SENSORY CHANGES AFTER PREGNANCY

[melrn]

I am a 29 yr old female started having tingling in left side of face and left hand 2 wks before birth of second child.  After I gave birth tingling stopped until 3 months postpartum.  I was exercising rigorously to lose weight for a wedding, lost all weight in 2 months and was not eating well. I started having tingling and sensory changes in both sides of face, both hands, and both feet.  This symptoms sometimes last for a couple of hours.  Tingling in hands mostly in last two fingers.  When feet affected not a numb or tingling feeling, just a weird sensation feeling.  Have seen neuro doctor about symptoms and neuro exam negative.  Had MRI of head with one small foci in right frontal area no signifigance.  I have a long history and family history of migraine headaches where I get blurry vision in one eye that last 15 minutes before headache.  My mom has history of blurry vision and numbness all over body before migraine.  Neuro doctor does not seem to think this is MS, but I am still afraid of this being the eventual outcome.  My symptoms are still present after 3 1/2 months, but not as prominent or often.  Any suggestions to next move would be appreciated. Could my exercising and poor diet have lead to this?

[melrn]

Thank you so much for your concern and thoughtfulness in your response.  It really makes me feel better to know others have the same symptoms I have and also have docs telling them it is nothing.  I hope you start feeling like yourself again very soon.

[ang4188]

Hi.  I just had my second child on July 8. It was by c-section, my first was normal delivery. About 2 wks after the birth I started experiencing tingling in my upper back. That was very sporadic, lasting only a few seconds maybe three or four times a day.  Then one night I got up to check the baby and my right arm was numb. Then a day later my right leg went numb. This prompted a trip to the emergency room.  The doctor there did a ct scan to check for signs of stroke; there were none but he made the "mistake" of asking if anyone in my family had MS.  I said NO, not even knowing what MS was but of course the moment I got home I googled MS and read for hours and convinced myself I had it.  The next thing you know, I'm having nearly every MS symptom I read about.  Tingling, burning, numbness, electric shocks, you name it!!!  So I go to my family doc. the moment I get in his office I start bawling about how I have MS.  He says "Whoa, slow down, you're along way from a diagnosis like MS.  He does a physical exam says everythings fine.  Oh no I insist, everything is not fine, I'm falling apart.  So I insist on a MRI and a referral to a neuro.  He agrees, I go to the neuro, he runs tons of blood work, including B-12 (I doubt that's your problem), everything is fine including the brain mri.  So I insist on a cervical MRI, he says fine.  That too is fine.  So this neuro insists that I'm fine, tells me most likely this is all anxiety based.  So I go to see a new neuro.  He looks over the MRI's all the blood work, and does his own physical exam, and finds nothing.  He even does an EMG.  That too is fine.  It's been four months now and I too have this symptoms, however they are not nearly as bad or as frequent.  Some days I even feel like my old self again.  I'm writing to you, because I feel that things can get out of whack after child birth.  It is a very stressful time, and in your case you added stress by trying to lose alot of weight.  I'm willing to bet you don't have MS.  Try yoga, it has really helped me, eat right, maybe take a B complex vitamin, that's good for your nerves and stress.  Take care of yourself and I'm sure you'll get better.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW]

Rapid weight loss can result in compression of peripheral nerves against harder bony structures. Also poor nutrition can result in peripheral nerve symptoms such as tingling, numbness etc. TOgether with the relative nutritional and metabolic imbalance after pregancy, this could explain your symptoms - you need to start looking after yourself. ANy focal neurological symptoms ie on one side of the body, need to be evaluated furhter though. THe episode before birth may have been related to high blood pressure?, and could conceivably be related to the right frontal spot. If you did develop any more focal symptoms see your doctor right away.

Good luck

[vega1318]

Have your doctor check you for B12 deficiency.  You may have dieted a bit too much.