Falling

[stillstANNding]

Last night I fell. I got up to go to the bathroom. I walked about 10 steps and just went down. Peter said, "something fell." I said that is was me. That I was on the bathroom floor on the other side of the door.

He got me up. I apologized for falling! Crazy but I automatically do that. Then I immediately fell again just like a Lego tower that has the bottom bits knocked out. It amazed us, not in a good way, because Peter was standing face to face w me. I had no time to grab him or the other way round.

Yesterday was a mild day but we had a lot of stops w his mom. This included a lunch for my birthday. The restaurant was too warm and we got them to turn the heat down. In our next stop, a grocery store, I had an episode of Uthoff's. I felt weak and my eyes went wonky. I had to get out of there and I did.

In all, I had done too much plus the Uthoff's. I hurt in many places today but nothing seems to be broken. Peter is watching over me a little too well.

Who else is falling? I remember Jeanie having falls and Jtwin had one in the early autumn and broke her foot.

ANN

[funnylegs4]

I have Cerebral Palsy so falling is my life. If you have MS I'm guessing the balance part of your brain is being effected. Never apologize for falling my dear! It's just a natural thing and nothing to be ashamed of! If I were you I would teach yourself to catch your falls. As a person with CP I have trained myself to put my arms out very fast to catch myself. It takes practice but it can be learned.
About the weakness episode, after my friend had a stroke that happened to him a lot. He'd get tired and then suddenly get so weak it looked like he was going to fall. Luckily he was able to sit before he fell. It had to do with the damage to his brain and it was horrifying. Just try to stay cool,hydrated and do not stand too long. You may also want to have your blood sugar and heart checked if you have episodes where you feel weak. Do you feel dizzy?

[agate]

That must have been scary, ANN. Falls can be so very scary. I'm glad you weren't badly injured.

Every time I fall, after I've checked over parts to make sure things are still intact, I thank my lucky stars I've escaped without needing a trip to the ER or whatever.

funnylegs, that's good advice about learning to catch yourself before you fall, and I've been trying to do that. Sometimes it works, but often it doesn't.

There may be something about MS falls that make them "special." Most falls I've had (since MS) have been lightning-fast, so fast that there's no way I could have caught myself. I just get slammed down, and there I am on the ground, wondering what happened.

It sounds as if ANN's recent falls were like that too.

Getting out of bed is one of my most wobbly times. I keep the rollator by my bedside within easy reach, and I grab hold of it while getting out of bed, usually just long enough to get "stabilized," and then I go on my way without it to the bathroom. Maybe it's just a psychological security blanket but somehow just taking a few moments to get stable with the help of the rollator does help.

[SuzE-Q]

So sorry, ANN!

I still have the marks on my legs from when I fell down the stairs...that was a year and a half or 2 ago now, I think?

Have you increased your baclofen recently, or changed the time you take it?

I'm always reminded of Grassman who told us that it was baclofen (that weakens muscles in order to reduce spasms) that caused him to fall and break his leg, and he never walked again. He was a constant cautionary tale against baclofen, and I remembered it well, especially when I began trying baclofen recently. I recall you take it as well.

Even without baclofen, If I'm overheated or standing too long, one of my knees sometimes just gives out on me. I haven't fallen yet, but if it was both, I'd be unable to stop myself from going down. It's like the tenseness over the one knee just relaxes, and it loses its upright positioning...I can almost hear it unhinge before the strength of the joint's muscles disappears and it loses its rigidity and tone.

Can you pinpoint the exact sequence of what was occurring physically before it happened?

Glad you weren't hurt!

[funnylegs4]

So sorry, ANN!

I still have the marks on my legs from when I fell down the stairs...that was a year and a half or 2 ago now, I think?

Have you increased your baclofen recently, or changed the time you take it?

I'm always reminded of Grassman who told us that it was baclofen (that weakens muscles in order to reduce spasms) that caused him to fall and break his leg, and he never walked again. He was a constant cautionary tale against baclofen, and I remembered it well, especially when I began trying baclofen recently. I recall you take it as well.

Even without baclofen, If I'm overheated or standing too long, one of my knees sometimes just gives out on me. I haven't fallen yet, but if it was both, I'd be unable to stop myself from going down. It's like the tenseness over the one knee just relaxes, and it loses its upright positioning...I can almost hear it unhinge before the strength of the joint's muscles disappears and it loses its rigidity and tone.

Can you pinpoint the exact sequence of what was occurring physically before it happened?

Glad you weren't hurt!

I'v heard some people can get dizzy and pass out from overheating or standing too long so please be careful.

[Lazarus]

Last night I fell. I got up to go to the bathroom. I walked about 10 steps and just went down. Peter said, "something fell." I said that is was me. That I was on the bathroom floor on the other side of the door.

He got me up. I apologized for falling! Crazy but I automatically do that. Then I immediately fell again just like a Lego tower that has the bottom bits knocked out. It amazed us, not in a good way, because Peter was standing face to face w me. I had no time to grab him or the other way round.

