EMG With Dr Gordon, Toronto

[DoubleEdgedSword]

I have no idea what is going to happen. I'm supposed to get an EMG with Dr Gordon in Toronto on November 16th. He's checking my pudendal nerve in respect to my PGAD.

Is there anyone who can tell me what to expect? I did manage to ask the woman on the phone if it was going to be the EMG with the needles or the surface test. She said it was to be a vaginal surface test.

Am I to assume it's an external test? Will they be testing more than the pudendal nerve? I have widespread pain/sensitivity in the groin area, so assume it's more than the pudendal nerve affected. How much pain should I expect?

This is the test I've been dreading and I already have stress/anxiety issues.. Any input would be gratefully accepted. I'm expecting the worst and hoping for the best..

[Violet M]

DES, I had the EMG done by Dr. de Bisshop in France so I'm sure it's not exactly the same as what you are having but probably similar. I think Dr. de Bisshop used needles in some of the muscles but they were tiny and I hardly felt them. It's a bit uncomfortable but not excruciating or anything like that. You are likely to feel some shocks but they are very quick -- it's not like a continuous pain. It doesn't take that long either so compared to the pain we live with everyday it's really quite minor. I think you will be fine but if you are worried you could ask for some anti-anxiety medication to take the night before and the day of the procedure.

Best,

Violet

[DoubleEdgedSword]

Thanks Violet. Maybe I'll get something from my doc or Dr G. I see my own doc the day before the EMG, so perhaps he can give me something if I think I'll need it.

I have to see my doc to 'discuss my latest blood test results'. Not looking forward to this because diabetes runs in my family. I've gained so much weight this past year because my home invasion robbery has caused me to stress eat, and for the longest time I was also afraid to go out for walks in my neighbourhood.

I've walked three days in a row, but I need to modify my diet also. The walking so far isn't causing me any additional discomfort in regards to my PGAD, so hopefully it won't.

I've got one week now before I have the EMG. Still not exactly thrilled about having it, and hoping it'll only be once and never again.

[wendy7]

Hello,

I had the EMG done a really long time ago. It is pretty quick and for the most part painless. Just a couple of shocks that I felt, while they were doing the testing. But, I wish you the best of luck with the EMG and hopefully you will be able to get some definitive answers on if the pudendal nerve is affected.

Take care,
Wendy

[DoubleEdgedSword]

Thanks for your reply, Wendy. My imagination gets the best of me sometimes..

Can anyone tell me if this 'surface test' involves just the exterior surface, or if some of the test is done internally? I'm calling this day "You Want To Put Electrodes WHERE?!?"..

[Chex]

Doubledged sword What where the results of your emg? I also wnet to see Dr. gordon this week for an EMG and the results came back negative. So I do not know what to think. I am in a huge flare up though right now because I had that test and the gyno dr. Levinsky and her reseident dr. all exam me the same day. I'm not sure how the test could have been negative..I certainly have the symptoms. Dr. Gordon also said that he expected my Mri to not show anything either. He said to keep up with physio as when he touched the obturator inteaus muscles I shook involuntary in pain and cried.

[wendy7]

Hello,

Sorry I didn't get back to you on this. It looks like you already had the EMG done a couple of days ago? I hope that you can post your experience with it. My recollection of the EMG testing is having probes right at the rectal area, with some shocks, internal testing via the vagina and then another probe testing next to the clitoris. They hit those areas and you should feel a bit of a shock, but hopefully nothing to painful.

Would like to hear your experience with it though and what the results were of the testing.

Take care,
Wendy

[Chex]

Yes I had it just recently. For me it was pretty tramatic. I don't think I had any probes put on the outside around the anus or clitoral area like others have. Im not sure why. Mine was internal and very intolerable. I should have been knocked out ,it was so bad. But I knew it would be over quickly. The little shocks were not painful at all. It was the probing of the obturator internus muscles. He pressed the probe to certain areas inside and my legs shook uncontrollably in pain. I couldn't help but cry. The test came back negative. Felt like it was for nothing. I had a huge flare for the next week.

[DoubleEdgedSword]

Sorry, I dropped off the face of the earth for a few weeks..

Mine didn't involve the rectal area either, but most of it was internal. Apparently I'm really reactive when my uterus is palpated. I also thought most of my pain was on the right side, but when doing the internal exam, I actually felt more pain on the left side.

My results were also 'negative' (normal reaction time, I guess), and I'm scheduled for my MRI this Friday evening..

I was diagnosed as being diabetic last week, so I've started Metformin. From what I read, I have to stop that a couple of days before the MRI and not take it for a couple of days afterwards, if they're using contrast dye, because it can damage the kidneys.. I'm going to have to call them and find out.

Dr Gordon is now going to be looking for Tarlov cysts or perineal cysts for this MRI.. I'll let you know how it goes.

[helenlegs 11]

Hi all ,
Just catching up with things after a little absence myself DES. I had nerve conduction tests a week ago but because my problem is sciatic and PFCN (as well as pudendal) I didn't have any intimate areas tested??? The tests were positive although I didn't get any figures or actual results but they are now sending me for an MRI scan. The Dr who did the tests said he thinks I have a problem with S1 and S2 and that I don't have pudendal neuralgia or piriformis problems !!!! His reasoning for no PN seemed to be, 'S2,3 and 4, keep the wee wee off the floor,' which although correct doesn't account for the fact that PN is usually unilateral (as mine is) and 1 damaged nerve doesn't automatically mean incontinence.
I couldn't 'put him right' (well I guess I could have, but didn't. Have had too much nonsense to deal with 'recently' for any potential medical confrontation) So I am just going with the (all of this is local and not expert) flow for now. He had seen PN he said, but not much of it, and didn't say what the treatment plan was for those patients. As he told me that he doesn't think I have it I didn't ask for more info on what they do with PN'ers. The fact that he didn't even get anywhere near my pudendal nerve in the test is a bit perplexing given his 'diagnosis'. Oh well I hope to 'educate' them up here (one day) in the ways of pelvic nerve entrapment but it is going to be a very slow process.
I obviously didn't glean a great deal of info from this test as to be honest I am just being a 'good girl' and going through the motions. UNTIL they GET IT!!!!
Glad that Dr Gordon is moving forward in your case DES, good luck.
Helen