Unusual symptoms

[sharon123]

I have had unusual symptoms going on for almost two years now. First I had pins and needles sensations widespread over my body and occasional muscle twitching and after a few weeks it went away. A few months later the sensations and muscle twitching came back with some other symptoms such as ears ringing, lower back pain, hamstring muscle cramps, some bladder incontinence, and a general shaky feeling. I visited a neurologist because of a concern that it might be MS or something else and had an MRI and general exam. The Dr. said the MRI came back clear and my exam was normal. She felt MS was not a possibility because my symptoms were widespread and it doesn't usually appear like that. True? I was recently diagnosed hypothyroid and she felt that it was probably all related to my thyroid disorder. I have been on medication for a few months and still have these symptoms off and on. Do you have any advice? Thanks for your time.

[pee wee]

I have had unusual symptoms for many years and wonder if anyone else has had these same symptoms and what your take on it is.  I get a pain, and it has been in the side of my head, my legs, and other parts.  Now I have it sort of in my groin area - it radiates to my lower stomach and butt.  It hurts to touch the skin - like really sensitive, burning, kind of tingling feeling.  Anyone have any ideas?

[Lightning]

The orthopedic Dr. - Bone and Muscle Dr. said that I am fine. I got fed up and went to the larger hospital to the ER. There was a great Dr. who actually listened and cared. She ran tests for lymes and rocky spotted mountain. The lymes came back negative - still waiting on the others. Had an MRI on my neck today, because of the old head injury.  They are thinking that maybe I pinched a nerve and that might be causing the problems. My dizziness and falling down is getting worse, I have no choice but to use a cane - it helps but I still fall. On top I have blurred vision now. Before the blurred vision used to come and go now it is more prevelent and stays. The fatigue is absolutely incredible.  

I have a thought - at least it might be a try - we are all in the same boat.  They have no clue yet. I have been doing research on my own like many of you. I have recently discovered that many of our symptoms are similar to that of household and lawn & garden chemical poisoning. I did a search on diazion poisoning the majority of our symptoms were in there.  Try to think about what you were doing a week or two before you got sick.  I was putting down diazion on the yard.  I am going to talk to the Dr. tomorrow and see what he says. Maybe some of the chemical got into our well and that is causing the problems. Maybe it was a chemical in the flea spray. I don't know but I thought I would share that with all of you. Fleas and ticks have been bad this year.  We have been treating our homes and pets with some harsh chemicals - maybe - just maybe we need to look there. I will keep you posted. Lets keep sharing information. God Bless each of you for your strenght and determination. Just remember, You are not alone, You are not crazy - You know your body better then anyone, You know that something is wrong and we will find an answer together; God willing!  - Lightning

[Lightning]

