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Muscular and Nerve Problems

Over two years ago I woke up with a numbness of the skin of my right forearm, then the left one also. I used to do computer typing as my job.
This numbness subsided and turned into burning along the ulnar nerve in both forearms, accompanied by skin hypersensitivity (it's a very scratchy uncomfortable feeling to rub the arms against anything, like seams of shirtsleeves). I later developed tight, ropey burning muscles between the shoulder blades. I also had numbness that came and went in fingertips and wrists.
An EMG showed nothing, no docs gave me answers and I later saw a chiropractor who said I had a lot of curving in upper spine towards neck and started adjustments which helped some, but the tight muscles and the forearm sensitivity and burning still comes back, especially in warm and humid weather (or during hot showers).
I had an ulcer the past year and developed a very tight girdle muscle tension across the stomach. That took a long time to go away and still comes back during times of physical stress or fatigue. Docs thought potassium was low after a blood test, but even after lots of supplements and bananas the muscles did not heal.
Lastly, I had a bad sinus infection/allergies that made my muscles above eyebrows grow increasingly tired and then tense. I still suffer with really bad forehead muscle tension which causes pain, headaches, and also skin sensations at times. A masseuse worked on it a few times and said it was the tighest forehead she'd EVER worked on. Docs gave me muscle relaxors, no help. Lorazepam temporarily helps very little. The tension is chronic & gets worse when I'm tired.
I'm getting referred to specialists soon on a charity program since I have no health insurance and no income because I've been ill the past few years. Anybody have any ideas what is wrong with me or does anyone have similar symptoms? And, any advice on relieving my pain? Heat makes my muscles more irritated. Normal pain medication does nothing for my muscles.
Thanks!
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Avatar universal
Hi,
   First, I would like to correct that the ulnar nerve sensation (sensory area) stops by the wrist or some authors said 1 cm higher....your case anatomically beyond that , meaning something befor the Brachial plexus (the center of the gathering befor intering the spine) forming the Ulnar nerve ..and the features of the pain are of a Neuropathic type even the one between your shoulder blade

    A routine EMG does not screen for all the possibilities in the brachial plexus , but because you mentioned an interesting phenomenon in Neurology called "Uhthoff's phenomenon" where the symptomes recure with increased body tempreture, in a hot shawer, or a humid weather (mainly linked to vision loss in MS, but recently few reports came out describing other senarios like hearing loss, laryngeal...ext), I would suggest doing a head and cervical spine  MRI with contrast (GD) looking for any possible demylination, and evoked potential especially the visual one, ESR, and to rule out other possible causes that may give this picture (one is mentioned in the prevous post)
   For the neuropathic pain, there are 3 strategies one of them is using a tricyclic anti depressant (cheap and effective) and / or anticonvulsant like tegretol,Gabapentine (like pregab , is expensive if you dont have insurrance) so ask your doctor about them
    Bob
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Avatar universal
MelancholicRae  
You could have a problem absorbing B-12 therefore oral B-12 is not effective.

rohit_786
You really need to get your B-12 up above 400 & once you are B-12 deficient you'll need to remain on meds the rest of your life to maintain an adaquate level.

God Bless, TJ
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Avatar universal
Thanks for the reply. Hope you feel better soon.
I have had bloods tests and my B12 looked fine. I also take daily multivitamins that give me 100% of the B vitamins.
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Avatar universal
Have your doctor check B12 level if it is low make sure he perform MMA (Methyl Malonnic acid ) and Homeocystine level  if any one is high that shows B12 defiency , even B12 level in range of 200-400 it can still produce Peripheral Neuropathy.

I have been going through this for last 10 months , i diagnoise Hypothyroidism and also have B12 deficiency in normal range of 282 but my MMA is 345 which is higher than normal. After changing 2 neurologist and 2 GPs , i finally found new GP who atleast listen and started B12 Injections , so far i had just 2 injections  but notice my numbness is little bit less . I will let you know when whole course of B12 injection completed.

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