Flu shot and neuro symptoms? Strange sensations. Plse help, I'm terrified!

[ReneeV4]

Hello.  I am a 33 year old mother of two small kids and we all got the flu shot late this December 03. We've never gotten it before.  Since roughly that time (or to the best of my knowledge), I have been experiencing strange sensations in various parts of my body (legs, ankles, arms, feet) in various places, and started noticing it in my legs first, i believe.  These are not "painful", but are like a dull burning/stabbing type sensation that lasts for maybe 15 seconds at most.  They typically are not located at a joint although it can be.  Since yesterday morning (since I read about GBS, ironically enough), most of those sensations went away for the most part and have now been replaced with tingling sensations in my fingers/hands and infrequently in other places (legs, arms).  Last night i awoke to find both hands pretty numb, but I was laying on them akwardly, and it went away after a few miinutes.  I have a stabbing feeling in my right knee cap.  I went to the doctor and she is sending me for a brain MRI to check for MS, although she says she sincerely doesnt think its that based on my syptoms.  I have been under EXTREME duress since the onset of this, and my blood pressure was raised (first time in my life) when I went to the Dr. cause I was thinking it was bone cancer. I have been seriously freaking out, panic attacks, etc. which is out of my character, but I'm just so afraid.  Is this GBS?  Is this MS? Is this phychological?  It may be noteworth to mention that I have mitral valve prolapse and I believe the related syndrome. Please help me as i am scared. THANK YOU!

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

Your story is not consistent with GBS. Also, your symptoms do not sound like they are related to MS. The MRI of the brain will help to exclude this as a possibility. The symptoms you described in your hands the other night, could be consistent with carpel tunnel syndrome. If you are still concerned about this, you could request a consult with a neurologist. Good luck.

[JohnnyTX]

Since the flu shot might be the culprit, you might want to check into GBS. This does not sound like GBS but GBS has other cousins and variants. CIDP (chronic form of GBS) and Miller Fisher being two of them. I was taken down by GBS back in December of 2001 and I am still recovering and have symptoms that still bother me. I am a member of a GBS message board and the folks over there have been very helpful. You might want to check out and post your questions on the CIDP forum. There are a good handful of experts over there so ask away! Tell 'em Johnny sent you. Here's the web address.

http://www.guillain-barre.com/