Your opinion please.

[multi-symptomal]

I am now 42 years old. 14 Years ago I had a baby using anesthetic. Afterwards, I noted a crick or roll in my neck. 5 months later something popped in my neck and I experienced tingling sensations radiating mostly while laying down. These would start more on the left side between sholder blades and neck. They would then spread down my left arm. I was unable to turn my neck too far to one side (I don't remember which). Ringing also started in my ears at this time. I saw a neurologist. He suspected MS so he performed a spinal tap. I got the spinal headache making the ringing worse and required the patch to stop it. He wanted to do an MRI (uninsured). I'm clostrophobic so after 3 attempts, this was abandoned. (Nursing at the time so using drugs was not a safe option).


I should mention I have been diagnosed with chronic sinus problems and just recently got off an Afrin addiction of 17 years.

After nursing close to 2 years. I had learned to live with the symptoms. I had also been turned off by the neurologists (for lack of a better word) snooty attitude.

After 14 years, the ringing continues to be constant. It is in both ears, worse in right. At unknown times, it will get very loud and if I move crick my neck, it usually will ease back to what is normal. It still feels like there is a knot in my left shoulder. The crick is still there. But the sensations in the neck and shoulder ended after about 5 or so months. I have now battled a bout of impetigo and folliculitis (possibly unrelated). I am losing more of my hearing. The noise is driving me nuts!

What now?

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

Your symptoms are varied, and without examining you and asking you questions I cannot provide a diagnosis. It would be reasonable to see an audiologist to have your hearing tested. They can determine if the ringing (medical term is tinnitus) is from the ear or from the brain possibly. The neck stiffness and pain may simply be related to degenerative changes in the cervical spine. A MRI of the neck would help to answer this question. I understand that you are afraid of closed spaces, but they do have "open" scanners which many patients can tolerate. If you are unhappy with your current neurologist it would be reasonable to find a new one. Good luck.

[bObjective]

Obviously, I'm not a doctor but based on what you're saying some common sense can be applied that might spare you 1) anxiety and 2) expensive tests you might not really need. It sounds like you have some sort of nerve damage, not necessarily a disease process. They can find out which nerves might be damaged, but damaged is just that: damaged. Nerves aren't being 'rebuilt' once dead as far as I know so you're probably looking at getting various rx's thrown your way, primarily for the pain. The 'knot' you speak of could just be the muscle tightening up as a result of lack of or bad signals from the nerve, in which case a good massage periodically can make that feel better.

[multi-symptomal]

Thank you for your time and your comments. To BOTH comments I received. The ringing has sinced eased back off. I will seriously consider your recommendations and if I ever do receive a diagnosis, I'll remember to post it's results. I think this forum is such a great service. It offer's hope and options to those who don't know where else to turn.

It also provides a place to ask those questions that you don't think about at the time.

Thank you again.