could do a sattle block.

Right now my pain has been so bad, and my bowels are getting SO SLOW as a consequence of everything. I've been miserable. I can't wear my hard collar too much because it will cause muscle weakness. I told my EDs doc I would try wearing it for an extended time to see if it helps some symptoms, but I'm worried right now, as everything is so loose. Last night I couldn't lay on my side-----------there was no control, as shoulders, neck, collar bone--------------all subluxating. Just washing my hair is a delicate process.

I'm so aggravated by all this-------------and now still waiting for Doc to call to see if colonoscopy prep will be done in the hospital.

Frankly, I don't know how the spings that are holding my head and neck together haven't spung. It's all over the palce, and they can't see in on MRIs. All they see is retroflex odontoid, pannus growth on odontoid bone, broad base disk bulge on c1-2 and other oddities-------but no one seems alarmed except EDS doc, orthopedic surgeon, and Dr. Heffez. Dr. Heffez is more concerned about the enlarged vertebral artery on the right, as it's pressing on the brain stem. However his speciality isn't instability. I suppose he could do a c1-c2 fusion just like my orthopedic surgeon. He originally said I needed a laminectomy/fusion of c3 and down to c7. I'm already fused on c5, 6, and 7------------but full laminectomy wasn't done, as Dr. Heffez and I agreed to try removing the badly herniated discs first to see if that helped relieve symptoms. By the way the local NSG I saw said discs were barely touching the dura, but when Dr. Heffez did his own MRIs, and other testing, he said the discs eseverely herniated leaving less the 5mm of the space needed for my spinal cord on c-5-6. Less then 6mm for c6-7. The operative report showed a kidney bean shape on spinal cord. The ignorant NSG I saw in the beginning was clearly lost........ All of this was back in 2002. Dr. Heffez found mild chiari-only 1mm herniation, congenital cervical spine stenosis on all levels of c-spine, the badly herniated discs, and enlarged right vertebral artery pressing on brain stem.

Dr. Heffez did not think I had instability when I went there in 2005 based on the MRIs, but when told him about the excessive movement, he was not dismissive. I know now he would probably be a lot more interested in investigating further. I'm wondering about how much more he has learned about EDS. I know he's still fairly young in doctor years-----------LOL. Docs in their 50s are young in doctor years-------LOL. He needs to jump on the EDS.cervical/cranial instability wagon----he's a good surgeon, and we need his expertise.

Let me know how your visit goes with him in Milwaukee. I saw him in 2005 for a consult, but have since been "officially" diagnosed with EDS. From what I understand, Dr. Heffez is good with the vascular area too. This is what I need.

My EDS doc recommended the orthopedic surgeon I'm seeing now, but he would also like me to see a NSG. He and I have been discussing weather or not I should go back to Dr. Heffez with the new information I have aquired since 2006---including the EDS study at NIH. I'm sure he would be interested in this.

Maxine :0)