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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Does this sound like PN??? HELP
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Does this sound like PN??? HELP
by scheelstephanie, Sep 07, 2003 12:00AM
Hi,
My name is Stephanie(21 yrs)and was healthy until 2 months ago. I passed out getting up too quickly,never happened before. After that,typical anxiety symptoms,dizziness,loss of appetite,etc. Went to dr at University health center, did some lab work,everything came out fine(no diabetes/anemia,thyroid OK.)Started to get a constant tingly/"pins and needles" feeling in right hand,soon spred to left(started a little over a month ago and was CONSTANT).It was occasionally in my feet,but primarily my hands.Had MRI of brain(no contrast)everything looked fine, neuro. said probably due to anxiety,prescribed xanax for a few days.Felt relieved after MRI,thought this would go away.It didnt.Went to another neuro,said probably PN, possibly due to diet(poor diet habits for yrs. + not eating due to anxiety over a month),or maybe I had West Nile Virus (im in Nebraska,it is quite common,although i had NO other symptoms ie. fever).Neurological exam was normal,so he said to come back in 3 weeks if not better.My symptoms are changing,instead of the pins feeling (which is subsiding gradually),I have more of a vibrating/buzzing feeling in fingers-forearm,and sometimes even legs.If I run my fingers through my hair,it is like they are vibrating for seconds afterwards.Muscles fatigue easily.
Do these changes mean Im getting worse? Are diff. nerves involved in "pins" as opposed to vibrating?
Im still fully functional, and have not lost any sensation. Is it too early to do electrical testing?
Should I wait to go to dr.,or should I go sooner if worse?
Could this be anxiety? I dont think so
My name is Stephanie(21 yrs)and was healthy until 2 months ago. I passed out getting up too quickly,never happened before. After that,typical anxiety symptoms,dizziness,loss of appetite,etc. Went to dr at University health center, did some lab work,everything came out fine(no diabetes/anemia,thyroid OK.)Started to get a constant tingly/"pins and needles" feeling in right hand,soon spred to left(started a little over a month ago and was CONSTANT).It was occasionally in my feet,but primarily my hands.Had MRI of brain(no contrast)everything looked fine, neuro. said probably due to anxiety,prescribed xanax for a few days.Felt relieved after MRI,thought this would go away.It didnt.Went to another neuro,said probably PN, possibly due to diet(poor diet habits for yrs. + not eating due to anxiety over a month),or maybe I had West Nile Virus (im in Nebraska,it is quite common,although i had NO other symptoms ie. fever).Neurological exam was normal,so he said to come back in 3 weeks if not better.My symptoms are changing,instead of the pins feeling (which is subsiding gradually),I have more of a vibrating/buzzing feeling in fingers-forearm,and sometimes even legs.If I run my fingers through my hair,it is like they are vibrating for seconds afterwards.Muscles fatigue easily.
Do these changes mean Im getting worse? Are diff. nerves involved in "pins" as opposed to vibrating?
Im still fully functional, and have not lost any sensation. Is it too early to do electrical testing?
Should I wait to go to dr.,or should I go sooner if worse?
Could this be anxiety? I dont think so
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS, Sep 08, 2003 12:00AM
The change in the character of the sensory disturbance does not necessarily mean things are getting worse or better. Certainly if your symptoms change in location, intensity, or if you loss sensation or develop weakness you need to call your doctor immediately. If you are having symptoms, but your neuro examination is normal a EMG (including nerve conduction studies) will most likey be normal, but that is important to document. If the test is normal then a quantitative sensory test which looks at the small nerves serving pain and the larger nerves serving vibration can be investigated.
There are certain blood tests which could be done, including testing for Vitamin B12, Folate, and Inflammation (ESR test). Lastly, stress can cause a whole multitude of symptoms in various patients. Therefore, we never say a symptom may not be stress related. I am not saying that your situation is such, but to answer your question these symptoms could be stress related. However, without having the opportunity to evaluate you, I can not be more precise.
There are certain blood tests which could be done, including testing for Vitamin B12, Folate, and Inflammation (ESR test). Lastly, stress can cause a whole multitude of symptoms in various patients. Therefore, we never say a symptom may not be stress related. I am not saying that your situation is such, but to answer your question these symptoms could be stress related. However, without having the opportunity to evaluate you, I can not be more precise.
Member Comments (3)
by Arie, Oct 13, 2003 12:00AM
Stephanie,if you would be willing to correspond with me,please reply to this. I am a 22 year old female experiencing similar symptoms. The only prior illness I had was spinal meningitis last August. I also recently stopped taking hydrocodone (vicodin) for a two month period of time,and I wondered if this could have anything to do with the tingling ,sometimes burning sensations in my hands and lower arms. Sometimes it moves to my feet,but not as much. I also occasionally have it my face-according to my doctor,the tingling in my lips is anxiety. I beg to differ. Sorry to ramble on,but please let me know if you'd like to talk,seeing that you are really the only other person in my age group who seems to be having similar problems. Thanks.
by mish mash, Oct 18, 2003 12:00AM
HI, I am 26 about three mos ago I had some really weird pelvic pain and then this electrical shock sensation over my pelvic bone.a few weeks later I started getting theese burning gripping pains in my hands and feet(also ankles and wrists) only one finger or toe but other times my whole foot or hand now having this same pain in what seems to be my rib cage. Oh yeah! in the beginning I was getting this burning tingle in my tongue(it felt like a bee trapped inside my mouth) that has subsided some but still happens occasionally in conjunction with the other stuff.I have been tested for every std imaginable because of the pelvic stuff(including hiv)way after the window period and all neg- my doctor did a blood count,anemia,ulcer allergy also all neg- he does not think it is any type of arthritis.on the last visit he said neuropathy and reffered me to a neurologist(who i haven't seen yet)also scheduled for mri. he says sometimes people have neuropathy and never find a cause i am terrified it may be m.s. but i am not having typical symptoms other than what i described and i wont know until mri is done. So then he says possible lupus and my blood test just didn't pick up the inflamation. I am also not having numbness just occasional crawling sensation in my hands and feet. Just wanted to share this with you so we don't feel so alone -sometimes i am in so much pain it litterally makes me cry on top of the horror of not knowing what is causing this-he perscribed Amatriptyline and says itshould help the pain if it is neurological and will also help in determiningif it is wheather it is working or not.I would love a response reading this forum makes me feel less alone and I can possibly help others too-take care
