Numbness/Tingling/Cramping/Fatigue

[JMWC]

I am a 37 yr old female-history of multiple allergies/eczema. Approx. 6 weeks ago, I developed numbness/tingling in my L arm with pain the length of the arm's underside & weakness/numbness/
tingling in my hand-more so in 4th & 5th fingers. I saw a neurologist & these tests have been done: Brain/Cervical MRI-normal,EMG/NCS L arm/hand-normal,Labs-B12, Homocysteine, methylmalonic acid, TSH, Sed Rate-all normal, C-Spine X-ray to rule out TOS-normal. The symptoms in my L arm/hand have worsened to incl.dull cramping,curling of my fingers at rest. I am L handed-it is difficult to write, use utensils or carry objects of any substance. I have some intermittent hypersenstivity to touch/pressure & altered temp. sensation. In the past 4 wks, numbness/tingling have developed in my R hand & both feet/lower legs. My L foot has the same dull/achy cramping as in my L hand. I have an intermittent low grade temp/waves of fatigue that last less than an hr & are sometimes accomp. by slight nausea. About 6 months ago, I had a numb patch on my back checked out & it was attributed to a T5 ostetophyte. At that time I had hyperreflexia in my legs & clonus in my feet/foot(not sure which or if both). I wake up in the morning with mild pain/numbness/tingling but my symptoms worsen through out the day. I was started on Neurontin 100mg TID last week. I think it is helping but hard to tell yet. No new diagnostic tests are scheduled at present-I am to follow up next week. Could you please give me some direction on what tests might be in order & ideas on what might be the cause of my symptoms? Thank You!

[helpmepleaseanyone]

A related discussion, numbness in my left hand for last two fingers was started.

[GCross]

A related discussion, Numb itchy palms was started.

[miccinina]

Hi!  I have been reading these forums for two months now and I cannot believe that there are people with similar symptoms as myself.  I am 30 years old (mother of two children) and 2months ago I was in the ER for hot heavy collar of pins and needles around my neck, left side of my face and left arm also had pins and needles, at work the nurse took my blood pressure and it was 139 / 85(for me very high!). It was extremely overwhelming! CT scan = normal.

   At follow up two days later I still had tingling in face and arm. During the exam with the hammer?  I noticed that the left side did not react the way the right side did.  I actually got a bruise on my left arm from the doc trying to get a reflex.   If i got upset after, i could feel the tingling worse.  They told me I experienced a complicated migraine.  (I've had migraines since I was a teenager with the aura etc. and during two pregnancies experienced occular migraines - with no headache.)  
    
     This first episode took place 10/6/04 one week before my period.  In november the toes of my left foot went numb-  thinking it was the shoes that i wore sneakers for two weeks and still numb!  Had tingling in the left side of my face and left palm of hand.  Then out of nowhere I have had extremelty painful craming in the back of my legs--sciatica??  I had an mri of cervical and brain with contrast and frustratingly normal.  Since the birth of my daughter (3/7/02 via c-section) I have been extremely tired, weak, dizzy, lots of pain in legs and feet -- totally not myself.    I thought it was the nursing, and having a c-section etc.  
    
    Since this episode in October  I seem to misplace EVERYTHING--  I can't remember words let alone keep a train of thought. I feel like I could pass out in the shower if it's too hot, and sometimes I even get lightheaded with a passout feeling after having eaten?!  

   After all of this, I started to recall the birth of my daughter.  I remembered that when I received my epidural, the anesthesiologist accidentally used a needle that was too long.  All of the stuff ran through my system, and when I could see again, there were about 7 people (nurses docs) around me in the room.  Is is possible that this has anything to do with my symptoms??  Also when I was 19 I had two surgeries for malignant melanoma which happened to be directly over my spine.  

For the past couple of days I had tingling on the bottom of my left foot and left knee.  During my sleep last night, I woke up with pins and needles on the entire left side of my body.  Thanks for listening! (READING!!!)

