Tingling/numbness -Negative MRI

[Auburn]

I have had tingling/numbness in my arms/legs for 3 months. ARMS significantly worse than feet and SIGNIFICANTLY worse at night. I wake up with my arms "asleep" I have tingling/burning in hands and electric shock feelings in feet.  Eye exam- normal.  Negative brain MRI, Negative EMG testing that was completed on the right arm. Cervical spine MRI in 2 weeks. Neurologist states,"if it is not this-then it is not a nerve problem."

I am very frustrated to find a diagnosis.  I have been under much chronic stress for 2 years- husband deployed in combat-death of friends-new job- relocation.  I can totally accept the diagnosis of anxiety, if that is truly what it is.  However, can ANXIETY truly cause these symptoms?  They are present everyday.

2002- Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis (somewhere between T-2 and T-4)  Surgeon has said that the nerves have regenerated based on return of the sweating.  He is unsure if it is possible that the regeneration of nerves could be pressing on another nerve to cause the tingling/numbness.  What is your opinion?

So, my questions are- can anxiety cause these physical symptoms and do you think it is possible that the nerve regeneration could result in these type of symptoms?

Thank you so much for your time!
Auburn

[goofydump]

It seems like there are quite a few folks out there with these terrible, "weird" and definitely unexplained symtoms. I am just counting the days until I can see my doctor. The thing that strikes me most odd about my symptoms is they don't bother me, at least not that I am aware, during the night while sleeping. I also don't notice any of them when I first wake up every morning. I find this odd. Maybe it isn't. Like I've said, I am absolutely a worrier, so maybe mine is stress related somehow although reading everyone battling the same issues, I'm not certain. Another thing I find odd is that the areas that feel like there is a tingly/burning sensation almost feel "cold" somehow at the same time. Especially if I'm outside and it is windy. I just hope that one day we all will finally have someone tell us, "this is what you have" and it not be nerves or stress related. I don't want a doctor telling me it is all in my mind! I'm just really glad I found this site. Maybe somehow it helps to chat with other people going through the same thing.

[goofydump]

I'm really not sure how to make this short and still have it contain everything. I was really happy to find this site. What happened to me is this: I found a small area on my right lower leg that looked "different" to me than the left leg. I am a worrier by nature(just ask my husband, he'll tell you I'm not happy if I'm not worrying). I did sort of dwell on the area and looked it up and came up with all sorts of bad things. This was cut short due to me coming down with Strep Throat. It has been going around where I live. I was treated for that and was feeling much better within four days. About a week after I started feeling better however, I started noticeing all kinds of "weird" symptoms. My chin followed by my cheeks especially underneath the eyes became sort of numb. This probably isn't a good way to put it, because if it is touched, I certainly feel it. It then started to feel a bit "prickly" and finally there was a burning sensation making me want to pick up the nearest thing I could find and put it on the area to cool it off. Ice, you name it. This all concerned me too to say the least as everything you read online about the matter suggests it must be something horrible. I then started to get the same numb/prickly/burning sensation on both my forearms and legs. I get the numb prickly feeling in my feet and my fingertips just get numb. I've also been experiencing some joint pain in my fingers and toes and right knee. I am seeing my doctor, but as he is the only one I trust in the office, I'm having to wait unti the end of the month to see him. He's quite popular. This tme seems to be taking FOREVER and gives me way too much time to do searches on Google!! I've now started getting terrible headaches in the back of my head and beside my right eye. I'm trying to convince myself that if I had something horrible it would have shown up by now. I had a complete bloodwork done 8 months ago which only showed my cholesterol to be a bit elevated. All the other numbers were great the doctor said. My papsmear in September was negative as was my mammogram in January. I also had pretty extensive dental x-rays done in February that only showed a cavity. Do my symptoms and the way they all started sound like anything you've heard of before. I'm going crazy!!

[mpkmpk007]

At least I now feel in good company.  This is week 2 of each night waking @ 2:30am with 3 fingers of each hand numb, tingeling and swollen.  Also wrists and knee joints swell, ache and become weakened.  Initially I was able to take motrin, change position and rub my hands to thaw them.  During the course of this last week I seem to have added sporatic outbursts of this condition and headaches during the day with today being the worst.  AND there seems to be come type of progression happening as tonight it was numbness and tingling which turned into an unbearable burning sensation.  After 45 minutes it seems as if most of the burn is gone and I'm left with residual numbness in the tips of 3 fingers.  My GP drew tons of blood work last week, mentioning Parvo Virus and hypothyriodism.  

