Looking for some answers...

[Mirry]

I'm a 25 year old female, and the past few years my health has really been going downhill.
last summer I was told I was suffering from anxiety attacks. I have always been a happy, easy going person so I never thought this was possible. I would be perfectly fine one second, and the next I would be dizzy, nauseated, getting hot flashes, blurred vision, numbing on the right side of my face and down to my arm. this happened on and off for about 3 months. They put me on antidepressants, but I only took them for 2 weeks before I decided to stop.

I have always suffered from neck and back pain since I was a teenager. I played soccer for 15 years so I always thought it was because of that. Last winter I decided to start seeing a chiropractor. He told me my neck had an opposite curve and that he could fix it, along with my anxiety, everyday headaches and frequent urination.
I saw him for several months, and he was surprised that nothing was really helping me the way it should be. maybe for a month or so I would be feeling slightly better, but then I would be right back to square one.

Well last month I started going a lot more frequently because I was suffering from severe back and neck pain, and my body was so weak and sore. Also I was having sharp stabbing, lighting like pains on the right side of my head.

That night I was to the emergency room, because the pain was getting worse and it was happening every 5 seconds.
The doctor told me it was Trigeminal neuralgia.
So I was put on medication and pain medication for a month.
Now my family doctor has sent me to a    neurologist.
I went to see the neurologist yesterday and he told me that he has never seen anyone my age that had trigeminal neuralgia. Also that the pain I am describing is slightly different... mine is a lightning bolt that comes every 5 seconds. unlike trigeminal which is a sharp pain that lasts a few minutes and then a slight numbing pain that last an hour or so till the next pain.

I'm getting an MRI on my brain December 12th. I would just like to be prepared, and I wouldn't mind some more idea in what could be happening to me.

Lately I've been having problems sleeping, constantly weak, my wrists and body hurts, my neck and shoulders are so stiff and achy, I have heart palpitations, and the back of my head aches along with the right side of my head just by touching it.

I should mention I work in a tanning salon, I have been there for 4 years now, also that when I drink I normally have a glass or two and I am either instantly drunk, and or nauseated, with a hangover that night.

Also I have mood swings to the point where I thought I might be bi polar. It doesn't make sense  since this is all new  to me.

As you can see there has been a lot going on lately, and I have been stuck with wondering what is going on?

If you can give me any answers it would help me out a lot, so I can do more research and figure out what is my next step.

Thank you very much for your time.

Mirry

[ggreg]

Well, then, again, it's good the neurologist you are seeing now is investigating what is going on with your neck issues.  I think you should find out if the MRI is going to JUST be of your brain, and if so, then you should ask to also have one done of your spine.  Another way to approach this is to ask your chiropractor if you can have copies of your spine X-rays, he may be willing to put them on a computer disk, I've had that done, so you can give them to your neurologist.

I cannot say if the chiropractor made things worse.  But I can say if what you say showed up on the X-ray, then there is little doubt in my mind that it is your neck, your cervical spine, that is some kinda wrecked up, becuz it does indeed show one of the thoughts I had about why you're having all these problems, which it shows your spine is out of alignment AND you have discs that are ruined somehow.  So, your neurologist needs to add to the idea of it being a nerve in your head area that's the problem, and also focus on it being a cervical spine problem!  You really need to see your neurologist again, it's tough to get them on the phone, you can ask for an emergency squeeze-in appointment, perhaps.  

[Mirry]

Thank you very much for all your suggestions.

I have gotten my thyroid tested a few months ago because I thought of that also, and the results came back fine.

When I was seeing the chiropractor they did an X ray of my spine that I saw, My neck was in an opposite curve. Also there was a few damages in between some discs. The reason I stopped going was because I was going 2-3 times a week for several months, and he still didn't understand why it wasn't working the way he expected.
My last visit was the one when I started getting the lightning bolt pains in the side of my head, and rushed to the hospital that night.

I was also told it was an inflamed nerve that was telling my brain that something is wrong?

So I'm left wondering if the chiropractor could have made my situation worse. I would hope not.

[ggreg]

Mirry,
I think the MRI is an excellent idea, and it will show if there's some sort of benign cyst near your hormonal glands in the brain.  I say hormonal because your symptoms sort of suggest that.  But I also think could be an endocrinologist should do some bloodwork on you, to see how your thyroid is doing, as well as your entire endocrine picture.  Perhaps your regular doc can set you up to see one even before your MRI, just so that stuff is in the records, too.  It's possible it's not a hormonal gland, whether in the brain or the body, but rather some sort of cervical spine issue!  That can also cause many of your symptoms, and since you were a soccer player and that's when some of this stuff began, you may have a couple intervertebral discs that have ruptured or are at least bulging enough to where some nerves in your neck are being compromised, and this is sending out all sorts of whacky signals down to your arm and up to your head.  Those would be my thoughts on what may be going on.  Do not worry, the MRI will help figure this out, you could ask your doc if they're going to do both the head and neck, becuz I do think your neck needs at the very least an X-ray, so if they only have you scheduled for a brain MRI, then to avoid any further delay by adding the neck to the order, you can ask your doc to do an ordinary black & white X-ray of your cervical spine, several pictures, so he can SEE if your discs are damaged.
GG