Undiagnosed Ms like symptoms -- 2 years and counting

[cascred]

I have the following symptoms which have been getting gradually worse.
burning tongue
burning throat (almost like a cold)
numb nose and lips, near the tip.
numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.
soreness on the bottom of my feet (the ball)
soreness on the palms of my hands near my fingers.  (It feels like I gripped a steering wheel really hard)
anxiety
sometimes I have a mental "fog".
night sweats.
bad breath

It is not MS, B12 deficiency, iron deficiency, and my CBC came back normal.  

In addition to the symptoms, I have a lunp in my lower back.  I'm not concerned about the lump if it is lipoma (doctor's opinion).  If this lump could be connected to these symptoms, I will insist that my doctor look at it again.  The lump is just to the right of my spine.  It doesn't move.  It is not connected to my skin.  It grows very gradually over time.  Sometimes there is some pain associated with this lump, and it seems the worse the pain, the worse my other symptoms become, especially my burning tongue.  Is it possible that this lump is a cyst with a low grade infection?  If so, could that explain everything?  A few years ago I had a cyst (infected hair follicle) drained and the scar is about in inch from my lump.

Thank you in advance for any help or opinions.

[cascred]

I had an MRI of my brain and my neck yesterday.  I haven't seen my doctor yet, but I was told over  phone that the MRIs were good.  There was a comment about some mild bulging between C4-5.

The lump in my back is in the lower back about belt high.  It had gradually gotten bigger over the last two years.  It has two satellite bumps that I can feel.  They are hard and are not attached to the skin.  There is some pain with these lumps.  I feel similar pain near the lumps in my spine area, but I can't feel a lump.  Could these lumps be a cyst or a tumor that may have grown into my spinal cord?  If so, could it cause my problems?

No one has mentioned Lymes Disease before.  I'm doing some reading about this.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for keeping me posted!
Ok! I went through the whole post again. There is something that I recall about a patient which is similar to your history since you had a surgery at C6-7 level. You also mention a lump on the right side of your spine.
These parasympathetic innervations in the areas you have burning sensation occur through a synapse at C8-T1 level of the cervical cord. I think there is some problem at the level of ‘ciliospinal center of Budge-Waller at the C8-T1’ in your spinal cord. Do consult a neurologist to rule out a cervical cord pathology. You would need a highly experienced neurologist for this. It’s just a thought, may be farfetched but there is no harm in talking to your neurologist about this.


Hope this helps. Do discuss this possibility with your neurologist. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[crambone]

has anybody thought of lymes disease?
all those symptoms and even more would be cause by lymes disease!,,,,theres only one way to check for it,,,thats a western blot test,sames as a hiv test basicly.
you would be amazed how many people develop this from a small tic bite and never know it.
heck,,,even ex prs. bush contracted lymes disease!!

[cascred]

Thank you very much for your response.  

We can rule out GERD, hyperthyroidism, and diabetes.  There are a couple of symptoms that I can add.  
constant aches ... flu-like
trembling hands... I can tell especially in my handwriting.

The most noticeable symptom is my numb lips and burning tongue.  Five years ago I had surgery to fix a herniated disc in my neck (c6-c7).  I have a metal plate and a fused bone.  Could this be something to look at as a cause?

In addition to seeing a doctor, I have searched the internet for 2 years looking for something that fits.  My doctor is usually open to ideas.  I'm trying to help myself as much as a can with research.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
It is difficult to comment really without examination. However diabetes mellitus is a likely cause for head and tongue tingling. It could also be due to nerve compression very high up in the cervical vertebra, causing headaches along with tingling. Benign intracranial hypertension is another possibility. Excess alcohol intake, partial seizures and low calcium levels all cause head and tongue tingling. Severe acidity too can cause stomach cramps and nausea. However since you also have low back ache, it could also be an irritable bowel.  The enumerated the possibilities can be investigated or ruled out one by one by your physician.
Hope this helps.  Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[kaoconn1]

I have not been feeling right for about two years around the time my daughter was born.  I had tingling in my head and tongue and sharp pains in my head so my GP referred me to a nuerologist who ran some tests but everything came out normal.  Then I was feeling run down like I was on the verge of getting a cold but never got sick and eventually went back to GP thinking I was anemic or something since I am a vegetarian.  The GP did some blood tests and referred me to a hematologist/oncologist due to platelets being slightly low and lymph count slightly high.  He did some tests including a horrible bone marrow biopsy and again everything was normal.  Now I am still having all of the above but in addition I have been having stomach cramps and twitching in stomach, lower back pain and nausea.  I am tired of wasting time and money at the DR to be told everything is fine when I know something is wrong.  I just want to know what it is so I can fix it and move on.  If anyone has any clue what this could be please let me know, I am getting very desperate!  Thank you

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
You should look at diabetes and hypothyroidism. Along with this there is a chance there is GERD. This can cause burning sensation on tongue, throat etc.

Anxiety can exacerbate the situation for many sufferers. A common complaint of patients is that they get nervous because they sweat, then sweat more because they are nervous. Other factors can play a role; certain foods & drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and smells can trigger a response (see also diaphoresis).”  Refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperhidrosis#Cause

Endocrine gland related conditions like hyperthyroidism and glucose control disorders all result in increased sweating. Pheochromocytoma, cancers, carcinoid syndromes, tuberculosis and other infections too can cause increased sweating. You can also read through : http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007259.htm

Hope this helps. It is difficult to comment beyond this at this stage. You can discuss this with your doctor. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!