MS paresthesia: I’m buzzing. Literally.

Do not let the title fool you into thinking I’m over the moon about something and, as such, buzzing with joy.

Nope.

This is buzzing on a medical scale with no forgiveness.

Perhaps only people with neurological MS symptoms will recognise this as true.

If not, hang around, and I will try to make sense of why anyone would literally feel like the Duracell bunny on steroids.

So yes, I’m buzzing, as if bees are flying around at record speed under my skin. It shouldn’t take up my mental space, but here we are.

Buzzing galore!

And MS galore!

Its subtitle could be, “MS: Exploring your limits. Until your batteries run out.”

So yeah, when everyone thinks that you look so well, they have no idea what’s happening on the inside.

Isn’t it such a wondrous thing? So many sensations. So many reasons. Heck, so many questions that seem difficult to answer even for the carriers of MS lesions somewhere on their brain or spinal cord.

Thus, here we are. Trying to navigate another sensational physical sense gone rogue.

Paresthesia or dysesthesia?

So why, what, how, or when does one feel as if bee colonies invade your physical body?

What?

Misfiring signals to the brain. These signals are translated into sensations like buzzing, vibrating, “pins and needles,” or burning, and can range from mild tingling to intense electric shocks. Instead of electrical signals flying from A to B, they fly from A to X and send you entirely off grid. Instead of the flight attendant saying welcome aboard your flight to New York, she says nothing until you arrive in Rome.

How?

The brain misinterprets these faulty signals and creates sensations such as buzzing, vibrating, “pins and needles,” or burning, which can range from mild tingling to intense electric shocks.

Life with MS… never a boring day!

What types of buzzing sensations are there?

Internal Tremors (Vibrations): A feeling of quivering or humming deep inside the body (e.g., chest, legs, abdomen) without any visible shaking. It is frequently worse at rest or when trying to sleep.
Lhermitte’s Sign: A brief, electric shock-like or intense buzzing sensation that shoots down the spine, sometimes into the arms or legs. It is often triggered by bending the neck forward.

Why It Happens

When myelin is damaged by MS lesions, the nerves cannot properly conduct electrical signals. The brain misinterprets these faulty signals and creates sensations like buzzing, vibrating, “pins and needles,” or burning.

How It Is Managed

While the sensation can be frustrating, treatments and coping strategies are available:

Medication: Neurologists often prescribe nerve pain medications such as gabapentin, pregabalin, or carbamazepine to help calm the nerve signaling.
Lifestyle Adjustments: Ensuring adequate rest, practicing stress-reduction techniques, and managing fatigue can help, as exhaustion often makes these sensations more pronounced.
Cooling: Because heat can temporarily worsen MS symptoms, using cooling vests or avoiding excessive heat can provide relief.

It is fair to say that symptoms like these can be frightening when you first experience them.

If these sensations are new, worsening, or impacting your daily routine, it is essential to contact your neurologist or healthcare provider to be on the safe side and update your treatment if needed. For more localised resources, you can consult support networks like your national MS Society or the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland.

If you reside in Ireland and need a listening ear, want more info about MS, or want to read their weekly posts by their resident, award-winning team of bloggers (of which I have been part for twelve years now), our own national society continues to be the first stop if you’re newly diagnosed. They have been incredibly welcoming and helpful after my own diagnosis. Their outreach is impeccable, and the originality of their campaigns to bring awareness about MS is fantastic.

So, if you are newly diagnosed with MS in Ireland, or wherever you are in the world, check them out online.

So, onwards and upwards we go. In between my left ear hosting a buzzing party and my right ear ringing ike a school bell, I hope you are now no longer part of the uneducated. If you want more info, please check below resources.

Read more:

What is dysesthesia? Web MD

Paresthesia. What is it and what causes it? Web MD

MS symptoms, Multiple Sclerosis Ireland

Are you looking for someone to join your blogging team? Send me a message at willeke@irelandms.com