Medical mystery, What is this? neurological symptoms, young gymnast

[Katya4]

I am female, 21. For months now, I have had a strange issue, that has been progressing. I have had in April of this year, MRI of brain W and WO contrast, Neck MRI, and all have came up as insignificant. Also Thyroid is normal, and b12 was normal, perfect actually at 650.

I am healthy otherwise, and a gymnast and aerialist.

The very first thing I noticed going to pot was my hand writing and ability to type on keyboard, thank god for spell checker. Hand writing is impossible for me now other than just a sentence or two. Also noticed my balance was going off in gym, and I drop things all the time, breaking dishes, so I bought new dishes and a better case for my phone, which gets dropped at least 4 times a day, not kidding.

I first noticed around December, my muscles fatigued quite easily and I could no longer finish a routine, even a simple one. I ignored it but it progressed to awful pain in my arms, tingling, burning, and weakness, it got to the point I had a hard time to hold on to the uneven bars, so I had to stop doing that for a while. I went to my doc who scheduled an EMG for 2 months out, but after a month the problems were mostly gone so they canceled it. Later, I started to have the very same problems in my right leg, and arm. Back to the doc again, another EMG scheduled for 1 and a half months away, but again after a little under a month it cleared up, canceled EMG. Again just 4 weeks ago I began to have problems in BOTH legs! Severe, this time it was hard to walk, started mildly but progressed over a few hours and got bad, I panicked thinking somehow I had slipped a disk (though I couldn't see why my back didn't hurt) and drove to the er, awful feeling in legs of being stung by 1000s of bees, electric shocks and shooting pains. I was in tears in the ER because I couldn't understand why this was happening, and I had a trip abroad in just 4 days. They said they could do nothing for me in the ER because my spine did not hurt, and that they would get me an appointment to see a neurologist after my trip. I went home.

I thought, maybe just a pinched nerve, but it didn't explain such strange patterns. None of the affected areas have gotten entirely better, just better than they were. I still get creepy crawlies on my legs, numbness and electric shocks, burning, weakness but much less intense than during one of those 'episodes'.


The only correlating factor I can find is it happens most when I am hot, I HATE heat, I can not tolerate heat at all. When I get hot working out, or the ambient temp is above 70F I start having problems, if below 60 I usually feel on top of the world. I am extremely tolerant to cold, I wear skirts and shorts in winter with no problems. I like to sleep at 50 - 55F. I live in the northern most USA other than Alaska, but it gets hot here in summer too. I am worried because I don't have AC and it is already heating up and I can't sleep at night because of the burning. Also the new gym does not have AC and already I have suffered from becoming too hot while working out, causes the above symptoms and then I have to quit early, and its not even HOT yet!

I have not before met a problem that I could not push through in the gym. I now do not dare do anything on beam, and I'm scared to do other things as well because my balance does not feel rigth, and when I get a episode of weakness I am afraid I might fall. I am terribly sad to see my gymnastics practice fall apart like this!!! :(((

Doctors don't seem to take me seriously because I am so fit and strong from my gymnastics, but though I am ahead of the game compared to average person, in gym I am fast falling behind even beginner gymnasts now. To me not being able to grip the apparatus is a HUGE problem! For the average person, doing a giant is probably not a concern for daily life, but for me it is major and not normal! I think I just get blown off at their offices. It took almost 6 months and an er visit to get me in to see a neurologist.

Oh, a bit TMI, but recently as well in the last 2 weeks, I have developed unexplained bloating and irregular BM's, despite my efforts with yogurt and water, refuses to go away. Laxative did not help, but eventually caused cramps and a day camping by the bathroom, after that back to the same problem. Didn't think until today that it could be related.

I had similar problems in left leg 2 years ago after a car accident, but assumed it was pinched nerve. They gave me an EMG 4 months after I complained but by then it was gone and it came back negative.

I have had some strange visual issues, though very mild, and hard for me to rule out if they are not just from the eye injury 2 years ago in the auto accident.

I got back from the neuro today, who told me he has no clue what could be wrong, that it didn't fit any physical or psychological disorder and his advice was "Uhh, maybe just try to ignore it?". Somehow I was not really impressed with that. MS has been suggested to me before, I did ask about it but he says lesions have to be present on the brain, I have none. I am not betting it is MS, there are a lot of other things I think still could be, but I probably just don't know what they are.
My PCP mentioned my body could be reacting to heat with swelling, causing the issues, but she did not elaborate on that.

Sorry for the length of this, tried to put as much info in as I could. If you read this far than thanks a bunch!

Does any one have any ideas? Suggestions? Can anyone even relate? I feel like I am all alone with this mystery.

[Katya4]

Yes, had full blood work 3 times, all perfect, I had really hoped the B12 would be the problem as its a simple fix.
Yes I have tried chiropractor, did nothing, I have massage therapist through my athletic practices. We have tried several stretches and things to no avail. I also worked with the PT for a bit but she said there was nothing she could do and again, see a neurologist.

The strange part with my leg, is at times the right side will give out, and also I didn't realize until I talked to my OT this week that I also trip a lot, and over the same right leg. (OT is from previous auto accident, but now has been trying to help me solve this problem)

I thought of the pinched nerve too!!, and I asked to be checked but the docs and ER both told me there was no need to check because i didn't have back pain. Also it doesn't explain the problems with the right arm, but maybe I pinch the same nerves repeatedly somehow. Twice in my life have broken a bone and not known, so the thought does pass through my head I injured my spine somehow.

I don't think anyone has checked for arthritis, specifically any way. I've never heard it to cause these symptoms, only joint pain, I don't have joint pain. But I am no expert, What kind of arthritis are you talking about specifically?

Does anyone have any ideas else what it could be? At this point I'm looking into anything.

[tschock]

I can't handle heat either. I drop things all the time as well.
Have you had blood work? Have they checked for arthritis?
The leg issue sounds like a pinched nerve or RLS.
Have you seen a chiropractor or massage therapist?

I would start with those if you haven't already.