Dealing with Paroxysmal Symptoms
By Cherie C. Binns RN BS MSCN
For most people with MS, “paroxysmal symptoms” is not a familiar term. However, even for some individuals who have never been diagnosed with MS, these neurological symptoms may send them to a doctor. Paroxysmal symptoms are characterized by sudden onset, brief duration and rapid disappearance. With patients exhibiting these events, brain wave studies do not identify them as seizures. These paroxysms may appear as brief twitching or spasms coming on suddenly and disappearing fully within seconds. They may or may not lead to an MS diagnosis. They are not “MS Seizures”.
I had one patient who developed severe shaking leg spasms for about 20 seconds whenever we tried to reposition him. We were able to minimize this somewhat by letting him know we were about to move him, keeping hands in place for a few seconds before actually moving him, and not stopping if a spasm occurred until he was settled in the new position. This made it easier for him to relax and become comfortable.
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