Aa
Lama Chahine, MD-thoughts please!
Hello,
I'm trying to better understand my situation and would greatly appreciate your detailed thoughts if you don't mind.
I have been experiencing odds symptoms for some time and do not have answers yet. First, about 3 yrs ago I started getting tingling hands, fasciculations, and some odd buzzing feelinggs. I saw a neurologist- normal exam, normal brain mri, normal bloodwork, normal EMG (needles was lower ext focused), normal autonomic test, etc. They felt it was benign.
After dealing w/ this for sometime, i started experiencing some muscle aches in the calves along w/ the same symptoms and some odd neuorologcal symptoms- more mri's normal of spine, normal lumbar puncture, normal blood work.
Then 7 mos ago, i had a blood exposure at work (med rep) and didn't handle the situation properly...my fault, long story...shortly after this incident I got sick and started panicking. I have been tested for HIV and Hep C out to 6 mos and everything is neg...had some viral load tests too= all neg...I hope I can drop this concern at this time? ANyway, shortly after this incident and sickness I developed dry mouth. I'm not sure if it was stress related or due to some underlying problem. I have been dealing with it ever since.
Now, about 3 mos ago I developed dry eyes around the time of a cold...and I should mention I got sick more often this past winter than normal...not sure why. I still have dry eyes and mouth and this worries me. I saw a rheum - all blood work is normal at this time for autoimmune, normal sed rate, normal crp, etc. However, I have been experiencing muscle aches too. tightness in my back, kness, tearing pains in calves, and more. My CPK was 212...but I am a weight lifter and lifted a coule days before. They repeated the test and it was 313...again I lifted a day or two before...3rd time I didn't lift for a week and it was 361, aldolase was normal, but i was pushing on my calf pretty hard a day or two before because it was aching and I felt a knot...finally, I didn't lift or irritate my body for a week and my CPK was 137...ok news.
But the rheum did order an EMG...my NCS was normal. The needle portion did show some abnormalities in the tricep, gluteus medius, supraspinatus, and peroneus longus...I had a mixture of normal, short duration (maybe low amp) and polyphasic MUAPs. I was told this may be suggestive of a myopathic process...very scared right now. The Phys med and rehab doc said it was mild and kind of in a gray area. My p. longus was the only muslce that was tested 2-3 yrs ago that was normal at that time. I haven't seen a neuro yet but the rheum wants to order a muscle biopsy.
Please give me some insight into what you think could be going on...is it possible this is a benign finding? Or is it a clear sign that something is seriously wrong...either beginning of muscle disease or what? Does being a weight lifter impact EMGs even though I didn't lift for a week before the test...some muscles are normal on EMG and others abnormal.
It is also worth noting...I do feel shakier at times when I lift...such as bench press my arms make shake a little and I didn't notice this as much a few years ago...yet my strengh isn't awful. I'm not as strong as I used to be but I don't lift as hard either. Also, I am a 30 yr old white male..I'm clearly anxious and have 2 beautiful kids and wife. So worried and need some clear concise expert thoughts. Sorry for the long post...there is just so much going on right now.
Kind regards
I'm trying to better understand my situation and would greatly appreciate your detailed thoughts if you don't mind.
I have been experiencing odds symptoms for some time and do not have answers yet. First, about 3 yrs ago I started getting tingling hands, fasciculations, and some odd buzzing feelinggs. I saw a neurologist- normal exam, normal brain mri, normal bloodwork, normal EMG (needles was lower ext focused), normal autonomic test, etc. They felt it was benign.
After dealing w/ this for sometime, i started experiencing some muscle aches in the calves along w/ the same symptoms and some odd neuorologcal symptoms- more mri's normal of spine, normal lumbar puncture, normal blood work.
Then 7 mos ago, i had a blood exposure at work (med rep) and didn't handle the situation properly...my fault, long story...shortly after this incident I got sick and started panicking. I have been tested for HIV and Hep C out to 6 mos and everything is neg...had some viral load tests too= all neg...I hope I can drop this concern at this time? ANyway, shortly after this incident and sickness I developed dry mouth. I'm not sure if it was stress related or due to some underlying problem. I have been dealing with it ever since.
Now, about 3 mos ago I developed dry eyes around the time of a cold...and I should mention I got sick more often this past winter than normal...not sure why. I still have dry eyes and mouth and this worries me. I saw a rheum - all blood work is normal at this time for autoimmune, normal sed rate, normal crp, etc. However, I have been experiencing muscle aches too. tightness in my back, kness, tearing pains in calves, and more. My CPK was 212...but I am a weight lifter and lifted a coule days before. They repeated the test and it was 313...again I lifted a day or two before...3rd time I didn't lift for a week and it was 361, aldolase was normal, but i was pushing on my calf pretty hard a day or two before because it was aching and I felt a knot...finally, I didn't lift or irritate my body for a week and my CPK was 137...ok news.
But the rheum did order an EMG...my NCS was normal. The needle portion did show some abnormalities in the tricep, gluteus medius, supraspinatus, and peroneus longus...I had a mixture of normal, short duration (maybe low amp) and polyphasic MUAPs. I was told this may be suggestive of a myopathic process...very scared right now. The Phys med and rehab doc said it was mild and kind of in a gray area. My p. longus was the only muslce that was tested 2-3 yrs ago that was normal at that time. I haven't seen a neuro yet but the rheum wants to order a muscle biopsy.
Please give me some insight into what you think could be going on...is it possible this is a benign finding? Or is it a clear sign that something is seriously wrong...either beginning of muscle disease or what? Does being a weight lifter impact EMGs even though I didn't lift for a week before the test...some muscles are normal on EMG and others abnormal.
It is also worth noting...I do feel shakier at times when I lift...such as bench press my arms make shake a little and I didn't notice this as much a few years ago...yet my strengh isn't awful. I'm not as strong as I used to be but I don't lift as hard either. Also, I am a 30 yr old white male..I'm clearly anxious and have 2 beautiful kids and wife. So worried and need some clear concise expert thoughts. Sorry for the long post...there is just so much going on right now.
Kind regards
just wanted to pull this back up in case you decide to log on tonight and give me your thoughts. thx
By the way, if you do feel my situation is concerning, what specifically do you think is the disease? I've read about some of the msucle disease and it is hard to what it could be.
Also, can a virus cause these symptoms or EMG changes. I still worry a bit about my exposure even though have been reassured that it my results are conclusive. So much at stake with my family and career and desperately need answers and to start feeling better. Thx again and hope to hear from you soon
Also, can a virus cause these symptoms or EMG changes. I still worry a bit about my exposure even though have been reassured that it my results are conclusive. So much at stake with my family and career and desperately need answers and to start feeling better. Thx again and hope to hear from you soon
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