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1179375 tn?1296662480

my symptoms seem vague somedays

After having triplets and and a single in the same year, 2001, I started having tingling in my hands and extreme fatigue.  Of course I thought it was stress.  For years more "symptoms"  have came and went.  In 2005 After a routine physical, blood work showed my white cell count was too high. After a few appointments with an oncologist it fixed itself and nothing came from it.  Every fall the symptoms seem to repeat themselves and sometimes seem to jump out and then vanish as quick as they appeared. I've lost vision in my right eye that lasted 3min at a time all day and then was gone. I've had vertigo, dizziness, extreme fatigue, headaches, tingling in my feet. One morning The whole side of my face was numb, heavy, and tingly. It only lasted a day though.  Every fall my doctor prescribes another antidepressant,prescriptions for vertigo and constipation. I don't feel depressed!  In 2008 I was told I have cataracts, which caught me off guard I was only 31.  I've had tests for diabetes, thyroid, anemia, I've had catscans, xrays,and blood work for everything else; mono, epstein-bar, lime disease etc. Still nothing. This year the symptoms are back with a vengence.  I've had tingling in my hands, feet, legs, and face for 3 mos. I've had fatigue,  headaches, trembling, restless leg syndrome, forgetfullness,  dizziness, I see yellow spots,  My hands seem to "claw" when I try to write. All these symptoms I've had before but never this long and not all at once. Does this seem familiar to anyone? What does it all mean? My family Tries to support me but how can I convince them or, a doctor for that matter , If I can't convince myself. I'm not over weight, I don't smoke, I have a good marriage and  all of my 6 children are healthy. I'm very happy, but I feel like somethings wrong,What do I do?  
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with a doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of the symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

It sounds like you have several symptoms that would be difficult to tie together into one diagnosis. Some things to think about when there's fatigue, dizziness, vertigo, tingling in the extremities are thyroid disorders and vitamin B12 deficiency but it sounds like your testing for those were negative. Vertigo can often be due to inner ear problems rather than neurologic problems; these are best assessed for by an ENT specialist. Depression can sometimes cause physical symptoms instead of feelings of depression and sadness, so it is worth pursuing that possibility as well, even if you do not feel depressed.

There are certain disorders that lead to cataracts in the young, including some relatively rare neurologic disorders, but if there was definitive confirmation of cataract, and you have episodes of your hand clawing (like you are in a specific position and it is hard to release that position like a hand grip as you describe), one diagnosis to consider is called myotonic dystrophy, which can cause premature cataracts.

Tingling in the hands and feet can be a symptom of neuropathy, which is a generic term for a disorder of the peripheral nerves. One of the most common causes of neuropathy is diabetes, and sometimes only glucose intolerances, or abnormal rises in blood sugar after a glucose load can be the only indication (this is called a oral glucose tolerance test. Other causes include but are not limited to hereditary/genetic causes, autoimmune problems, and demyelinating diseases (such as CIDP). Vitamin B12 and B6 deficiency, as well as excess vitamin B6, can also cause neuropathy. Some toxins, such as lead, arsenic, and thalium can cause large fiber sensory neuropathy. Other causes include abnormalities of protein metabolism. The diagnosis of large fiber neuropathy is made by findings on a test called EMG/NCS which assess how well the nerve conduct electricity and how well muscles respond. If EMG/NCS is normal, but examination and history suggest the presence of neuropathy, then a small fiber neuropathy may be the cause. There are 2 types of nerves in our body, large and small. The small nerve endings supply the skin and sweat glands. There are two types of sensory neuropathy: small fiber and large fiber (depending on the size of the nerves affected). With small fiber neuropathies, symptoms including burning or buzzing or other vague symptoms starting in the feet and hands then in some cases spreading to other parts of the body. The EMG/nerve conduction studies (NCS) (tests done to check for neuropathy) will not show an abnormality, and a definitive diagnosis can only be made with a skin biopsy so that the number of nerve endings can literally be counted. There are other tests of the function of small nerves that can be ordered, such as QSART testing which looks at how much sweat the skin makes, since sweating is in a sense of function of these small nerves. There are several causes of small fiber neuropathy, as discussed above.

If you have not been evaluated by a neuromuscular specialist (a neurologist specialized in peripheral nerve disorders) this is recommended. Such a specialist can be found at a tertiary care hospital such as a university hospital.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.
Helpful - 1
1179375 tn?1296662480
I"ve recieved my cbc results and my wbc was 2 and I tested poss. for ebv with a 5. I'm confused because I've had ebv 3or4 times now, and this time I didn't have any typical symptoms other than the fatigue, so Does 5 mean I've had it ,or I'm coming down with it.  Another question: Once you have ebv do you always have it? Why does it keep coming back? I"ve had a low wbc count since I can remember so witch came first the ebv or the low wbc?  I've had pneumonia 4 times and I'm only 33.  Could I have an immune system disorder? All the other blood work was normal the lyme disease, thyroid ,vitamins etc.  I'm afraid of the swine flu with my blood cont could I get it bad?
Helpful - 0
1179375 tn?1296662480
I forgot to add that I also have a twitch in my left eye and my face itches. The cold seems to make things worse.
Helpful - 0

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