falling apart

[sickandsotired]

HI, I am a 39 yr old woman who has been struggling for  a diagnosis for almost 2 yrs now. 3 years ago, I started to experience mild tingling in my hands and forearms, and back spasm, lower left.  All bloodwork normal, and eventually, it resolved. Then in 2007, I had a return of the tingling and a sudden onset coughing problem- any time the temp changed or if I changed position or if it was windy. In early 2008, I had sudden onset pain/cramping in my right hand and forearm so bad I could not write or do anything- it resolved in 4 days and i felt okay except the cough continually got worse.  Eventually a pulmonologist said maybe I had cough variant asthma- I started inhalers, which helped somewhat, but never completely.  Chest rads normal, function tests normal, methacholine challenge- I reacted at the final increase by coughing.

In the meanwhile, I started to get foot/leg cramps, paresthesia to all 4 limbs, and I feel like I cannot always control my hands to do my job.  I started to drop thing s alot, .  I have been extremey fatigued for a year now and have ocassional ocular migraines. I have to get up to urinate frequently whether my bladder is full or not. An  MRI in July was normal as is all bloodwork including Lyme, ANA, thyroid profile.

in October, the paresthesia suddenly occurred in my back, neck, back of my head, ears, and jaw- they suddenly  went tingly and then numb.  It lasted hours, and happened three times. My left leg went numb once, as did my left arm.  During this 2.5 week period, I could barely function at all. The fatigue was astounding.   At the same time, i developed left lower abdominal pressure, and the ob/gyn sent me for CT- nothing.

Every time I think this starts to get better, something else happens, and lately I have felt internal tremors, my appetite is way off, I sometimes stutter and cannot find words or speak.  The newest thing is this jaw clenching/bruxism day and night, my cheeks and teeth hurt so badly .  I am hypersalivating and my tongue feels literally too ig for my mouth, and nothing makes it go away.  It's been going on for weeks. The limb paresthesia is still there, and the fatigue, while not the worst it has been, never, ever goes awa

I feel like the person I was is gone and I am now depressed- is this ever going to be diagnosed?  How do I get better???.

[ggreg]

While the numbness and tingling can come from a neurological problem, like a nerve in the cervical spine is being pushed on, it also sounds more to me like your lung power and circulatory system is not working like it's supposed to.  You should visit an internal medicine group, ask for a CAT scan (it's less expensive than MRI) of your neck and chest, also they should do an EKG, check your blood oxygen levels, heartrate and all that cardiac stuff.  When your doc looks at the scan pictures, he should look for (a) heart problem, (b) lung problem, (c) spine problem.

Two other things about what you're saying.  One, about your tongue feeling too large, that could be from something as simple as not staying well hydrated.  I might add, I hope you're getting enough protein in your diet.  Two, about your coughing, makes me really wonder about what's going on with your lungs.  If you're a smoker, coughing is normal, but otherwise, not.  It's possible the pulmonologist just missed the boat on this, so that's why I say go to an internist and let him refer you to the various specialists you need to see.  I wish I could be more specific, but with a clear MRI (I'm assuming of the brain), then you have to look at other systemic problems.

[sickandsotired]

ANd, how could I forget- I am dizzy and sometimes feel like I am going to fall over- I feel like the world's biggest klutz, and that just seems to get worse all the time.....