Hi all, Im 34 female and for the past 3 weeks i have experienced the strangest sensation ever, it started in the middle finger of my left hand and it felt kind of tingly right on the very tip when i reached out to get something, this lasted a couple of days then seemed to go away. The next thing i noticed was i had an itch on my left forearm but when i scratched it it felt as if the top layer of my skin was numb then the tingly finger came back. I next noticed a patch of skin to the right of my bellybutton that felt really sensitive and if clothing blows onto it or drags across it it feels like its burning, there is nothing there to see but it has since spread around my side to my back where it goes up towards my bra strap and then stops.
Since then these feelings have spread, i will put all the places down below as there are so many...
Left side- a patch on my shoulder blade, patch on the forearm, the whole of the middle finger, top and side of ring finger, side and top of hand up to the wrist, the whole of the left heel and around the outside of my ankle bone.
Right side- a patch next to my eye, patch on my forearm, the top of my thumb down to my wrist, the top of my little finger down to my wrist (since last night), the band from my belly button to my back, all of my kneecap area and about halfway up my thigh, my little toe and all down the side of my foot to about halfway up my shin ( this has since developed quite a lot and is now across the whole topside of my foot including all the toes and is spreading to the underside of my foot also, since last night)
...and thats it!!
Wow, its quite scary when i write it down, i think i am more worried by it as none of its getting better its just spreading every day.
I went to see my GP on Thurs last week as it was mostly just my finger that was bothering me and the band of burning pain around my tummy, he suggested i have a blood test which i did the following day, by then my heel and foot were worse and the nurse said to pop back if anything else happened.
The following morning it had spread around my hand and my heel was on fire, so off to emergency doc who did every test and check she could manage, blood sugar fine, urine sample fine apart from bit of protein and bit of blood nothing significant she said, while i was there the patch on my face developed, she thought something neurological was going on so phoned hospital and got me straight in.
I waited with my other half in the Medical Assessment Unit for 5 hours and was eventually seen, i tried to explain to him that the feelings were patchy and not numb like when you've been to the dentist but more like the top layer is numb and the underneath layer feels tingling and burning, so then he poked me with a piece of blunt metal on different parts of my body and just asked if i could feel it which i could as he didnt even touch the parts that have gone like it.
I pointed out the parts that were the problem areas which he still didnt bother with, he then tested my reflexes which were fine and then scraped the plastic handle right up my foot, i never said i could'nt feel anything there so obviously let out a bit of a yelp which i think he took as that i had'nt lost any feeling and that his assessment of me was normal.
He said i should go back on Monday and see the neurologist who may or may not arrange an MRI he would be coming in from another hospital and would come down and see me after his clinic, i got there at 12 and ended up sitting there til 7.15 pm as they couldnt find where the neurologist had gone !!! I ended up being seen by a professor who said he had looked at my notes and didnt think i needed to be seen by a neurologist at all and that i may have a virus or the onset of shingles (even though its been 3 weeks) and i should go home and get on with things, fobbed off or what !!!
Anyway ive ended up going back to doc this morning as it had spread more overnight plus i had to get up for the loo in the early hours and my feet and legs hurt so much and were so stiff when i tried to stand i couldnt get to the loo in time and had a little accident :-( He said hes going to get me referred to a neurologist so i am just waiting now.
At the moment my arms feel so achey and i cant rest them by my sides or my fingers start tingling so i have to hold them across my stomach, i cant get comfortable in bed as wherever i lay it feels like i have raw skin or makes it feel hot inside which then starts to feel like a painful throbbing. Now when i walk i feel like im walking on foam and my feet and hands are gradually losing more feeling every day. I cant reach past a certain point as it stings and tingles in the affected fingers and up my arms, i cant bend down to touch my toes as the backs of my legs wont let me and i get the same feeling in my feet as in my hands.
Another strange thing i have noticed is that i can balance on my left heel but if i try on my right, my foot slaps to the floor as if someone has cut a band and released it....weird.
Any help or thoughts on what this could be would be greatly appreciated as i am pooing myself and dont know whats going to have gone the same way tomorrow morning.
P.S Whilst writing this the bottom of my left thumb to my wrist has joined the party !!!