Multiple issues- nothing adding up!

[treslils]

Hi, Im am really hoping someone can help me. For the past several years I have had very strange symptoms. Dizziness, Weakness of my arms, legs, knees and overall malaise. My left side of my face randomly goes numb. And so do my hands. When I am  tired or sick, My knees buckle, and I sometimes get disoriented and dizzy. Every morning I wake up with swollen hands and face, sometimes, feel like I have a fever. All my symptoms seem to get worse in extreme temperatures. I was Tested for MS, all negative. i am 34 years old and I lead very active healthy life. I have had, pretty much every test under the sun done. Its easier to list what came back abnormal.
I have low Vitamin D, Low iron saturation (13), Slightly positive ANA, High Thyroglobulin antibody (1.1), ? lesion on white matter of brain, that they said is caused by chronic headaches that I have had in the past. Slight scoliosis of thoracic spine, with herniation's at levels T6-T9, early signs of degeneration of cervical spine, Central disc herniation of L-5/S1, With slight spinal stenosis, I get several cold sores and mouth sores.  Does any of this add up to anyone??? I am at my wits end, I feel like my body is attacking itself :( All my docs are stumped!

[ConfirmedRachel]

Hi there,

From what you desribe I don't think it sounds like MS (I have it) but I also have pretty rubbish spinal discs and general immunity 'stuff' that sounds pretty similar (and is unconnected).

I had cold sores since I was small and had them nearly all the time - one lot could last weeks, keep flaring up etc. I now take something called Aciclovir twice a day and it has kept them away pretty much for two years.

I used to have constant mouth ulcers - have found an intolerance to wheat, so if I avoid it I don't get them any more.

With the discs I had a L5/S1 disc that burst and trapped/squashed my Sciatic nerve for several months, that was very painful and gave pain all down one leg (length of Sciatic nerve) - ending with an operation on my spine last Dec to remove the contents that had travelled down the side of my spine and to unwrap the nerve.  I also have another 6 prolapsed in lumbar, mid back and neck.

I guess the reason I'm telling you about my stuff is because if you have several issues in you spine with discs they can cause all sorts of problems with peripheral nerves (as opposed the the central nervous system - Brain, Optic and Spinal cord). Weakness, numbness etc can be caused by that too, and is easier to correct with Physio etc - plus some suitable medication if needed.

Things like feeling generally unwell, swollen face etc could also be intolerances like me - note, these are not the same as allergies which you'd get an extreme reaction but intolerance. This can build up over a few days and then wham! If you get tested you might find several different things cause different reactions. Mine were wheat, bananas and grapes! Also dust mites which leave me blocked up nose in the morning and puffy then ok once I'm up and about.

I suppose what I'm saying is that you sound very in tune with your body and differences you find each day. Some you might never work out and might come/go but others you might be able to work out if you go through your symptoms bit by bit.
It could be a mixture of different and unconnected things - so hard to tell though and really best to get a doc you really trust to work through the possible causes.  I went to normal Western docs but found a Chinese doctor was the best for the intolerances. They also have alternatives like acupuncture which is now accepted as being really good for treating a wide range of conditions.

MS is very unlikely to be the cause, you usually get a relapse followed by a period of remission (maj 85%) and some other things that can get worse with heat etc - but, there are many mimics that Neurologists will test for and if your tests are coming back without indicators then it is more likely (can't be definite cos I'm not a Neurologist!) to be something else.

Sorry a long reply but I hope you find something or someone that can work with you to find some answers.  Try to keep strong and make sure you get enough sleep/eat well to give your body the best chance to work well - I genuinely think everyone should take vitamin D as these days we either cover up/use sun cream (rightly) or live in parts of the world with limit possible sun opportunities! We need Vit D for all the cells in our body to work to their optimum level (Google that one and you'll be amazed I expect!).

Chin up
Nx

[TheLightSeeker]

High Thyroglobulin  Antibodies are found in 70% of Hashimoto's, 60% in
idiopathic Hypothyroidism, 30% in Graves, a small number of thyroid cancinoma and also in 3% of healthy individuals.
Anti TPO Antibodies are present In 99% of the cases where Thyroglobulin  Antibodies are present.
--Source: Wikipedia --

Did you also have ANti-TPO, Free T3, Free T4 and Reverse T3 tested?

The low iron saturation - a discrepancy of too many proteins available for iron transport and not enough bound iron being transported- is an indicator of iron deficiency, but more testing is necessary to confirm
Vitamin D is a very big factor in the overall healthy functioning of the body.
It signals over 300 genes and it has receptor sites everywhere in all the bodily systems.
What are your present levels?
Why do you think you are low?
Has your doctor looked into vitamin D resistance?
What vit. D supplements are you on and what dose?

Low thyroid function, low iron and low vitamin D are enough to set the foundation for the onset of Autoimmune conditions, if left untreated..

The biggest risk , is when doctors rely excessively on tests results,  which may be inaccurate, flawed and/or misleading!
It may result in a "wild goose chase" leaving the patient in medical limbo.

I hope this helps, however, my comments here are not not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

Best wishes,
Niko