Yesterday was a mild day but we had a lot of stops w his mom. This included a lunch for my birthday. The restaurant was too warm and we got them to turn the heat down. In our next stop, a grocery store, I had an episode of Uthoff's. I felt weak and my eyes went wonky. I had to get out of there and I did.

In all, I had done too much plus the Uthoff's. I hurt in many places today but nothing seems to be broken. Peter is watching over me a little too well.

Who else is falling? I remember Jeanie having falls and Jtwin had one in the early autumn and broke her foot.

ANN

I go through periods when I fall a lot and then I do not fall for a while. Right now IA have scrapes up and down one arm and the opposite leg. Hurts! Your falls sound scary. Sudden, no time to save yourself.��

[stillstANNding]

Funnylegs,
I am not dizzy and did not have a chance to stop my self fm falling nor did Peter the second time. I wing walk very often, it's automatic.

Agate,
You are close to what happened. I think it had to do w the overdoing and Uthoff's.

SuzE-Q,
I saw my neuro in Jan and my legs were tight on exam. My baclofen was increased then from 35 to 45 a day. 15-15-15. But that is not recently.

There are people who need a certain amount of spasm to stay upright, tho, but not me. Not yet.

Thank you all. Husband is now letting me roam around on my own. No stairs w/o him though. You gotta love him. <3
ANN

[Sunshine]

That sounds pretty scary and I am glad you didn't break a bone or worse Ann.

My friend with MS has yoga mats all over the house. For one, she walks better on that type of surface. If she falls, it is a softer landing.

So, your muscle just stopped working, if I hear you right? The heat and over exertion caused the nerve to stop firing?

That's one reason my husband reads me the riot act when Indont hold the railing on the stairs....

[stillstANNding]

Bbs, it happened so fast I don't know what happened.

ANN

[Pegakafarmgirl]

ANN,, I am so sorry for you falling, gosh , talk about a turnaround,I too went thru a stage that falling was what I did every day,, my husband swears he was going to incase me in bubble/wrap......when I fell, no warning, nothing,,it should have come with a bell, to let you know it was going to happen..

[funnylegs4]

Funnylegs,
I am not dizzy and did not have a chance to stop my self fm falling nor did Peter the second time. I wing walk very often, it's automatic.

Agate,
You are close to what happened. I think it had to do w the overdoing and Uthoff's.

SuzE-Q,
I saw my neuro in Jan and my legs were tight on exam. My baclofen was increased then from 35 to 45 a day. 15-15-15. But that is not recently.

There are people who need a certain amount of spasm to stay upright, tho, but not me. Not yet.

Thank you all. Husband is now letting me roam around on my own. No stairs w/o him though. You gotta love him. <3
ANN

Thanks. It's good that you are not dizzy. Spasms are what people with neurologic conditions use for strength. If the spasticity is removed we get weak. It's why I did not take botox or anything like that for spasticity. I did not want muscle weakness. Yoga matts are a good idea!

[agate]

When I was diagnosed with MS, my frequent falls were one of the issues--and the type of falls was another issue. Seizures were considered but pretty much ruled out because the EEG was "substantially normal." Not sure what that meant but the neuro muttered something about putting me on Dilantin but didn't bring up that topic again.


The neuro said that sometimes with MS there can be sudden loss of muscle tone. He thought that's why I was having the type of falls where I couldn't have stopped myself because I just found myself on the ground.

[Virginia]

Oh Ann, so sorry this happened to you. In addition to being concerned that you could hurt yourself, it is also such a shocking reminder that this can happen and that in itself is worrisome. No wonder you overdid by going to 5 grocery stores just after the fall. Surprised Peter allowed that. I am concerned about the steps you go up and down when do the laundry now that I know this.

Suze-Q thanks for the reminder about the baclofen. I do not take it and this reminded me why. My Doctor and I discussed it a number of years ago and decided I might be better off with the spasticity. I know that could change.

[Jeanie Z]

:) Most of my falls have been when transferring to the scooter. They happen so fast that I do not know what happened. I have not had one in quite awhile and I am glad since Andy has to come to get me up. I am glad not to have to bother him. He does so much for me every week.

Ann I am glad you did not break a bone. Be careful. Jeanie :)

[stillstANNding]

Virginia, I asked Peter to close the trap door to the cellar. No danger that I will fall taking laundry down if I don't go down.

Re yoga mats and bubble wrap: I guess the yoga mats are more practical but you gotta love Peg's Joe wanting to wrap her in bubble wrap!

I have often thought it crazy that people want the hardest things, granite and marble, in their bathrooms. Bathrooms are where the most falls happen. For everyone. More for us. I have linoleum tiles on the floor. I am looking into cork.

Thank you all. Maybe we should all get assistance dogs. Chocolate labs?
ANN