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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Ongoing neuro symptoms. No answers :-(
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Ongoing neuro symptoms. No answers :-(
by munzinator, Dec 18, 2006 12:00AM
I have been suffering for over 1.5yrs now with progressive symptoms which plague me every day. Started as numbness (like cold/wet clothes feeling) in left calf. Followed by tingling/buzzing/crawling feeling in specific spot under my left shoulder blade on back. Then numbness in both calfs! Then I had pressure feeling/numbness at back of head (this symptom has now all but subsided). In the last few months I have developed an awful tingling/crawling sensation on my left ear, where it joins the head. I also feel this inside my left ear making it feel itchy. I also recently have a cold spot just above the outer edge of my left eyebrow and more recently twitching just above my left eye, below the eyebrow. On top of this I get a cold/numb spot on my left forearm. The symptoms (particularly the arm legs related ones) are aggravated by clothes, especially jeans. I tend to wake up in the morning feeling fine, only for the feelings to come on in the day. I get these symptoms each day, some days are worse than others. When they started back in 2005 I experienced panic attack style symptoms. I have no weakness.
They started just after a holiday to Cuba in July 2005, just after I gave up taking drugs (I smoked cannabis daily for a few years and occasionally dabbled in cocaine).
I am a very active 27 yr old male, 61 2" 200lbs and practice martial arts every day.
I had gladular fever when I was 14 and suffered with right testicle pain for years, which now barely bothers me.
I have had MRI (3 months ago), CT scan, numerous bloodwork - all normal. Neuro cant find anything wrong. Help!
They started just after a holiday to Cuba in July 2005, just after I gave up taking drugs (I smoked cannabis daily for a few years and occasionally dabbled in cocaine).
I am a very active 27 yr old male, 61 2" 200lbs and practice martial arts every day.
I had gladular fever when I was 14 and suffered with right testicle pain for years, which now barely bothers me.
I have had MRI (3 months ago), CT scan, numerous bloodwork - all normal. Neuro cant find anything wrong. Help!
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH, Jan 19, 2007 12:00AM
First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
The symptoms that you describe are not specific for any single disorder, but several things should be addressed. There is a syndrome called formication (the feeling that bugs are crawling under your skin) that is similar to some of the symptoms that you describe. This is a tactile hallucination (feels like something that is not really there) and can be caused by drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and even an anti-hypertensive drug called labetolol and also in pyschosis. The treatment for drug related formication is to stop the offending drug (which it sounds like you already have). Other possibilites include undiagnosed multiple sclerosis (although your normal MRI makes that less likely), spinal cord disorder, peripheral neuropathy, primary psychosis, vasculitis (can some times also be related to cocaine use) or migraine headaches (can cause odd sensations even without the "headache" part). I would recommend that you have an MRI of your cervical/thoracic/lumbar spine to evaluate for any spinal pathology that might explain your formication. I would also recommend a lumbar puncture to evaluate for inflammation (IgG index, oligo clonal bands). An EMG would also be helpful to evaluate for peripheral neuropathy that could be contributing to your symptoms. If nothing is found on the above tests then starting a migraine preventative medication such as elavil, topamax, nadolol etc, maybe useful to evaluate for the possibility of migraine related paresthesias.
I hope this has been helpful.
The symptoms that you describe are not specific for any single disorder, but several things should be addressed. There is a syndrome called formication (the feeling that bugs are crawling under your skin) that is similar to some of the symptoms that you describe. This is a tactile hallucination (feels like something that is not really there) and can be caused by drugs such as cocaine, amphetamines and even an anti-hypertensive drug called labetolol and also in pyschosis. The treatment for drug related formication is to stop the offending drug (which it sounds like you already have). Other possibilites include undiagnosed multiple sclerosis (although your normal MRI makes that less likely), spinal cord disorder, peripheral neuropathy, primary psychosis, vasculitis (can some times also be related to cocaine use) or migraine headaches (can cause odd sensations even without the "headache" part). I would recommend that you have an MRI of your cervical/thoracic/lumbar spine to evaluate for any spinal pathology that might explain your formication. I would also recommend a lumbar puncture to evaluate for inflammation (IgG index, oligo clonal bands). An EMG would also be helpful to evaluate for peripheral neuropathy that could be contributing to your symptoms. If nothing is found on the above tests then starting a migraine preventative medication such as elavil, topamax, nadolol etc, maybe useful to evaluate for the possibility of migraine related paresthesias.
I hope this has been helpful.
Please understand that I am not a medical doctor and that my response is intended only to help you and is educational. My response is not meant to supplement or to replace that of your attending physician/s.
With that said-first-I am sorry that you are suffering and you may agree that fear of the unknown is quite worse than the symptoms themselves.
The initial descriptions of your symptoms are most likely what is known as parethesias. Paresthesias are abnormal nerve signals causing abnormal nerve sensations most likely from a compressed nerve in the spinal cord-more than likely C or T. This compression can be caused, for example, by pinched nerves, bulging discs, entrapped nerves or neurological conditions such as Peripheral Neuropathy, GB, LD, Celiac disease, Multiple Sclerosis, to name a few. Numbness can be a result of continued nerve damage. I detect that it is paresthesias because of the irritation of your clothing-a main complaint.
Your symptoms tend to wax and wan and that, in the long run, is probably a good thing and may lead to a less severe diagnosis. The lack of weakness if also wonderful. Your use of illegal narcotics is unlikely to be the cause of your symptoms.
While your age and practice are a wonderful thing, they will have nothing to do with whether or not you have a neurological illness. Also, you do not decribe much pain and this brings down a likely pinched nerve, a bit.
If you do not mind sharing, what part of the country you are from (the region), this may lead to more clues. It is a wonderful thing to know that your MRI (of the brain I presume?) turned up fine which would make a diagnosis, such as MS, highly unlikely.
I hope that I have been helpful.
Good Luck!
JCmcc.
What do I do now because when I last saw my neuorlogist (a week ago) he told me to book another appointment with him in 12 months time unless my doctor gets worried about me??!! I can't go another 12 months like this.
I forgot to mention also that my eyesight has got worse since these symptoms began, but I had an aye test and was prescribed glasses for mild short sightedness. The glasses work fine for me.
I apologize for the delay in my response. My suggestion is to try to wait out the 12 months and keep the understanding that space and time for diagnoses is often important and that this is most likely what your neurologist is doing, if not, he does not consider a possible etiology.
The eye symptoms are unfortunate but are non-specific and not an issue of they are controlled by glasses.
Good Luck!
JCmcc.
I have had my symptoms for a year and a half as well..
it's weird cause i noticed them when i came back from the dominican republic..
crawling sensation over my back and arms << this sensation i have felt everyday for a year and a half, im usually also fine in the morning but the feeling drives me nuts all day!! \
i also get hot/cold patches in different spots.
i am a 21 year old female 5'8 135 ,, i guess what ever this is it can effect anyone.. i thought i was the only one dealing with the annoying thing everyday....
i have an MRI on the 17th my cat scan showed the left side of my brain being a bit dense then the rest .... im a bit scared . don't know what this means .. hopefully we find some answers.
*saidee*