Aa
?s about lumbar puncture test
I am a 45 yr old female, I have had cervical fusion C5-6, C6-7 has a protruding disc. For the last 6 years I have had odd sensations (odd feeling of ripples in head, skin itching with no reason, tingling, shin pain, balance issues, fatigue, vision issues with 5% loss in right eye, feeling warmness on thigh , left hand feels like something is resting on it but nothing is there). I have had many tests which all come back normal or insignificate except for the MRI of neck showing the protruding disc and the vision field. Many different diagnosis from migraine, complex partial seizures, depression, ect. EEG normal, MRI of brain shows no lesions, Visual evoked potential insignificate, ect.
Two weeks ago I saw the PA as my doctor was overbooked. The sensations in my head had started to happen every day, through out the day (this happened before lasting 39 days) The sensation in my head varies in strength, from mild ripples to hard hitting ones that will make me flinch. I have them about 5 to 20 times a week. When they occur everyday like this I get confused easy, talk with reversed words or put two words together, word finding difficulties, become very tired. She prescribed lyrica 50mg twice daily for first 10 days then 3 times a day. About the 9th day of starting lyrica my lower legs hurt before I went to bed and when I woke I had tingling in both legs, pain in both legs and severe left back pain from shoulders to mid back, with difficulty using left arm, also when I bent right leg I had a sensation simular to when you hit your funny bone going down from knee into foot. I called and once again doctor was overbooked so I saw the same PA. She ordered blood work and MRI of lower back and prescibed fentanyl 25 mcg/h. She assured me this was not side effects from lyrica (I have had nasty side effects to some drugs). After MRI I couldn't move my arms, so techs had to help me up and I had to wait for feeling to come back to put shoes on. The tech had to pull help bulb from left hand as I couldn't open it. While waiting for visit with my doctor (yes my doctor, not the PA) for MRI results, I have still been experiencing the leg pain, back pain, tingling, although not as severe, and some new symptoms: balance issues, difficulty reading as eyes jump around and cause dizziness, worsening of vision problems in right eye,waking with both arms asleep, extreme fatigue, dropping things.
I see my regular doctor tuesday the 5th and I also made appointment the same day with my neurologist as I think he should be aware of what has been going on with me.
Finally to my question:
Out of all the tests I have been given (there has been too many to list or remember all of them) I have never had a lumbar puncture. I have been told that I don't want to go through the pain it causes. Wouldn't a lumbar puncture help with a diagnosis or at least give some insight as to what it isn't? Can I push the issue with my doctor and insist on one? Should I?
Two weeks ago I saw the PA as my doctor was overbooked. The sensations in my head had started to happen every day, through out the day (this happened before lasting 39 days) The sensation in my head varies in strength, from mild ripples to hard hitting ones that will make me flinch. I have them about 5 to 20 times a week. When they occur everyday like this I get confused easy, talk with reversed words or put two words together, word finding difficulties, become very tired. She prescribed lyrica 50mg twice daily for first 10 days then 3 times a day. About the 9th day of starting lyrica my lower legs hurt before I went to bed and when I woke I had tingling in both legs, pain in both legs and severe left back pain from shoulders to mid back, with difficulty using left arm, also when I bent right leg I had a sensation simular to when you hit your funny bone going down from knee into foot. I called and once again doctor was overbooked so I saw the same PA. She ordered blood work and MRI of lower back and prescibed fentanyl 25 mcg/h. She assured me this was not side effects from lyrica (I have had nasty side effects to some drugs). After MRI I couldn't move my arms, so techs had to help me up and I had to wait for feeling to come back to put shoes on. The tech had to pull help bulb from left hand as I couldn't open it. While waiting for visit with my doctor (yes my doctor, not the PA) for MRI results, I have still been experiencing the leg pain, back pain, tingling, although not as severe, and some new symptoms: balance issues, difficulty reading as eyes jump around and cause dizziness, worsening of vision problems in right eye,waking with both arms asleep, extreme fatigue, dropping things.
I see my regular doctor tuesday the 5th and I also made appointment the same day with my neurologist as I think he should be aware of what has been going on with me.
Finally to my question:
Out of all the tests I have been given (there has been too many to list or remember all of them) I have never had a lumbar puncture. I have been told that I don't want to go through the pain it causes. Wouldn't a lumbar puncture help with a diagnosis or at least give some insight as to what it isn't? Can I push the issue with my doctor and insist on one? Should I?
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