"Brisk reflexes"

    • Anonymous
      June 26, 2008 at 5:45 pm

      It has taken nearly 4 years, but I finally made it to a research hospital (UW) where somebody seems to know something about GBS. It is a little over a 2 hour drive, which we will be making again in a couple of weeks, but I’m feeling like it will be worth it to get some answers.
      The Dr. who I saw yesterday used a term I hadn’t heard, especially pertaining to GBS. I’ve googled it and done some reading on “brisk reflexes”, but as the Dr. said, it is very odd that my reflex would present as abnormally quick or hyper when I assumed the residules I have been dealing with are connected to GBS. Let the testing begin…I’m ready for some answers.

      Is anyone familiar with the term or ever had “brisk reflexes”?

    • June 26, 2008 at 6:56 pm

      Brisk reflexes are good! I think!!! If so, great news, you are getting your reflexes back.
      Dawn

    • Anonymous
      June 26, 2008 at 9:00 pm

      JayDee, have you been tested for ALS? You might want to look at the symptoms to see if they look familar,,,,,just an idea. There are other syndromes that have brisk reflexes as a symptom, I think it is connected to cmt, but I’m not positive. Take Care.

    • June 26, 2008 at 10:04 pm

      Cheryl,
      Are brisk reflexes bad? I could sware the doc said Kevin had brisk reflexes on one of our exams.
      Dawn

    • Anonymous
      June 26, 2008 at 11:37 pm

      I have also had “brisk reflexes” only in my knees, even at my worst! I have 2 neuro docs. Neither thought too much of it. One thought it odd though. Both confirmed my dx as a mild form of CIDP. If this is mild….

      Charliegirl

    • Anonymous
      June 27, 2008 at 12:54 am

      I am assuming that “brisk relflexes” would mean fast? I am not sure about that, but I don’t really think whether or not one has reflexes or not is important; other than in the early stages of being diagnosed. I got all of my reflexes back, even though I still have considerable weakness & must wear AFOs. Doctors like to feel important when checking for them, I think…

    • Anonymous
      June 27, 2008 at 11:48 am

      I have hyperactive reflexes and just assumed it was part of the residuals…hmmmm

    • Anonymous
      June 27, 2008 at 3:19 pm

      No brisk-reflexes aren’t a bad thing. They are also present with some types of cidp. I myself have no reflexes and haven’t had them for years before my paralysis started. In my opinion, brisk-reflexes are better then no reflexes anytime.:) Just keep in mind its in the interpretation. What one dr says is brisk may very well be the normal to another dr.

    • Anonymous
      June 27, 2008 at 8:28 pm

      Thanks to all who responded. It’s always so interesting to hear how other Docs approach our similar issues. As I’ve mentioned before, my mom has Parkinsons, my older sister has MS and now my younger sister is seeing a neurologist for the first time. We definitely got some weak genes when it comes to the nervous system. My younger sister said at her first visit her neurologist mentioned she has “brisk reflexes” and told her it was typical in auto-immune diseases. Very interesting….

    • Anonymous
      June 27, 2008 at 10:17 pm

      Reflexes help to determine where the problem in the nervous system is located. Reflexes that are diminished support that there is a problem outside of the spinal cord in the periphery (like typically for GBS). Reflexes that are increased support that the problem is in the spinal cord or brain. I have really brisk reflexes–if someone taps my knee, watch out, but that has been the case all my life. However, it is a major reason the neurologists keep trying to make my neurologist problems be MS or breakdown of nerves or problems in the brain. Other times, he has argued that my reflexes might be “less brisk” than they used to be…..
      FYI, it used to be one of the “criteria” that someone had GBS that they have reduced or absent reflexes. As people have appreciated the diversity in GBS/CIDP, this “criteria” has been dropped, but a lot of people still “believe” it. In reading about this at the beginning, it is worth knowing that when there is damage to the nerve cell (axonal damage) as opposed to damage to the lining/insulation of the nerve (myelin), one is more likely to have brisker (or less reduced) reflexes. But, lack of loss of reflexes does not mean that the damage is axonal, because the nervous system is complex.
      WithHope for cure of these diseases