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Neuropathy and visual symptoms
Hi,
I have been trying to find an answer for 8 years now. Years ago after a small breathing problem I started to get visual and muscular symptoms. It started off with the weakness in my eye muscles leading to visual symptoms such as floaters, palinopsia (negative), visual snow, starbursts and such. After my eye symptoms i had weakness in my jaw muscle after feeling pressure in the jaw area. Now it constantly crackles and i can't even hold a smile long enough without feeling fatigued.
Progressing i started getting neuropathy in my arms and legs. Mostly arms though. In the legs, for example i cannot stand barefooted for a long time on a hard surface. It causes pain within minutes. I have constant crackling in my chest area, arms and legs.
Due to all this I have developed a bad case of anxiety and have trouble sleeping and feel fatigued most of the day and no my anxiety is not the cause of my symptoms (have heard that enough).
This is my 9th year now with all this which is slowly and steadily getting worst over the years.
I have shown physicians, ophthalmologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and neurologist who all say they can't find anything wrong with me. My MRI is fine and my blood works are fine.
Any idea by anyone on what this could be? The symptoms are getting worst year by year and there is apparently nothing wrong with me.
Any help or suggestions would be great!
I have been trying to find an answer for 8 years now. Years ago after a small breathing problem I started to get visual and muscular symptoms. It started off with the weakness in my eye muscles leading to visual symptoms such as floaters, palinopsia (negative), visual snow, starbursts and such. After my eye symptoms i had weakness in my jaw muscle after feeling pressure in the jaw area. Now it constantly crackles and i can't even hold a smile long enough without feeling fatigued.
Progressing i started getting neuropathy in my arms and legs. Mostly arms though. In the legs, for example i cannot stand barefooted for a long time on a hard surface. It causes pain within minutes. I have constant crackling in my chest area, arms and legs.
Due to all this I have developed a bad case of anxiety and have trouble sleeping and feel fatigued most of the day and no my anxiety is not the cause of my symptoms (have heard that enough).
This is my 9th year now with all this which is slowly and steadily getting worst over the years.
I have shown physicians, ophthalmologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and neurologist who all say they can't find anything wrong with me. My MRI is fine and my blood works are fine.
Any idea by anyone on what this could be? The symptoms are getting worst year by year and there is apparently nothing wrong with me.
Any help or suggestions would be great!
Best Answer
Thank you for your responses.
I don't remember exactly which endocrine tests were run, if any. I will get back on this. Thanks for the links Surgi.
I have had my b12 checked (within range), thyroid as well and have had a complete optho and neuro-optho workout. All has come back fine.
I don't remember exactly which endocrine tests were run, if any. I will get back on this. Thanks for the links Surgi.
I have had my b12 checked (within range), thyroid as well and have had a complete optho and neuro-optho workout. All has come back fine.
you need a EEG test on the brain waves..also gt your b12 checked ,,thyroid as well..and a visual test at the local hospital..
If you look on the brain/pituitary forum, even the specialists are supposed to know more about the pituitary than a neurologist would, that is, endocrinologists, often dismiss symptoms those people are experiencing, saying they couldn't be related to their pituitary tumor. Which endocrine tests did they run?
I also wonder if your skin is thinning, sense you talk about pain while standing barefoot on a hard surface. It reminds me of a relative of mine who has to wear socks now due to in his case, aging which can cause the skin to thin. But you are young.
I want to share with you about some of the symptoms of low growth hormone, which can be caused by a pituitary tumor- decreased bone and muscle mass, reduced endurance and strength, and impaired psychological well being.
When I had tingling sensations in my head, a neurologist told me they were muscle spasms. Have you had your potassium levels checked? Low potassium can cause muscle weakness and even muscle fiber breakdown with rhabdomyolysis.
See PM for some more info.
I also wonder if your skin is thinning, sense you talk about pain while standing barefoot on a hard surface. It reminds me of a relative of mine who has to wear socks now due to in his case, aging which can cause the skin to thin. But you are young.
I want to share with you about some of the symptoms of low growth hormone, which can be caused by a pituitary tumor- decreased bone and muscle mass, reduced endurance and strength, and impaired psychological well being.
When I had tingling sensations in my head, a neurologist told me they were muscle spasms. Have you had your potassium levels checked? Low potassium can cause muscle weakness and even muscle fiber breakdown with rhabdomyolysis.
See PM for some more info.
Hello again... i am going to post a time line of my symptoms in hope for some more help.
December 2003 - Breathing problem, basically felt i could not inhale from my chest sternum area. It is there till this day. My inhaling goes till my lungs but i feel there is a force stoppng my sternum area from breathing freely. I also get crackling sounds from this area when i stretch. If i don't stretch for some time there is slight pain as if its been constricted. Along with this i felt what is a little muscle fatigue in my throat.
