unexplained neurological symptoms...

[bkabe]

Hello...I'm a 38 year old female with some really disturbing and debilitating neurological symptoms and am at my wits end!

hx: I've had 3 c-sections - only major surgery - healthy all my life.  Visual Aura Migraines since 13 years old that were hormonal

hx: 6 years ago I was in a car accident - MRI (8 months later) showed compact fracture at T6, herniated disc at T6-7 with slight spinal cord compression bulging discs at T9-10 and T11-12 and C2-9. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in my C-spine.

hx: 4 years ago (age 34) I was a marathon runner, running daily.  I came down with pneumonia in my left lung and xray showed it was collapsed.  3 months later I find myself in the hospital with a racing heart, was given Ativan and sent home. Upon investigation the ECG showed cardiac ischemia.  One month after that I was back at the hospital with the same symptoms although MUCH worse. My oxygen saturation was 79%. My heart rate went as low as 55 and as high as 245 bpm.  Again was given Ativan, 3 hours later nothing had changed, ER doctor gave me a beta blocker.  Was diagnosed at the hospital with panic disorder, I consulted with another doctor who got my hospital records and was told I had two heart attacks.  The ECG this time also showed Cardiac Ischemia.  The second attack was much more serious and left me with damage to my heart - doctor is unsure what caused this to happen, it's suspected that the pneumonia infected my heart lining.

I've struggled with my health ever since... I've been diagnosed with Neurally Mediated Hypotension - suspected vagues nerve damage (perhaps during my last c-section).  Last year I experienced a migraine like never before, the aura lasted over 1 hour, the headache itself lasted 2 weeks and very confused disoriented state.  My migraines since then have become much more intense, no rhyme or reason - not hormonal. I now experience serious state of confusion and disorientation after migraines and they happen at least 3 times a month.  

I did not menstruate between April 2010 and August 2010.

I've had a 2 neurological exams at the doctors that was abnormal.  I've had a CT scan - no tumour and no stroke.  All blood test are "normal"

I get these headache pains (much like "freezer brain" when you eat something cold) on the top just of to the right side, first I feel really off, headache comes and goes within a minute - my left eye/cheek area becomes fuzzy and I have a black spot in my left eye.  

I am exhausted all the time - I have no problems sleeping - I can fall asleep any time any where

My hair is falling out in handfuls

I have fluid coming from my breast

I can only concentrate on one thing at a time ( very good multi-tasker previously)

I now have symptoms of absence seizures and possibly myoclonic.  I've just had an EEG done and am unsure of the results. My doctor has asked me to stop driving.

I can not watch things flicker like the tv channels change fast - and now know that I cannot watch strobe lighting

I forget often and spacey feeling

when I read, sometimes letters and numbers get mixed up example 45 I'll read as 54 and sometimes when I speak

right and left are getting confused

I'm clumsy, banging into corners and walls that for some reason I didn't see

I get numbness in my tips of fingers and toes - physiotherapist has ruled out physiological

I know I'm not depressed, neither anxious, nor any other mental health disorder...

Please if anyone has any answers.. I'm feeling totally frustrated.... symptoms are debilitating and interfering with my daily life... I do know stress exacerbates my symptoms.  My doctor is sending me to a neuro and that will take some time.  
Oh and I am not on any prescription medication - I take Chromium for hypoglycaemia and L-Taurine for my heart.

thank you in advance

[bkabe]

Thank you, that is worth a try for sure!  I appreciate your response :)

[compnet]

Magnesium and the B Complex Vitamins are essential to properly handling stress.  You ought to also look online for a really absorbable, high nutrient, multi-vitamin & multi-mineral, supplement.  I'd go for what has a lot of good reviews.

Magnesium is essential to handling stress, and stress depletes magnesium stores.  No wonder you feel worse with stress.  

Here is further information on magnesium and bladder urgency:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Urology/Magnesium-For-Bladder-Urgency/show/1336084?personal_page_id=1012978#post_6106528


FANTASTIC information below:


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2146789/pdf/canfamphys00077-0094.pdf

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/Muscle-Twitches-All-OVER/show/295459

"Magnesium: The Stress Reliever"  by Leo Galland M.D., F.A.C.N. (online article)

"The Importance of Magnesium to Human Nutrition" by Michael Schachter M.D., F.A.C.A.M (online article)

"Magnificent Magnesium" by Priscilla Slagle M.D.
http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081501.htm




"Magnesium also helps regulate nerve cell function. It must be present in adequate amounts in the synaptic gap between nerve cells to control the rate of neuron firing. (3) When synaptic magnesium levels are too low, nerves fire too easily from even minor stimuli. For example, noises will sound excessively loud, lights will seem too bright, emotional reactions will be exaggerated, and the brain will be too stimulated to sleep. In extreme magnesium-synaptic deficiency, epilepsy--a sort of whole-brain shotgun-blast excessive neuronal firing--may result."
Source: The Underappreciated Mineral of Life Part I
By James South M.A.


Blessings.  :)

[compnet]

The fatigue, headaches, panic diagnosis, fast heart, etc. can be caused by a magnesium deficiency and potassium imbalance.  Being a runner, you should make sure your electrolytes are kept balanced.

And the new symptoms -- bladder urgency.  Magnesium is essential to proper muscle and nerve function.  http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/792/

Some of the safer and more effective forms of magnesium include: Taurate, Glycinate, and Citrate (the latter can be laxitative -- take with food.)

[bkabe]

... sorry one more strange symptom my nurse practitioner said was neurological... an urgency to urinate that comes on suddenly, and intensely.  Unlike the urgency when one has a bladder infection.