neck pain, headaches, pixilated vision and lightheadedness

[SaraSully]

I have been suffering from a wide array of symptoms for the past two years and no one seems to have any answers. It all started with a chronic neck pain, headaches and lightheadedness. Then one morning while I was taking a shower I started to lose feeling and hearing in one of my ears and with seconds it then spread to my other ear. Once it was both my hears I could hardly hear anything and I felt a lot of head/ear pressure and my face was numb. Then my vision started to become pixilated (like a bad digital photo that was enlarged). My husband found me and carried me to the bed because I was too weak and disoriented to walk. After about 10 to 15 minutes of lying on the bed I slowly regained my loss vision and hearing. I went to the doctors two hours later and the found that my blood pressure was high, so they were concerned at first. They said that I am too young to have had a heart attack (25 yrs old) and they gave me a neurological exam, which came out fine. After this episode my body temperature rose to 100 degrees F. I had this low grade fever for the next 5 months and now my  body temp is normal. Anyway, I feel like my illness went into remission because I've been ok for a little while, but know my headaches and neck pain are starting again.

Does anyone have a any ideas of what may be going on with me?

I have one other weird thing going on...two eye doctors told me that I will probably have to start glaucoma treatment in a few year. My ocular pressure was not bad, but I think they saw some other damage. I also have a lot of sinus pressure. I am not sure if this is at all related to my other problems, but just thought I should add that just in case.

~Sara

[bncrump]

Hello Dr. I have posted this before but never got a Dr.'s response. Please respond!

I am 29 years old and I have had neuropathy throughout my entire body for the past 7 years. It started right after I had my daughter....by c-section, after general anethesia (put to sleep) and an epidural. I haven't had any recent tests done because I just had another baby (had a spinal this time). If I wanted to get blood work done, what tests should I ask for? What other tests could be done to determine the cause? MRIs...of what area?

I recently found out the my TSH levels were above 200 after I had the baby. I am now taking Levothyroxine 125 for that.  I have been tested for LUPUS several times and my ANA usually comes back negative. I have been tested for Lyme, NEGATIVE. Rhum dr says that I may be a carrier for LUPUS and may be diagnosed later on in life. I had an MRI of my head 6 years ago and it was normal. All my other bloodwork is normal.  I also am allergic to (found out after taking them for 11+ days) CIPRO and was prescribed CIPRO (took for 4 days) and LEVAQUIN (took for 7 days) shortly after having my daughter 6 years ago. Could this be a symptom of  any of taking these mediciations?

I have been told that my neuropathy stems from anxiety but I just don't think so. I took depression medicine (Effexor) for 2 years and they NEVER stopped.

Since having my 2nd child in November 2007, the twitching is getting worse. I don't know what it could be from anymore. I mostly feel them in my arms and legs, but sometimes I get them in my rib cage, chest and feet.

What can I do?

Thank you so much!

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

You should consult a neurologist for your complaints and get an MRI BRAIN done. Discuss whether EEG would help in your case.

You should also get an xray of your cervical spine to rule out spondylitis - let us know what your specialist suggests.

Regards.

[SaraSully]

Yes, I have had my blood pressure checked a few times and almost every time they tell me it was on the low range, except for the one time I had that big mystery attack then it was high.

[SaraSully]

I do not smoke and I don't drink much (maybe 5 glasses of red wine a month at most).

I feel like my short term memory has become worst, but I have not lost consciousness.

I was working in the public health field (preventing blood-borne pathogens). I quit working because my neck was causing me so much pain and I was constantly feeling like I would faint.

It is possible this problem may be hereditary. At about age 25 my mother started having bad headaches/migraines and was fainting. My mother is now 49 and just lost consciousness and collapsed on the floor. Her doctor told her she may have a circulation problem and that she needs to move her legs around before she stands up. I just mention this because this is the age that my symptoms started too. She never had any neck pain though.  

Another weird thing about me is that my pupils are always big and don't respond to light.

My medications: Allergy pills, vitamin B-Complex, vitamin C and Alleve (only when I have headaches).   I also take 20 mg of prozac because I began to get depressed dealing with my pain and being faint all the time.

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

You should consult a neurologist for your complaints and get an MRI BRAIN done. Discuss whether EEG would help in your case.

Get your blood pressure checked for a few days and see if it is in the normal range. Do you drink or smoke? Have you ever had loss of consciousness or memory loss?

You should also consult a neurologist and eye specialist and get yourself examined.

What other symptoms are you having? What work do you do?

Let us know about what other medications you are taking, if any. Also, post us about what the neurologist advises and if you have any other doubts.

Regards.

[SaraSully]

I also forgot to add that my left arm went numb after my vision became pixilated.