I have had similar symptoms for over a year now.  They are getting progressively worse. It started with mild tingles in the arms and hands when I woke up and normally went away within a few minutes to a half hour of being awake. I also normally awoke to stiff joints and that would normally go away too. So I ignored it. I would get occasional chest pains with tingling down the left arm.  Not bad, so I ignored them too - I was only getting them once or twice a month. I had a concussion and seemed to recover ok, except for the fact I had continual headaches on the right side of the head. A few months later it felt like a tiny capulary or something burst on the right side of my brain. It releived the pressure and felt like someone gently brushed the side of my head with one finger  - but on the inside. The MRI showed nothing. So I was told I was fine and I went on with my life.  I developed shortness of breath and the chest pains became more frequent. I started to feel fatigued but not too bad.  I decided that I better go see a Dr. - who told me that I was too young and that it had to be stress.  I argued. I refused the Zoloft. I totally disagreed and still do. The Dr. said that if it was not stress it was all in my head. One evening while relaxing watching a movie with the family I got arrythmeas in my heart so bad that the aortic artery on the left side of my neck was jumping around with my irregular heart beat. I could feel something go up the artery cross the back of my head and stop about the base of the right side of my head. So finally I get to see a cardiologist and he too says that that I need to look around the waiting room and look at the age difference. I am a young 38 year old female; therefore I am healthy.  They did a stress test and it came back normal.  After that I learned that Fen-Phen, (which is Redux, Pondimin or a combination of Pondimin and Ionomin) can cause permenant heart damage if only taken for a few days causes symptoms similar to ours.  But the Dr.s don't even seem to care about that.  So the cardiologist says to follow up with the family Dr. I do he runs test and they come back normal.  Now the weakness and fatigue are so great that when the fatigue comes on and I ignore it; because I have a hundred and one things to do, that I get weak in the knees. The past few days I get so weak that I am falling down.  But there is no problem with me. I normally am stronger in the mornings and get weak quickly even after a nap by evening, I am falling alot.  My knees are sore from falling. But there is nothing wrong - supposedly.  I am not stupid, this is not normal.  A year ago, I was driving a semi truck pulling a flat bed trailer, and slinging 3/4" steel chain like it was spagetti. My husband used to have to work to keep up with me and now I can't even take a stroll in the yard with out a stabbing chest pain that litteraly takes my breath away - well something is wrong. I just wish with all of my heart that someone would listen and help. There are so many of us that are afflicted.  I could not even get that Dr. to test for lymes disease. Yes, my memory is effected too. But to passify them I just started to take the Zoloft so I can rule out the stress.  That Zoloft just seems to make me more foggy headed then I already am. I have found it to be no help at all.  Oh, the irony of it all - The Dr. gave my motion sickness medication for my dizziness.  I have traveled for years without motion sickness.  That is not helping either.  If you have any suggestions, please post them on this site as I will check on it often. If makes me wonder if we are being poisoned or something? If it were not for this "whatever it is", I would be a force to be recond with.  Oh - get this I am supposed to see a bone Dr. to rule out any problems there. I can tell you right now he will find no problems. The attorney's office is having me go to a cardiologists office for an echocardiogram because of the medication I took. Oh-by the way the symptoms that I have match the symptoms that damage from the medication cause, but I can't even get the Dr. to blink a mili-second thought on that subject. This weakness is now effecting my daily life-style and effecting my ability to work. I have a husband, children, and bills.  I can't afford not to work. The thought of falling down and having a handcart loaded with soda falling on top of me is not exactly my idea of fun. So we will see what the day brings. God Bless each of you for your courage and strenght. I pray that we find out was is wrong - soon.

[Alohawen]

I can sympathize with the severe symptoms suffered by the above individuals.  I, too, have experienced similar progressive symptoms in the form of very painful needle-like sensations throughout my body, especially in the extremities, tingling in my left calf, a buzzing sensation in my feet, difficulty swallowing, decreased memory capabilities, twitching muscles, especially in the eyes. I went to see several doctors, some of which were unsympathetic and stated that there are some things that cannot be diagnosed, others that suggested it was anxiety and others that made me feel like I was going crazy. Therefore, unfortunately, I stopped seeking treatment for two years and let the disease progress because I lost faith in the medical community's ability and/or desire to help me.  Recently I had an MRI of the brain which revealed a couple spots which might be demyelination resulting from MS.  I also had a somatosensory evoked potential test which revealed delays to the tibial region on both sides of the body, and more pronounced on the left. However, I am writing this to let all of you know that there is hope for this condition.  I had a miscarriage last November. The loss of my baby was heart-wrenching.  However, two months after the miscarriage, my symptoms decreased 90%. It absolutely astonished me.  My symptoms had been progressively getting worse to the point that it was difficult for me to exhale into water while swimming and the left leg tingling was constant. Then, suddenly, in January, the majority of symptoms subsided. I very rarely have tingling and it usually only lasts a few hours. The needle sensation used to happen 50-100 times a day and now does not occur more than 10 times a day. Obviously, the pregnancy jolted my body into remission. Scientists need to explore this area further.  After the pregnancy, I also started taking 1300 mg of evening primrose oil twice a day and cod liver oil - both of which may be beneficial to MS sufferers.  Please check with your doctor, however, before contemplating alternative medicines because they may interefere with other conditions you may have or medications you may be taking.  I hope this remission lasts.  Best of luck to all of you.
Wendy

[loisie]