January 2004 - While sleeping felt dizzy in the middle of the night, woke up with everything going in circles. Felt weakness in my right eye muscle. The dizziness lasted for a few days then went away. I had muscle fatigue in both eyes. After a few days after this i felt an intense pressure in my jaw for 2-3 days which like the eyes, also lead to muscle weakness in my jaw.
March 2004 - Woke up one day with palinopsia. Negative after images. Which later lead to flashers, visual snow (like a snow storm, TV static) and light trails.
June 2004 - Felt weakness in some of my joints such as the knees and ankle areas. general fatigue was felt.
Most of 2004 and 2005 and 2006 passed with these symptoms like this.
June 2007 - Had a big hot burning feeling in the upper part of my right arm which later lead to flabbiness of the fore arm muscle. It pains if i hold something using my fore arm muscles. Also my finger tips felt very tender (i am a guitarist so i noticed that immediately). My fingers get wrinkly now within seconds of coming in contact with water and my wrist area also has a constant click and pressure feeling.
October 2007 - developed a constant tingling sensation between my shoulder blades.
May 2008 - developed a constant click in my shoulders, a very loud and audible one.
Present - all these symptoms exist with them getting a little bad over the period of time. Along with all this i get anxiety, bad sleep, nightmares etc.
Hoping for some more answers.
January 2009 - started to feel a little pain whenv
December 2003 - Breathing problem, basically felt i could not inhale from my chest sternum area. It is there till this day. My inhaling goes till my lungs but i feel there is a force stoppng my sternum area from breathing freely. I also get crackling sounds from this area when i stretch. If i don't stretch for some time there is slight pain as if its been constricted. Along with this i felt what is a little muscle fatigue in my throat.
January 2004 - While sleeping felt dizzy in the middle of the night, woke up with everything going in circles. Felt weakness in my right eye muscle. The dizziness lasted for a few days then went away. I had muscle fatigue in both eyes. After a few days after this i felt an intense pressure in my jaw for 2-3 days which like the eyes, also lead to muscle weakness in my jaw.
March 2004 - Woke up one day with palinopsia. Negative after images. Which later lead to flashers, visual snow (like a snow storm, TV static) and light trails.
June 2004 - Felt weakness in some of my joints such as the knees and ankle areas. general fatigue was felt.
Most of 2004 and 2005 and 2006 passed with these symptoms like this.
June 2007 - Had a big hot burning feeling in the upper part of my right arm which later lead to flabbiness of the fore arm muscle. It pains if i hold something using my fore arm muscles. Also my finger tips felt very tender (i am a guitarist so i noticed that immediately). My fingers get wrinkly now within seconds of coming in contact with water and my wrist area also has a constant click and pressure feeling.
October 2007 - developed a constant tingling sensation between my shoulder blades.
May 2008 - developed a constant click in my shoulders, a very loud and audible one.
Present - all these symptoms exist with them getting a little bad over the period of time. Along with all this i get anxiety, bad sleep, nightmares etc.
Hoping for some more answers.
January 2009 - started to feel a little pain whenv
Hi.
Thanks for your reply. I have no loss of vision and can read and analyse perfectly. Its not a 20/20 vision as i wear glasses.
I have been thoroughly checked by Cardiologists and Neurologists including my calcium and endocrine blood tests, all were normal. My Neuro has already dismissed a pituitary tumor saying my symptoms are no where near consistent with a pituitary tumor.
I have had 3 MRIs over the years till now advised by 3 different Neuros and all have been fine.
Thanks for your reply. I have no loss of vision and can read and analyse perfectly. Its not a 20/20 vision as i wear glasses.
I have been thoroughly checked by Cardiologists and Neurologists including my calcium and endocrine blood tests, all were normal. My Neuro has already dismissed a pituitary tumor saying my symptoms are no where near consistent with a pituitary tumor.
I have had 3 MRIs over the years till now advised by 3 different Neuros and all have been fine.
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Has any doctor suggested ocular migraines? Regarding your jaw feelings- did you get your cardiovascular system checked to make sure there weren't any heart or blood vessel issues? Regarding the crackling in your jaw and hurting to smile- have you ever been evaluated by a maxillofacial specialist to see if you have any TMJ issues?
I assume you mean your MRI of your brain is fine. But have you had your calcium level and endocrine blood tests run? Things like thyroid function and cortisol for instance that can mess with the emotions when out of balance. Because if you happened to have a pituitary or another endocrine tumor, a regular brain MRI could or would miss it altogether. For the pituitary, it takes a specially dedicated dynamic MRI with and without contrast.