[Lexus]

I am amazed at how many of us share similar symptoms, for perhaps different reasons, and how difficult it is for the medical community to diagnos.  I am 47 years old and have been trying to understand what is wrong with me for 5 years now.  I experience the basic balance & vision distrubances, extreme fatigue, numbness and tingling on face, arms, and legs, extreme headaches, eye aches, loss of short-term memory, inability to concentrate.  The tough part is that the symptoms are caused by something the doctors can not see on a myriad of tests.  I think that sometimes the docs don't even have tests to figure out what is going on.  They do the best they can with the knowledge they have and present technology. The trouble I have is learning to accept the fact that finding the cause of neuorlogical problems that severly affect the quality of my life is a tough, arduous, and sometimes an ambiguous task. I need to learn to relax while my body feels strange and not cooperating with me.  My thoughts go out to all of you that are waiting to understand what is going on and I encourage peaceful perservercnce through our process.  I would like some advise on how to find someone that will employee me while I have these symptoms that seem to be getting worse with time.  Social Security thinks I am not severe enough, State Unemployment Department thinks I am too sick to refer me to work, and I was dumb enough in my healthly years not to purchase long-term disability insurance.  What do I do for money now?  I am very limited on tasks I can do.  I struggle to get through the day taking a shower, making meals, and going out to one errand a day.  All that wipes me out. I don't want to be on welfare!

[keys]

treatment for b1 defiency  is generally intravenous b1 given to ur needs  or shots in the muscles to get the levels back up,followed with b1 supplementation beri beri is the name for a b1 defiency and it is reversible,but untreateed can be fatal, it put my friend in a wheelchair.  it can also cause phychosis. ,  b1 from what i understand should also be taken with  a b complex, alternative therapy is b1 supplementation  plus allot of foods high in  b1  ,  a blood test for it will show if u have it or not, best to get the intravenous from a dr and  get the levels back up asap.
constipation  is also common with this problem,
about 25% of all people suffering with alchoholism  hass beri beri  from what i read but it can be brought on by  just a binje  or  other causes. also. even moderate drinking from what i read in certain individuals  can cause  a problem with thiamine b1 absorption
note b1 defiency can cause emaciation, also, it is not  a disease that undernourished people get it its a disease that is caused by the malabsorbtion of thiamine and anyone can get it under certain circumstances, heavy people , children young people , babies if the mother has a problem or defiency , elderly it is not age specific or gender  ect...

[keys]

so much of this sounds like what my  dear friend went thru and was misdiagnosed with  mnd als, she had beri beri, its a b1 defiency and left untreated it can be fatal.it can be brought on by alchohol or a binge ,diuretics  medications,an inability for whatever reason to absorb thiamine.B1 , first symptoms are generally fatigue. more of the  symptoms are weakness in lower extremities ,complaints of symetric tingling or burning pain in the extremeties tingling, pins and needles, memory loss, irratability, fatigue, burning in feet , peripheral nueropathy,muslce cramping ,   atrophy. muscle wasting, pain thru muscles ,strange eye movements,  mental confusion,speach difficulties, difficulty walking, and getting up, numbness in the extremities,,vomitting,

[kwag]

Just read your post.  I suggest you see an alternative physician as soon as possible.  Look at www.mercola.com.  He has great advice to help your body heal.  I experience alot of what you say.  It's better though.  Try to keep active.  You need to drink lots of good water and sweat.  Read mercola and try very hard to clean everything up.  God bless

[JMWC]

I had a SSER scheduled for week but I did not tolerate the shocks to my left arm (even with Ativan)due to severe pain.  They did complete the test on my right arm, and I experienced minimal pain. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and what the explanation was or if such an experience helped with diagnosis/answers?  I have not seen the neurologist since the test so I don't know his interp. yet.

[cindyope]

Ijust read this posting and I too have been having similar symptoms, especially with harlie1217.  I am 44 yrs old and started having numbness and tingling in both hands and arms last year.  I have dealt with neck pain most of my life and discovered I have a degenerative disk in my neck C3-C4.  I started having numbness in my right hand several years ago but doctors kept telling me it was carpal tunnel syndrome.  So I ignored all these symptoms even though my numbness got worse.  Last year I suddenly had both my hands start strongly tingling along with my arms.  Eventually my truck area became numb and since then my legs and feet started tingling and have weakness in both legs especially left. Have trouble with hands, buttoning blouse, tying shoes,etc. and my hands always feel really dry.  I have been seeing a neurologist but he hasn't done nearly the tests I've read other people having.  I've had no blood work done.  I did have a cervical MRI and since I have always had trouble lying still only part of it was clear showing my bulging disk.  He ended up basing his diagnosis on that partial MRI. The neurosurgeon had me have a CT Scan Myelogram only of my neck, an EMG and Brain scan to rule out MS.  The tests showed the same disk but supposedly nothing else.  He didn't feel that could be causing all of  my problems and said I should go back to my neurologist for more testing. Well he hasn't done anything else for me.  I've been given no medicine and I was turned down for PT because I am currenlty uninsured.  I am so frustrated because my legs started getting weaker and more tingly these past two months and I now have numb feet. I stopped playing tennis for fear I'm making things worse.  I've always been really active and need to do something. My biggest concern is the crushing tightness around my trunk area and the increased feet numbness.  Anybody have any suggestions?