I'VE BEEN READING ALOT OF THE SYMTOMS SOME OF YOU ARE HAVING AND WANTED TO LET YOU IN ON WHAT I'VE RECENTLY EXPERINCED.  MY MOTHER-IN-LAW STARTED WITH TINGLING AND SEVERE PAIN IN HER EXTREMETIES AND WAS HOSPITILIZED.. NO ONE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON CUZ SHE HAD SO MANY SYMPTOMS....BOWELS WEREN'T MOVING CORRECTLY, BLADDER NOT EMPTYING, SEVERE GAS PAINS, THE PAON IN HER ARMS AND LEGS WAS BETTER DURING THE DAY AND SEVERE AT NIGHT.  A NEUROLOGIST, GASTROENTEROLOGIST, AND UROLOGIST WERE CALLED IN AND EVERYBODY WAS STUMPED.  SHE HAD AN EMG AND NERVE CONDUCTION STUDY DONE THAT SHOWED THAT DAMAGE HAD BEEN DONE.  SPINAL TAP SHOWED INCREASE IN PROTEIN,  THE NEURO THOUGT GUILLAN BARRE' WHICH IS AN ASCENDING PARALYSIS.  SHE TOLD US JUST THE OTHER DAY THAT IT WAS CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEMYELINATING POLYNEUROPATHY. SHE SAID THAT SOMETHING SUCH AS A VIRUS OR EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES HAD CAUSED HER BODY TO FORM ANTIBODIES AND THOSE ANTIBODIES WERE ATTACING THE MYELIN SHEATH THAT COVERS THE NERVES. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW ALSO HAS THE NUMBNESS AND TINGLING. THE NEURO PUT HER ON AN ANTI SEIZURE MEDICINE AND THAT HAS STOPPED THE SEVER PAIN SHE HAD IN HER ARMS AND LEGS.  THE MED IS CALLED NEUROTIN.  SHE IS SETTING HER UP TO HAVE IMMUNOGLOBULIN VIA IV TO HELP BOOST HER IMMUNE SYSTEM AND TO TRY AND OUTNUMBER THE ANTIBODIES THAT ARE ATTACKING THE NERVE COVERINGS.  YOU ALL MIGHT ASK A DOC BOUT THIS DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT.  WE HAVE HAD TO BE PERSISTANT IN GETTING DOCS TO GET SOME THINGS DONE.  ALTHOUGH WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT THIS NEUROLOGIST HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE,  BUT IS VERY RARE.   WE ARE TO SEE ANOTHER NEUROLOGIST IN SAN ANTOINO NEXT WEEK THAT IS DOING RESERCH ON THIS CIDP. (CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DYMELENATING POLYNEUROPATHY)  I'LL LET YOU KNOW IF THE IV GAMMAGLOBULIN HELPS.  I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE ANTISEIZURE MED HAS HEPLED STOPPED HER PAIN AND HAS DECREASED THE NUMBNESS AND TINGLING GREATLY.   GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL.  BE PERSISTANT, CUZ LOTS OF THESE DOCS ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

[jwflood]

I am somewhat comforted to read that so many others are experiencing similar symptoms.  My problems began on August 13 (my 30th birthday).  At first, I experienced slight pain in the forehead which I figured to be a sinus headache.  That evening when in bed, I had difficulty sleeping due to pain on the left side of my neck and back of my head.  The following morning my head was numb, and I became aware that my legs felt weak and that my walking was impaired.  Additionally, I began to expereince numbness in my fingertips of both hands,  A few days later I went to the emergency room and was given a CT scan and blood work was done, both of which came back clear with the exception of a slight elevation of my white blood count - I was told this could be indicative of a virus.  As the numbness persisted I went back to the hospital and was told that my symptoms were likely due to a virus or anxiety.  A few days later, the numbness went away and I assumed that the virus had passed.  However, a few days later it returned worse than before.  Now, my hands, arms, back, chest, and legs are numb; it is most remarkable in my hands and chest.  I have since seen a neurologist (inconclusive) and am going in for an MRI in two weeks if the problems persist.  Anyway, sorry I wrote so much; I just wanted to get it of my chest (which is numb).  Like others here I am scared to death that this could be MS or something equally debilitating.