Tingling, Arm falling asleep, Floaters - Does this mean anything?

I am a 28 year old white male.  Good shape,

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Rick:

Sorry about your symptoms.  The first thing, you need to control your blood pressure.  Hypertension is a silent killer and can have profound effects on your organs.  The best thing to do is try and control or correct the underlying problem causing the high blood pressure (i.e. weight problem, etc).  Get an eye examination from an opthalmologist.  The flashes of light usually are indicative of retinal discharges and you need to find out if your retinas are okay.  The floater are age related in most cases.

Muscle twitches without changes in muscle strength, and with sensory changes is not ALS.  The fact that your symptoms are not localized suggests that they are not related to MS.  I can't be sure what the muscle twitches, sensory numbness might be caused from, but I would first start with a good medical examination and some simple blood tests, such as a thyroid panel.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[Carl]

I have 2 hernisated disc in my neck and some of the symptoms are the same.  1/2 of my hand (either hand but mostly the left)almost always falls asleep while sleeping.  Headaches on a regular basis.

[chris]

Rick - same symptoms as yours except i also have ghost images at night and muscle spasms that come and go.. All started after a nasty virus 6 months ago. Like you, all my symptoms come and go except the vision problems.. i think we are stuck with it dude..

Feel free to email and we can talk some more..

Chris
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[question for Tracy]

Chris your message made me chuckle.  You know I to have had almost the exact same stuff.  Being a woman in my ealry 30's I am of course terrified of MS been through all the tests excluding the spinal tap and spinal mri.  New thing is achey (achy) legs, tight muscle feeling, low back ache muscle twitching in legs, other parts of body.

All began after birth of a child.  Small breaks here and their but nothing really long.. seems to be i've had at least 14 episodes in the past year.  I think your right, we may have to live with this!  Im trying to figure out whats up with the odd achey (achy) leg feeling, almost overwhelming then next day its much better.  Yea yea Iknow with MS its common to have leg pains.. but mine have no rhyme or reason, nor do the muscle twitching that supposidly is late in MS not early on.  WHO KNOWS.. anyhow yer not alone my friend!!!

[chris]

Smiles4u - did you develop any visual problems after the birth of your child?

I really think any sort of tramua can cause a CNS irration. Ie.. flu,accident,birth,death of loved one.. etc..

Chris

[question for Tracy]

Hi chris,

My eyes were kinda getting fuzzy for the past 3 years but after the birth of my child it really went wacky.  One eye felt blurry and heavy I felt like it was droopy.  It comes and goes with stress.  I've had a complete eye exam, observation of the optic nerve, looking for poor eye muscle strength, everything was normal and in the Drs eyes, I dont see anything here suggestive of MS.

But odly enough the visual disturbances are exaburated at the same time as my other symptoms.  How about you?

I was under a tremendous stressor about 6 years ago, a death in the family and I never had anything odd like this.  I've been told conversion disorder but since im not a vietnam Vet I doubt that!!!  If I cant handle lifes punches and im going to go numb or weak or have odd visual disturbances because of anxiety I must be a crackpot!  And im a very sane person for whatever its worth!  Well I am thankfull for the moment though that I have not been diagnosed with anything bad.  I hope and pray that diagnosis remains.  But when your feeling crummy it gets the best of you.

[chris]

Smiles4u - my visual problems are constant, some days are better than others but they are always there. I have learned to accept them as things could be alot worse.

God Bless you,
chris

[meg]

smiles4u,

I have the exact same symptoms as you, minus the eye troubles.  And all started directly after the birth of my second child. I have been told many things, but nothing definitive.  Just commiserating...

[question for Tracy]

Hi Meg, feel free to email me at ***@**** i'd like to hear what you have been going through and what you've been told!  Would be nice to chat with someone else in the same boat!!!

smiles4u

[Shari]

Hi Rick, Have you had an EMG?  I have had similiar symptoms on and off for 5 years, but I also had tripping on my own feet and couldn't walk on my heals.  All of my bloodwork, DNA, MRI,spinal tap, except for the EMG were normal.  THey have been monitoring me for 3 years, and they think I may have an autoimmune disease called CIDP, but I don't have all the classic symptoms, but my symptoms are closest matched to this disease.  THey did tell me that the floaters were normal as long as they were clear. Whatever I have, they tell me that my progression is very slow.  THere is hope because there are some treatments that have actually made the symptoms go away or improve significantly in a good %-age of people. I hope its not this for your sake.  I just wish someone had told me to buy some longterm disability insurance before I wnet through all this testing, cuz my job is physical, and I'm afraid I won't be able to do it if this gets any worse. I'm gonna do a "trial" treatment to see if it helps. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky ones that it helps.  Best of luck to you.

[belle@]

i am writing for a friend who has osteoarthritus&seems to get stiffer every day .he is 72&will be 73 in april ,but he says  he has alaways been stiff.is there any thing that he could do ,besides exercise to help to relieve the stiffness, he is hardly able to bend hes knees to one half te ratio he should .his dr isn,t very helpfulin any thing ,he knd of just breezes along.he also has problems with his ears &just found the ciause yesterday at e, n, t.specialist.that he has rock crystals in both ear &he can fix it when he is dizzy .he wasn,t yesterday.
he has dealt with this for many years &would really be thankful for any thing to help.
    hoping &praying there is an answer out there from some one who has similar or same problems .
        i,ll keep checking &praying
                                      thanks &god bless

[jeff]

Rick,

I have had the same EXACT symptoms for 7 months now, adding that I also have a bad case of tinnitus to go along with it.  I feel for you man.  I have been to many doctors including a neurologist and otonuerologist.  Every test has come back as negative or inconclusive.  You are NOT alone and I will keep you posted if anything new develops.

Jeffrey Malone
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