What is unsteadiness when walking?

Fab · Getting to Know You... Joined: Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 20

How do you describe unsteadiness when walking?

Is it a feeling that you are going to fall off, like your balance isn´t right?

Is it a drunk walk?

Or is it just an odd feeling that you feel you are blocking?

It´s really strange whats happening to me because i have this feeling that something is wrong with my walking although i don´t walk drunk or need to grab things or use a cane to walk.

My neuro put this as being just stress but since November i`ve had two MS symptoms, the double vision and now this unsteady walking.

Nenu · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject:

My neuro said I had an 'unsteady gait'. I sometimes feel like I'm veering off to a side while walking, and readjust my steps to keep walking in a straight line. That's about all I've noticed myself.

jimmylegs · Family Elder Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 2012

for me my legs won't cooperate sometimes. by and large these days they're okay, but sometimes in the past my knee might buckle or something like that. if i exercise too much the nerve conductivity goes to pot and then muscles just won't behave.

Fab · Getting to Know You... Joined: Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 20

So an unsteady walk is noticed by you and by others right?

What´s strange in me is that i only feel if you know what i mean.
I walk normally, run normally, jump normally everything is normal and only the feeling isn´t it.

I´ve started the Cipralex today to see what happens.

jimmylegs · Family Elder Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 2012

that sounds about right. i had to get into a pretty serious situation before the knee started buckling and all. for a while it was just losing sensation and after a while my feet started to get numb.
when my control did start to go, i took it more seriously and went to the doc to ask for bloodwork on b12.
this is years before dx, or even accepting that i could not succeed at a vegan diet without b12 supplements.
the result came back "less than 70", i.e. too low for the lab to measure. so for a while i messed around with taking b12 until the numbness cleared, and then slacking off again til it came back to the knee-buckling stage.
if i had known what was in the future, or if anyone had said, guess what, that numbness equals some holes in your spinal cord! i think i might have smartened up a bit.

Andesine · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:19 am Post subject:

With me it's when I'm not concentrating. If I'm out shopping and see something interesting in a shop window I'll suddenly wander off to the left.

If I do concentrate then I can walk a straight line.

If I squat down then try to stand straight up, again without concentrating, then I just roll over onto my back.

Nenu · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:57 am Post subject:

GeoGuy · Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:39 pm Post subject:

Boy a lot of those sound familiar. Feeling like your veering to one side when you walk, my left usually. Or trying to walk out of a bar when you had one too many. I've have often describe having ms as feeling like you have a slight alcohol buzz 24/7. My neuro says she can't tell I have any walking problems, but I sure do feel like I do.
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RRMS since 01/07.

Fab · Getting to Know You... Joined: Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 20

It seems the Cipralex is making an effect.

I started it yesterday and this balance feeling was starting to gone...today i can´t feel anything. I feel more calm, less irritated and things go smoothly Very Happy

jimmylegs · Family Elder Joined: Mar 12, 2006 Posts: 2012

that's great fab!

Fab · Getting to Know You... Joined: Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 20

3 day with the Cipralex and things going even better.

I find it hard to believe that my body was so stressed to have this kind of symptoms.

Anyway i hope things go better from now on but i will still not be confident about not having MS since as we all know it´s a pretty hard disease to diagnose.

Loobie · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:23 am Post subject:

What is Cipralex? I walk very unsteady, although it's more than just a funny feeling now, it's just weak legs. However, I veer off to the right and left and it has become hard to "correct" back to straight. I'll be walking down the hall at work and be going right for somebody and since it's hard to change direction, I just push off the opposite wall to right myself.

I'm curious to know about Cipralex if it helps with balance or gait.
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"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun.'"

ssmme · Posted: Fri May 02, 2008 6:30 am Post subject:

I googled Cipralex and found that it is an SSRI. Is this right or am I looking at the wrong thing. I have balance issues also and would fail a field sobriety test right now if it were administered. I thought the balance issues were because of the brain fog that's there almost 24/7. If this seems to help I'd really like to try it.

Marcia
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DX'd 08/2006, RRMS, contemplating post Tovaxin therapies

AllyB · Family Elder Joined: Apr 23, 2007 Posts: 340

Cipralex is an anti-depressant - an SSRI - and it won't help with balance issues related to MS. I take it as an anti-depressant and I still use a cane and have balance issues and badly misjudge distance/spatial awareness - bumping into doorways, tables etc - I veer to the left as it is my strongest side, but bash my right side frequently!

I think what Fab was saying was that the doc felt that the balance issues that he/she was feeling were related to stress, not MS, and prescribed Cipralex (also helps with anxiety), and since it is now helping, maybe the balance wasn't from ms, but Fab is still not ruling out ms because of other issues...
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Ali

Fab · Getting to Know You... Joined: Apr 25, 2008 Posts: 20

AllyB you got that right Smile

And i´m a "he" btw Wink

I still feel a little strange feeling but it is slow going away.
What´s strange in this issue is the fact that it isn´t a balance that like i said before, i am going to fall or need to grab things or need to use a cane.

It´s a strange feeling you know.

Btw i have spoke with my coworkers today who also took Cipralex and also Prozac and they told me that they also felt this balance issues.

ANyway like AllyB said i don´t rule out ms entirely although i which it was that way because Binocular Diplopia along with this feeling isn´t making me believe i don´t have ms but i´m less worried at the moment.