Foot & Calf Paresthia (buzzing) - Lhermitte sign - Thyroid - Help !

[GeordieOne]

Please can someone help me I am out of my mind worrying.  One year ago I had a strange episode of loss of feeling in one foot and went to neurologists.  My MRI scan was normal and he did not think it was MS.  It turns out I had hypothyroid disease.  I am now on Lezothyroxine but recently had my dose cut from 100mg to 50mg per day (as I had gone to hyperthyroid).  

For the last two weeks my left foot has been going numb and when I press my head to my neck (lhermitte sign) I feel a strong buzzing (although my MRI scan did discover a problem in my neck with a compressed disc).

I am going to get a new blood test to see if I am hypothroid again.  However I wonder if the time is right to get the Evoke Tests and Lumbar Puncture to test for MS?

Any advice would be much appreciated !

Many thanks

[Deb61]

I have hypothyroidism and MS.  It's hard to distinguish at times what causes what symptom.  Here's some questions you can ask yourself:

1)  Are you experiencing weight gain or hair loss?  I'm losing my hair right and gaining weight (even though I'm on a diet), which leads me to believe I should get my thyroid checked again.  

2)  Are you constipated?  I know MS causes this problem, but it's much worse when my thyroid is not working.  

3) Are you cold all of the time or have a low body temperature?  Sometimes my temperature is between 95 and 96 degrees (no joke!), and I'm cold all of the time.  

4)  Is your skin dry?  Mine will get so dry that it flakes off.  

I hope you get your needed tests.  The L'Hermitte's and left foot numbness doesn't sound like hypothyroidism to me.  Plus, you can't just assume it's just a compressed nerve.  You have an autoimmune problem with hypothyroidism.  You deserve a work-up to disclude MS or other autoimmune diseases (like lupus, Sjogren's, etc.).  I have bulging discs in my neck that more than likely causes some of my numbness.  However, I think it's possible that the bulging disc problem is related to the MS because of spasticity.  

[Wobbly]

let us know how things go... and when you are getting the tests done.

[jensequitur]

L'Hermitte's sign is usually a pretty positive indicator, although the compressed disc may also be causing the problem.  Hypothyroidism can also be caused by MS... so I'd say it's worth the time.