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BP, neuro, pregnancy....help!
I am a 31 year old female with hypertension and am 26 weeks pregnant. I am on Labetalol and it works well. This all started about 7 months ago ( before I was pregnant). I woke up one morning and my face was tight/ numbish. It got worse throughout the day and I went to the ER where they did a CT scan (normal), blood work (normal), ekg (normal).
The facial numbness never went away for more than a few hours at a time, but started switching sides and coming and going. I started having headaches, which I never had before. Then I got pregnant on accident and soon after started another symptom. I felt tingles/prickles all over....every side, all parts....sometimes just one prickle, sometimes lots of prickles. It got worse in the heat.
Then came the buzzing...in my left knee, my left hip, my right hip, my right foot, my right shoulder blade, left forehead.....a pulsating vibration...on for two seconds, off for five seconds. Not all at once....the location changed over time with an episode not lasting longer than two weeks at the most....usually three days. I never had the sensation in several places at the same time.
Most of these symptoms have eased up or disappeared. But I still have the facial numbness that comes and goes and brings with it a heck of a headache. The headache feels dull all over but feels sharp and stabbing around my eyes and small, specific parts of my head. I see sparkles and feel terrible.....and, yet my bp is 115/65.
I saw a neuro who said he cant do anything for me until I have the baby. He did get me an EEG which was normal, B12 which was 525, and Lyme which was neg. My PCP thinks it is all stress and my OB is not concerned.
The facial numbness never went away for more than a few hours at a time, but started switching sides and coming and going. I started having headaches, which I never had before. Then I got pregnant on accident and soon after started another symptom. I felt tingles/prickles all over....every side, all parts....sometimes just one prickle, sometimes lots of prickles. It got worse in the heat.
Then came the buzzing...in my left knee, my left hip, my right hip, my right foot, my right shoulder blade, left forehead.....a pulsating vibration...on for two seconds, off for five seconds. Not all at once....the location changed over time with an episode not lasting longer than two weeks at the most....usually three days. I never had the sensation in several places at the same time.
Most of these symptoms have eased up or disappeared. But I still have the facial numbness that comes and goes and brings with it a heck of a headache. The headache feels dull all over but feels sharp and stabbing around my eyes and small, specific parts of my head. I see sparkles and feel terrible.....and, yet my bp is 115/65.
I saw a neuro who said he cant do anything for me until I have the baby. He did get me an EEG which was normal, B12 which was 525, and Lyme which was neg. My PCP thinks it is all stress and my OB is not concerned.
Wow! I was not expecting a Dr. to respond. Thank you for your time, Dr. Mathur. Your responce will help to embolden me to continue to search for answers with my Dr.'s.
I have not had a good night's sleep since the birth of my first child six years ago. I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea and my fear of SIDS for my children along with the fact that neither one was a good sleeper led to months on end where I would only get 2 to 4 hours of sleep a night ( interruped several times)....plus, I work full time and have had little help from my husband so there has never been relief from my sleep deprivation. This has always been a concern for my PCP, but I figured other moms must surely experience the same thing, and they do not "fall apart at the seams" so there must not be much to the sleep theory....your response lets me know that sleep might be playing a role in all of this.
I've been checked and re-checked for thyroid and diabetes and have always had normal results. Each Dr. has been especially concerned about diabetes until they take a fasting blood sugar and it comes up in the low 70's. Thyroid is equally "normal".
My neuro is suspicious of epilepsy, migraines, ms, and bp fluctuations causing these symptoms.
Looks like from your response, that I might need an evaluation by some other specialists before we figure this out. Luckily, I have an appointment with another neuro after my baby is born who specializes in sleep disorders.
Thank you again, Dr., for taking the time to look at my question. You gave me a few new directions to pursue if the neuro specialists come up empty handed.
I have not had a good night's sleep since the birth of my first child six years ago. I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea and my fear of SIDS for my children along with the fact that neither one was a good sleeper led to months on end where I would only get 2 to 4 hours of sleep a night ( interruped several times)....plus, I work full time and have had little help from my husband so there has never been relief from my sleep deprivation. This has always been a concern for my PCP, but I figured other moms must surely experience the same thing, and they do not "fall apart at the seams" so there must not be much to the sleep theory....your response lets me know that sleep might be playing a role in all of this.
I've been checked and re-checked for thyroid and diabetes and have always had normal results. Each Dr. has been especially concerned about diabetes until they take a fasting blood sugar and it comes up in the low 70's. Thyroid is equally "normal".
My neuro is suspicious of epilepsy, migraines, ms, and bp fluctuations causing these symptoms.
Looks like from your response, that I might need an evaluation by some other specialists before we figure this out. Luckily, I have an appointment with another neuro after my baby is born who specializes in sleep disorders.
Thank you again, Dr., for taking the time to look at my question. You gave me a few new directions to pursue if the neuro specialists come up empty handed.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi!
It is possible to feel vibrations all over the body. Vibrations are often associated with drugs, alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, poor sleep patterns, stress and fatigue. They can be seen in peripheral neuropathies of diabetes, in hyperthyroidism, parasomnia, multiple sclerosis, TIAs or transient ischemic attacks or mini strokes, hypoglycemia, disorders of calcium metabolism, hyperparathyroidism etc. Certain epilepsies too could be the cause. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. You will need blood sugar monitoring, MRI of brain and cervical spine, T3, T4, TSH, sleep studies, serum electrolytes, brain EEG, etc to reach a diagnosis.
But yes, since you are 26 weeks pregnant, you need to wait for certain tests like MRI. Meanwhile you need to keep your blood pressure under control. Also, you need to get tested for hypothyroidism and diabetes. You could try meditation and yoga (postures allowed during pregnancy) to distress yourself. Take care!
It is possible to feel vibrations all over the body. Vibrations are often associated with drugs, alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, poor sleep patterns, stress and fatigue. They can be seen in peripheral neuropathies of diabetes, in hyperthyroidism, parasomnia, multiple sclerosis, TIAs or transient ischemic attacks or mini strokes, hypoglycemia, disorders of calcium metabolism, hyperparathyroidism etc. Certain epilepsies too could be the cause. A comprehensive investigation is required keeping all the points in mind. You will need blood sugar monitoring, MRI of brain and cervical spine, T3, T4, TSH, sleep studies, serum electrolytes, brain EEG, etc to reach a diagnosis.
But yes, since you are 26 weeks pregnant, you need to wait for certain tests like MRI. Meanwhile you need to keep your blood pressure under control. Also, you need to get tested for hypothyroidism and diabetes. You could try meditation and yoga (postures allowed during pregnancy) to distress yourself. Take care!
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