neurological problems

[leealee]

I have been experiencing twitching in various parts of my body.  Mainly both eyelids and sometimes my arms and fingers.  I have weakness in my left arm/hand.  I can pick things up and still do everything with it; however it is a general weak feeling.  Mostly I have extreme pressure and a decline in vision in my left eye.  The decline in vision I was diagnosed with a couple months back from a retina specialist with no explanation.  However, lately I have all this pressure behind my eye and for the past two days it is slightly painful.  I have neck pain in the base of my head since about June but I thought that was due to the way I sleep but now I am experiencing weird sensations in my head, not painful, just weird.  
I sleep wonderfully at night, never woken up except to use the bathroom because I am pregnant.  I have a doc. appt on Friday to see a neurologist and just was wondering if you could offer any suggestions?  I also have had a cold for about a month that will not go away even after my doc. prescribed me a z-pack.  constant post nasal drip and stuffiness.  
One more thing, every now and then I feel like I see floaters in the air, but eye doc never said I had any.  Just worried that I could have something bad and since I am preg there is not very many tests that I can have done.  Thank you,

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

First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
   Painful vision loss in a young female is always concerning for optic neuritis (inflammation of the opitic nerve), which can be the presenting symptoms of multiple sclerosis.  If this is the case then the ophthalmogist should be able to see swelling around the optic nerve in the back of your eye.  Optic neuritis is generally treated with steroids, but you should contact your Obstrectrics doctor if the diagnosis is made.  After you deliver the baby I would recommend an MRI of the brain and C-spine, a lumbar puncture (to test for inflammation: Tourtelotte panel/IgG index, oligoclonal bands) and visual evoked potentials.  
   The other possibility to consider is that pregnant women are at greater risk for sinus venous thrombosis (clotting of blood in the venous spaces in the brain).  This generally causes headaches, blurred vision, seizures, focal weakness and decreased conciousness.  Some people with sinus venous thrombosis only have a headache, while others have more symptoms.  A MRI of the brain with MRV (magnetic resonance venogram) can diagnose this condition, but would only be indicated if your doctor was concerned this was an urgent possibility (the effects of MRI on the unborn baby is not known, but is thought to be OK, by anecdotal evidence only).
  The weakness in your left arm/hand may be related to a number of different problems, but if it begins to get better in 2-6 weeks then that is most consistent with multiple sclerosis.  If the weakness persists then I woudl recommend an EMG of the Left upper extremity to assess the weakness.
  I hope this has been helpful.

[mineandours]

Sounds like it could be Lyme disease.  There's a symptoms list to follow.  If you mention it to your doctor, he'll probably dismiss the idea because you don't recall a bite or didn't get the rash.  The only way to be properly tested, diagnosed and treated is to find a Lyme specialist.  When that bacteria enters the pristine environment of the central nervous system, all sorts of strange things happen.

Musculoskeletal System
Joint pain or swelling or tenderness
Stiffness of joints, back, neck
Muscle pain or cramps
Bone pain

Neurological System
Tremors or unexplained shaking (especially at night)
Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
Weakness or partial paralysis/stroke-like symptoms
Pressure in the head
Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
Increased motion sickness
Lightheadedness, wooziness
Sudden jerking of fingers or entire limbs
Pain in spinal column

General Well-being
Unexplained weight gain, loss
Extreme fatigue
Swollen glands
Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
Symptoms seem to change, come and go
Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.  (If it was mild, you may not even recall this.)

Eyes/Vision
Double, blurry or dim vision
Increased floating spots
Pain in/behind eyes, or swelling around eyes
Over sensitivity to light
Flashing lights
Optic neuritis

Ears/Hearing
Decreased hearing in one or both ears
Buzzing or clicking noises in ears
Pain in ears or sound sensitivity
Ringing in one or both ears
Pressure or feeling of fullness in ears

Digestive and Excretory Systems
Diarrhea, irritable bowel
Constipation
Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping)
Frequent urination that is not normal
Upset stomach (nausea or pain)

Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
Shortness of breath, cough
Chest pain or rib soreness
Night sweats or unexplained chills
Heart palpitations or extra beats
Heart blockage

Psychological well-being
Mood swings, irritability, rage
Unusual depression
Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
Feeling as if you are losing your mind
Overemotional reactions, crying easily
Too much sleep, or insomnia
Difficulty falling or staying asleep

Mental Capability
Memory loss (short or long term)
Confusion, difficulty in thinking, brain fog
Difficulty with concentration or reading
Going to the wrong place
Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
Stammering speech
Forgetting how to perform simple tasks

Head, Face, Neck
Unexplained hair loss
Headaches, mild or severe
Twitching of facial or other muscles
Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy)
Tingling of nose, cheek or face
Stiff or painful neck or creaking
Jaw pain or stiffness
TMJ – sudden onset, jaw spasms
Sore throat, hoarseness
Loss of sense of taste
Difficulty swallowing, throat spasms

Females only:
Unexplained menstrual pain, irregularity
Unexplained breast pain, discharge

Males only:
Testicular or pelvic pain

LYME FACTS
1. You do not have to recall a bite or have gotten the target rash to have Lyme disease. Less than 50% of people with Lyme do.
2. The tick that carries Lyme is as small as the period at the end of this sentence and their nymphs are nearly microscopic.  Ticks are on the move at 35ş and above. It’s a year-round problem.
3. You do not have to experience ALL of these symptoms to have Lyme disease.  It is also typical for many of these symptoms to come and go or occur once and never occur again.
4. It is possible to have Lyme disease and have a negative test result.  After Lyme bacteria enters your system, it tricks your immune system into no longer producing antibodies to fight it, hence, a negative test result. There are also other numerous factors that can affect the results.
5. Lyme bacteria hide in the spinal fluid, bone, tendons, muscle and nerve fibers and tissues and in many cases are not “floating” around in the bloodstream where they can be picked up on a test. It is a cousin to the syphilis bacteria and very difficult to eradicate.
6. It takes a LYME SPECIALIST to diagnose, test for and treat Lyme disease and any of its associated co-infections. To find one go to www.LymeNet.org.
or www.ilads.org.  Lyme specialists do not require a referral.  

NOTE: Everyone may have symptoms that appear on this list; however, it does not mean he/she has Lyme disease.  If one has numerous symptoms on this list and no other explanation for them, consider Lyme.