Can't find the answers

Hi, I am new to this forum. I hope someone can help me. I was diagnosed with MS 2 1/2 years ago, went on Copaxone, which seemed to help limit the exacerbations. My brain scan only had a couple of lesions. I also have trigeminal neuralgia (15 years). I have problems with a prickling, tingling feeling in my left shoulder blade that is constant that has been going on for several years. It is just enough to drive me nuts. If I sleep on my back at night, my entire shoulder blade area goes completely numb. I had surgery a year ago for a torn rotator cuff/tendonitis in the left shoulder. I never felt better and have been back to the doctor complaining of pain in that shoulder. It is a torn bicep.I quit the MS therapy because it was too painful combined with the shoulder pain. I went to the orthopedic surgeon and he feels that something else is going on as well because of the tingling in the shoulder. My left arm always feels like I have all the nerves exposed. I don't like to touch it much, or have people touch it. Very similar to the trigeminal neuralgia feeling that I have in my face. I have also been diagnosed with Sjogren's, but very borderline. My main concern now is getting rid of the pain in my shoulder from the bicep tear, but now I am wondering if it could be something else as well. I am having an EMG done after Christmas to rule out radiculapothy(?). I have had brain/neck/shoulder MRI's in the last month and nothing is really jumping out at anyone. My biggest fear is that I have a tumor or something like that and no one is seeing it. Is that possible? Is there something else I should be asking the doctor, or telling the doctor about my symptoms? I have always mentioned the tingling and the fact that it all goes numb during the night if I lay on it and I have had doctors tell me that it's not possible for it to go numb. I am frustrated with not knowing where to go to get some answers and help me get through this pain and get some relief. Can someone give me some suggestions/ideas/thoughts?
Thank you so much...

[Abhijeet Deshmukh, MD]

Hello.

It is unlikely that the MRI will miss any tumor in the spine. But your symptoms suggest some radiculopathy.

A second possibility is that the MS is causing the problem.

Things will be a little more clearer after the EMG, but please do not discontinue the MS treatment.

Regards