I've never had anything like this before and I've clearly not had it for as long as many of you writing in this comment forum.  I've always thought I had a decently high stress tolerance, do work with computers and have been relatively and overall pretty healthy (no diabete, high b/p, etc.).  I'm not sure how you all tolerate having had this for so long, this condition is giving me more anxiety than 2 kids a full time job and anything else I've ever encountered......

I'm sorry to say this but I do feel better knowing there are others out there getting by with this.

[heather_who]

In addition, my right leg feels cold (inside, and to the touch) and bloodless (no color surfaces - even with deep scratching) due to vasoconstriction caused by autonomic neuropathy.  This is also affecting my intestinal motiliity (slow movement), heart rate and blood pressure (light-headed with standing).  The pain and numbness are caused by sensory neuropathy and motor neuropathy accounts for the muscle twitches and vibrations.  All blood tests normal.  No lyme disease, blood glucose okay (no diabetes - which commonly causes peripheral neuropathies).  At a loss!

[Belge66]

I have been suffering with tingling and numbness in my left foot and primarily in my big toe (left). Weird tingling in my hands and top of both thighs occasionally, too. Problem came on suddenly when I got a very severe tingling numbness sensation in my left foot about three weeks ago. It was painful but the pain subsided in about a week but some of the above sensation remains. I am 39 years old. Went to the doctor's-no circulation problem, he thinks it's a neuroma of some sort in the foot although ankle reflexes are weak. CBC taken was super normal, everything in line. Tested for HIV-negative, too. Taking B-complex vitamins. This afternoon is my first good time in awhile. Does not keep me up at night, praise God. I withdrew from all refined sugar about two weeks ago thinking maybe it was diabetes but sugar very normal. Staying off sugar regardless, why not? Was on lithium for about nine years and about two months ago dropped lithium after nine months of a slow reduction from 900 mg daily to now nothing. All mood swings were due to a previously undiagnosed persistent anemia (severe-hemglobin down to 6.7, hematocrit to 26.7 and *no* ferratin left). No cause for anemia found after multiple probes and scopes but a transfusion and iron supplementation over nine months got me to very good levels on all. Thinking maybe thalessemia minor (of Mediterranean ancestry so it is possible). Feeling great otherwise. Could probably lose ten pounds. Feel weak but all strength seems to be there when put to the test. I am wondering if lithium withdrawal is causing this or some anxiety problem. I go to neurologist's next month.

[Cindy77]

I'm a register nurse that works in an outpatient surgical place. I was diagnosed with hypothiroidism since 18 yrs ago.  I'm taking synthroid 125 mg my lab work is normal.  I noticed for the past 2 years that I had dizziness which I could handle it didn't interfere with my job.  However, I started having numbess and pain in my legs and then lately both arms feel the same way.  I had an injection of PCN-G 2 months ago this was my 4th IM injection since I had sorethroat for the past couple of days.  This time I got a horrible reaction as soon as the nurse got the needle out. I could hear fans going on inside my head, I heard the most minute things, I got so dizzy that I could berly walk, I saw lights all colors moving and a fear of dying or fear to eveything.  This reaction lasted like 5 min for me it was more than that.  This happend 2 months ago since then I still hear the fans going inside my head and at those moments I feel like I'm loosing control.  I continue working but 7 days ago woke up with numbess in both arms, nausea, dizziness, palpitations fear of dying.  I ended up being admitted for 4 days.  They couldn't find was wrong with me they found my levles of vitamin B12 extremely high 4017 pg/ml, foleate 75.53ng/ml, positive for mycoplasma and prolactin levels greater than 200 ng/ml. Cholesterol 213 mg/dl (my weight is 126 lbs 5'3 tall) They send me home with Levaquin 750 mg PO, wellbutrin XL 150 mg 1 tab po dayly, zocor 40 mg 1 tab po at bed time.  I have been 7 days taking this medications and my symptoms are worst.  I fear everything, I can't eat because I feel like if I don't have enough air to breath and swallow, have pghlems, my head feels weird, dizziness, numbness both arms and hands, I hear the fans in my head all the noises that repeat drive me crazy.  I started with diarrhea, feelings of unreality, fear of loosing control or fear of nothing.  I can't explain this anymore but they run all types of exams and they can't make me feel better.  I just want to be back to normal, please help me what's wrong with me?  I feel like I'm going crazy.