Left hand partial numbess, left eye distorted vision

[JPearson]

Last summer my left eye would sometimes twitch or pulsate, distorting my vision temporarily. An Opthamologist found nothing wrong and it wasnt doing it at the time I was checked out. It has been doing this off and on ever since. Then, last November I lost some feeling in the left side of my left hand. Basically the left side of my palm and left two fingers are partially numb(It feels the way novacaine feels when its wearing off). The numbness is constant and is quite uncomfortable. It happened suddenly while I was at work. I felt a sharp pain in my left forearm that lasted only a second, then the numbness. It almost felt like an electrical shock and I was just walking down the hall at the time, not lifting anything.

Finally; for the past several weeks I have been experiencing an intermittent sharp pain in the right side of my right knee (similiar to the type of pain that I felt in my left forearm before the numbness). It will last for a few seconds and go away.

I am an office worker that sits behind a desk all day so none of this is due to any kind of physical injury. I am concerned that these symptoms might be related and would like to get opinions from others who may have experienced the same or similiar symptoms.

Thank you.

JP

[bluebird91]

Hi There!!  
I was in a car accident about 9 months back and haven't been the same ever since.  Had a soft tissue injury, and about a month after the accident, my tongue started to go numb while driving.  I went to the er, they did a work up, and all they could come up with was ms, based strictly on symptoms alone.  I had a brain mri w/ contrast done, and it showed nothing, thankfully!  I went on to see a neurosurgeon who found some disk bulging, and a bone spur that could be causing mild cervical stenosis/spondylosis.  No one can find the source of the speech/tongue issue.  Even my neurosurgeon, suggested ms as a possibility.  My other symptoms presently include:  extreme fatigue, neuropathic pain(bilateral), numbness tingling, speech issues w/ tongue numbness, cold feeling up the back of my head, constant tinnitus, balance issues, muscle weakness, neck pain due to to whiplash injury, numb toes, burning lips, severe jaw clicking(no tmj), and upper back spasms.  I've had an evoked potential(brainstem) that was fine, mri's about 8 months ago, and my symptoms seem to be getting worse.  I'm 35 years old and don't have the time for this....could this be nerve damage like they are telling me along w/ the other back issues, or could the accident have brought on my first attack that wasn't detected by mri.  I'm due to have cervical mri, and brain mri w/ contrast next week.  Thanks for any adivce....feel liked a hypocondriac!!  

[Scoobiegirl]

i also have the left eye and partial numbness of the left hand problems.  As well as swelling of the feet, ankles and lower legs.  I also have bowel concerns due to constipation / obstruction, and then diarrhea.
Any idea what all of this means?  I'm fearing it to be congestive heart problems.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!

Eye twitching could be due to stress, lack of sleep, fatigue, anxiety, corneal irritation, eye strain and certain neurological problems. Generally any problem with the vision is due to forced closure of the eyelids. You can refer to this link for more information : http://www.eyedoctorguide.com/eye_problems/eye-twitching.html

However in view of other symptoms too, you should get a MRI of brain and cervical spine done. Cervical spine MRI will rule out pressure symptoms. Brain MRI will rule out Multiple Sclerosis and causes of TIA “Transient Ischemic Attacks or TIAs. “A transient ischemic attack (TIA, often colloquially referred to as “mini stroke”) is caused by the changes in the blood supply to a particular area of the brain, resulting in brief neurologic dysfunction that persists, by definition, for less than 24 hours; if symptoms persist then it is categorized as a stroke.”

“The most common cause of a TIA is an embolus that occludes an artery in the brain. This most frequently arises from a dislodged atherosclerotic plaque in one of the carotid arteries (i.e. a number of major arteries in the head and neck) or from a thrombus (i.e. a blood clot) in the heart due to atrial fibrillation.

Other reasons include excessive narrowing of large vessels due to an atherosclerotic plaque and increased blood viscosity due to some blood diseases. TIA is related with other medical conditions like hypertension, heart disease (especially atrial fibrillation), migraine, cigarette smoking, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes mellitus.”
Refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transient_ischemic_attack

. You need a comprehensive investigation taking all these points in consideration. Please discuss this with your doctor and get yourself investigated accordingly. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[ML644]

Did you get a diagnosis on your condition? I am having the same symptoms and I am extrimely worried. I would love to hear back from you.

[stephrdh]

i have had similiar problems.  i have had pressure and tingling, not numb but i describe it as an "asleep" feeling.  but it all started under my left eye.  my vision was not distorted but my eye felt cold.  now my "asleep" feeling comes every few months.  especially around my monthly cycle.  this has been going on for awhile with me.  i have had an mri and some blood work.  the mri was negative for multiple sclerosis.
from my research the eye twitching would concern me.  if your feeling continues you may want to speak with your doctor about an mri.  it may help with your worry.
i'm still in the process of investigating.  i have all the symptoms of ms.  i may have a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) in a couple of months to be sure.  i need answers b/c it make me crazy not knowing.
i hope this doesn't scare you.  but try to keep a journal so you can have detailed info for you doc.  GOOD LUCK!!