Strange symptoms

[Alan]

I wonder if you could give us some help with the problems my wife has been having for the last 2 years.  She suffers burning sensations over most of her body.  This started in her lower legs and moved quickly to include her arms, back, neck and finally the left side of her face.  She also suffers muscle aches and pains in both her arms.  Often when she wakes in the morning her hands are "asleep".  She also gets a weird sensation of heat throughout her body.  The strange thing is that she has had periods when all of these symptoms have lessened in frequency and severity only to return again in full force.
She has had a brain MRI, an EMG, and various blood tests including Lyme done.  The only things that showed up are a positive ANA (1:160 in a speckled pattern and a slightly low magnesium level).  Fibro has been pretty much ruled out.
Shortly before these problems started she received a flu shot for the first time.  The last Dr. we saw said she may have something "post viral" because of the flu shot.  She was sent for a QST which was mildly abnormal.  Shouldn't a problem resulting from a flu shot be resolved by now?  Her burning and muscle pains have really gotten bad this past month and we are at our wits ends to know what to do.
She is on 600mg of Neurontin 3x per day which apparently isn't helping much.  Sometimes lately when she is sitting at the computer, the burning starts up her head & neck and almost makes her feel ill.  Sitting always makes the burning worse and she has to get up and do something to try and relieve it.  Often I find her leaning forward in the car to relieve the burning in her back.
Two years of these uncomfortable symptoms is really wearing her down and she is getting quite depressed.  Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS]

Dear Alan:

I am sorry to hear about your wife.  The sensory symptoms are difficult to explain.  This is especially true if all of the testing has basically been normal.  I am not too sure if you can blame the flu shot on your wife's symptoms as it has been over 2 years with little improvement.  If the pain is neurogenic, then neurontin should help alittle.  The dose your wife is on could be raised and see if that helps.  But that doesn't answer the question of why.  I am uncertain what to tell you.  Such broad symptoms are difficult to explain without some abnormality found on laboratory testing.  This is expecially true as the symptoms are constant.  I am sorry I can't help you explain the reason why your wife is having the symptoms.

Sincerely,

CCF Neuro MD

[joan]

what a caring husband you are!

[Mark Parsons]

Alan-
  I have suffered from the same symtoms as your wife for 14 months.  I also have a "internal tremor"  This is an area where
you get very little response from Neuro....sensory stuff.  Suggest you go to the Mass Hosp Web site and post under neuro
muscular or ms bb.  You will find people there with same symtoms.
My email is ***@**** if you need any help.

[question for Tracy]

Mark what is the web addy?
Have you gotten a diagnosis?

[Susan]

kath,

Massachusetts General Hospital Brain Talk Communities:

http://neuro-mancer.mgh.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi

These are patient to patient