not exactly sure I want to join the "club" ...

[alegnahas3]

Hi, I am another of the multitude of people who have stumbled onto this site after researching "symptoms" and wondering what in the heck is going on.  I kinda feel as if my situation is a little bit different due to the fact that I had a brain injury due to a car accident when younger and my symptoms started just 11 days after "falling" (it was a little more graceful than it sounds" off my horse.  I landed just right and was able to distribute the impact on very soft,long grass along my forearm hip and leg.  About 11 days later I started with weird symptoms.

Now i am beginning my journey into the twilight zone of unexplained symptoms, possible but not likely outcomes, and many Dr appts.

I started with the tingling/pins & needles  in both arms,legs and feet on 1/1/12.  I also had the sensation of warm water being poured down my lower back/hip on rt hand side and chills that came constantly on my left side of my body.  I started researching why I was having chills on only 1 side & it kept bringing up ms sights that I ignored.

I had a few appts which basically ended up with the same issue in my  Cervical Spine  as well as my Lumbar Spine- Deg Disk Disease,Bone Spur & arthritis.

I had also just started taking an additional medication for ADD since I just cant seem to get my brain functioning well and am on Cymbalta, Vyvanse and Strattera.  I have had cognitive issues for the past 10 years which have increased dramatically in the last year and increased again w/in the last couple of mnths.  Word Finding - looking at my dog & not being able to recall his name, along with just daily conversation & not being able to talk w/out sounding like a bumbling idiot.  telling my kids to get the pizza from the mailbox...and others.

I am having balance, dizziness and other issues as well as cramping tight muscles that stay for a while & move to other parts of my body.  it keeps me up at night along w/ restless feeling and tingling.

Urinary issues as well that I figured was from having 3 kids and getting older (36).  I have stress & urgancy that will come & go in severity but never away fully.

I have lived most of my adult life feeling constantly tired mixed with some feel good, normal times that I felt I had finally gotten it together & would function as a normal person.  Starting new good routines only to get hit with the fatigue again and frustrate myself.  I wonder how many people think I am lazy & unmotivated.

The vision issues are the newest and I actually just got back from a Neuro Opth.  I figured since I am waiting to see a neuro next month might as well... Everything checked out ok.  I have some decrease in vision but the worrysome thing is the flashes of light in my periphial on both eyes, dark & light squiggles in vision and now at night ambiant light in a dark room will start strobing whether my eyes are open or closed.  Everything checked out ok except my pressure was on the high side of normal.  My optic nerve looked fine.  I will go back in 2 weeks for a visual field test.

There are more issues but you get the picture.

anyway, just thought I would pop in, introduce myself and my current symptom riddled situation and join the "what the heck is going on in my body" club!

[wareagleway]

Stay positive Angela :)

[rosemommi]

I understand not wanting to join the club.  I am here with the same sort of questions and we are the same age(even though I could not remember my age the other day. Was I 36 or 37? lol )

Good luck as we both seek answers to questions.  

[Nancy T]

Hi Angela. Wow, you have been through a lot. Sorry you have so much to deal with. Sometimes doctors just can't pin down the cause of particular symptoms or a whole group of them, and it's frustrating for the patient. Your positive attitude will do a lot to get you through! Hopefully at least some of your symptoms will improve over time--they often do.

I haven't heard of Strattera causing pins and needles and the other symptoms you describe. I have been taking it for 8 years with no problems whatsoever. The only "side effect" I had was that for about the first year, I felt that I had (or remembered) a lot more dreams. But it didn't interfere with my sleep. I don't take it for ADD but rather for concentration problems related to chronic dizziness (which I believe is due to migraine activity, but no official diagnosis). I take 80 mg/day.

The neurologist should be able to help you sort out what's causing the paresthesias (odd sensations such as pins and needles). It certainly could be due to spinal problems, I would think. At this point, if I were you, I would NOT worry about MS or ALS, as those don't sound very likely. Let us know the results of your neuro visit. And maybe talk to your doctor about upping your Strattera again, if you found it helpful in the past. It has been a godsend for me! (I have no diagnosis of anything.)

Very best of luck and best wishes to you,

Nancy

[alegnahas3]

The weird feelings. Pins & needles and other random sensations she called it para* something.  Also spacity.  I took it for a couple of years and stopped when I started taking vyvanse but started taking it again due to still having issues.  I titrated up to 60mg and my psych took me down to 25 to see if the symptoms would change or go away.  they haven't.  some have increased and others stayed the same.  For the first time in my adult life I felt like a somewhat normal person who wouldn't let people down constantly due to forgetting things almost as soon as I agreed to them while on high doses of both my add meds.  I could remember when I put the laundry in the wash, what day it was, what commitments I had.  I would totally put up with some side effects for that but not all I am dealing with now.

Oh well, we'll see.  I'm trying not to "diagnose" myself.  I kept running into MS sites while researching symptoms and this place seemed to fit best as far as people dealing with similar situations.

I am also trying not to think too negatively.  My grandmother passed away from ALS several years ago and I would be lying if I didn't say the what if thoughts don't cross my mind.  But worrying won't get you anywhere.

I am more than my symptoms and or sickness and whatever I face will not be for nothing.  My God has promised me life in all it's fullness and it's up to me to accept that (no matter what the diagnosis) or I can cross my arms, stomp my foot and become all negative about how it's not fair.  That's not what I want my life to look like.  The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (GNT)

-Angela

[Nancy T]

What did your PCP say was a side effect of Strattera?

(Just curious, as I take Strattera, though not for ADD.)

Good luck getting everything sorted out. It can be hard, and not everyone ends up getting a diagnosis for their symptoms.

Nancy

[alegnahas3]

I have been to my PCP who said it was probably just a side effect of my Strattera. I don't believe that.  The cognitive issues concerned her though & she agreed to refer me to a neurologist.

We have military ins & no neurologist in my town participates so I have an appt on March 2 about 1 1/2 hours away.  I live in VA so I figured if I had to travel I think I would rather go to UVA and am waiting on that appt instead.

That and my visual field test in 2 weeks is my current plan of action. :)

I am wondering however about the increased pressure in both eyes.  High end of normal and if that has any significance.

Another weird thing was I had an episode after a stressful morning.  About 8 pm that evening I experienced fatigue like never before.  The next day increased symptoms along with sensation of weights on legs, arms,chest and head.  The funny thing was my pulse was 115 so the dr did an ekg that came back normal. The additional severity of symptoms lasted about 20 hours and faded.

B12, CBC, Electrolights, Thyroid all came back normal.

I am an Instant Gratification kind of girl and hate even having to wait 2 weeks for my visual field test.

oh well, too bad soooo sad, I guess.

Thanks for commenting on my post.  It's amazing how much comfort it brought.

[LisaJF]

Hey welcome to the forums and what do you mean you're not exactly sure you want to join the club? This club? This club is the best club you could possibly be in!  (Virtually that is).

I'm glad you took the time to introduce yourself and tell us what has been going on with you.  It sure seems like you have had your plate full and continuing to have it refilled and then some!

So where are you going from here? Off to the Neurologist again? Any more tests?  What has been done so far?  What is your plan of action?

Again, welcome to the forums and let us know what is going to happen, what you're going through, because we are here for you.

Lisa

[maxthecat43]

I understand not wanting to "join the club", because this can be a scary dx.  I'm glad you are being assessed though.  Be prepared- this can be a very long process.

In the meantime, you are welcome here.  There are people here with lots of good advice.  

I hope you get to feeling better soon.
Tammy