[kwag]

I posted on another thread about this but I'll post to you as well.  I have the same symptoms as you 2.  I am an RN as well, 39yo female.  I have just found out that I have toxic levels of mercury in my body.  I am to begin chelation.  Look into this.  My levels are off the charts and if you look up mercury toxicity, you will find your symptoms.  I had to take a challenge before the mercury could be found.  It was stored and had to be spilled to be recorded.

[harlie1217]

I am a 43 yr old female with EXACTLY the same symptoms you're having!! I was SHOCKED when I read what you had written. It was like looking at my medical records. I too had weakness/ numbness/tingling in my left hand-more so in 4th & 5th fingers. My symptoms worsened to include curling of those fingers the entire time I had the problem. This was one of the first symptoms I displayed over 6 yrs ago. I also had numbness and tingling on the left side of my face for a few days. They ran every test asap including an emergency MRI for a brain tumor and a spinal tap to 'rule out MS.' After seeing a new Neurologist, I was placed on Neurontin 100mg.
A few months after that I had numbness and tingling and a sever 'itchy'feeling on the left trunk area from the bottom of the breast to just before the spinal area. The symptoms appeared after spending a day at a Six Flags park. The temperature was in the mid 90's and it was extremely humid. The only relief came from an IV steroid treatment. Within a few hours I was almost back to my normal self. The only problem I had afterwards was the 'numbness' in that area. It took about 4-6 wks for it to completely go away.
I also wake up every morning with pain/numbness/tingling and a hard time walking until I've been up for a while. High stress levels, lack of sleep, hot and cold weather conditions as well as the amount of activity I do during the day all play a role in the amount of pain/numbness/tingling I'll have. I have a difficult time holding things, writing or working on the PC for any length of time. I have slurred/stuttering speach sometimes. I have trouble with my short-term memory, holding onto things without dropping them and I also have some hypersenstivity to touch/pressure. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was put on medications for the pain and to help me sleep. Over the past 6 yrs my symptoms have gotten worse so I am on about 7 meds, most for pain. I hope you get all this figured out soon. Its not fun NOT knowing "whats wrong with me?!?!"

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

The initial symptoms could have been due to a ulnar nerve or C8 nerve root problem. However, this was excluded with the MRI's and EMG test. However, now that the symptoms have spread, it would have to involve at least the cervical cord or brain to explain all of the symptoms. However, the MRI's have excluded problems in these locations. If the MRI's were performed prior to the generalized symptoms, it may be reasonable to repeat them. Perhaps median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials would also be of some use. These tests evaluate if a stimulus in the arm or leg can travel to the brain. Otherwise it may be reasonable to obtain a second opinion to have this re-evaluated. With all the normal tests it is difficult to come up with a specific diagnosis, and without examining you I am limited. Good luck.

[sportster]

I am 34 yrs old and can really relate to all of your symtpoms.  I have tingling,burning all over my body.  All of my diagnostic testing has been neg.  I feel like I am going out of my mind, it is a constant worry.  My gp says I am having anxiety related to this and it is exacerbating my symptoms.  No kidding!!! He says the worry is causing spasms in my back and that is creating all of these symptoms??  Neuro also wasnt too impressed with my 2 page list of symptoms.  I did have hyper reflexes but no clonus or babinski so he wasnt too concerned.  I have periodic weakness of my right leg, tingling in my buttocks, arms feel weak, dizzy, clumsy in my hands, side of right jaw feels tingly at times.  My mri is neg. blood work neg. c spine mri showed bulging at c5-t1 but no cord impigement.  I have been running to doctors for 6 months, neuro, endocrinologist, gp, ent, have had emg on upper ext. and it shows chronic nerve root irritation which no one thinks anything of. Its exhausting trying to work, I am an rn, I can barely think straight, with constant symtoms and worry.