Somebody please help!!

[mschvusangel]

I'm not quite sure where to start with my problems, and I will apoligize in advance for this being a long post, but I need some kind of answers.  I am a 26 year old female who has been living with lots of strange, undiagnosed symptoms for many years. The doctors seem to think I am too young to be having all these problems and I have actually had one that told me that!!  

It seems as though everything  first started after I fell and bruised my lower back about 8 years ago.  I have since fell numerous times (going up or down stairs, or just tripping, as I am very clumsy) and several of those times I have landed on my tail bone, thus causing chronic lower back pain (extremely painful at times). MRI showed no bulging or herniated disk.  

I think I did have migraines prior to this, but not I'm not positive if  they started before of after.  

About 5 years ago I started having right sided facial numbness along with the "migraines" (when it does this it almost looks like I have had a stroke- my eye, cheek, and lips droop). This happened pretty frequently for several weeks to sometimes months, and then would just go away for several months.  The numbness in my face eventually started happening without the headaches, and I haven't had a migraine in a few years.  I have noticed that when  the symptoms begin it's usually after I have been under a great deal of stress.

I have been to 4 different neurologists over the past 6-7 years.  2 of them never did any neuro testing at all, just diagnosed me with migraines and put me on migraine meds that never worked.  Finally the 3rd neurologist ordered an MRI and EEG.  MRI was normal, EEG was abnormal.  EEG showed that I was having focal seizures, which I have never quite agreed with, as I have never been unconscious nor have I ever convulsed.  And I don't see how a partial seizure could cause your face to become numb and distorted. I was put on Topamax and couldn't handle all of the side effects so I stopped taking it. It never worked anyway.

The 3rd neuro was about 3 1/2 years ago and I have still been experiencing the facial numbness and have started to have more symptoms.  My right arm started going numb when the episodes would happen, and I haven't regained full feeling in my face. The episodes have become more frequent and my lower back pain has become much worse.  (starting to have spasms, and it's getting harder for me to get up and down)

I told my gyno all of my symptoms at my last appointment with her, and she did several tests to rule out autoimmune diseases such as Lupus and RA.  All those were normal, but my Sed rate and CRP levels came back elevated, which are indicators for some type of inflammation in your system. She suggested I see a Rheumatologist since I had been having all the joint and muscle pain, and follow up with my neurologist. The Rheumatologist did more blood work and at first wanted  to diagnose me with Fibromyalgia, but my Vitamin D levels came back as being dangerously low so he started me on Vitamin D therapy.

I have since went to the 4th Neurologist who re-ordered the MRI and EEG.  EEG still comes back abnormal, but no actual seizures this time, and MRI was normal, but when I was injected with the contrast I don't think the tech actually had it in a vein. I never felt it being injected in my veins nor did I have the strange taste that I had the last  time I had one done, and after it was all finished I had a really big bulge under the skin at the injection site.  Not real sure if the contrast makes that big of a difference though.

I was put on another type of seizure/migraine  medicine (yes, this new Dr. seemed to think that it still could be migraines, even though I DON'T HAVE HEADACHES).  I took it for 2 weeks and could not sleep at all, and it made me feel like a zombie,  so I have discontinued using it, and since started on Vitamin D therapy. (I  have read that Vit D deficiency can cause seizures, so it made sense to me to stop the meds and start vit D).

Shortly after this last Dr. visit I started having severe muscle cramps in my arms and legs, and started  waking up every night with my arms or legs or both completely numb. It was happening during the day, but more frequently at night. The numbness even happened across my chest one night, which really scared me.  This lasted for about 3 weeks maybe 4 and I still don't have much feeling in my fingertips now.

I am very sorry that I have gone on and on, but I have been to so many different doctors and have gotten nowhere, and I know that my symptoms are real.  I have looked at many different websites for numbness and the Vitamin D deficiency and a lot of it has said something about it being related to MS.  I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same symptoms or if I am on the wrong track.  

I have also experienced heart palpatations, vision changes in my right eye, menstrual problems, neck pain (sometimes it feels like electricity is shooting through my neck and lower back), memory problems, sometimes I have a hard time getting my words out or I stutter (which I have never done). Oh, and I have also had this strange pressure in my head sometimes (the only way to explain it is that it  feels like my head is a balloon and someone is just blowing it up) and then I get really dizzy and lightheaded and feel like I am going to pass out.

If you are still with me after this long post, I truly thank you for reading.  I hope I can get some kind of information from this.

[jdlk]

I hope you find that doctor..... and I hope I helped out - even a little bit.

[mschvusangel]

Thanks for the info!  I have visited the site, and they have lots of useful information.  I have indeed been to a chiropractor, and as far as the back pain, it sometimes helps, but not much.  I have been going to a chiropractor for about a year now, hoping that it will eventually do some good but so far it hasn't helped as much as I hoped it would.  

I have been told by 1 doctor and the chiropractor that I have a tilted pelvis and that I have some degree of scoliosis.  The Rheumatologist said that I may have osteoarthritis in my lower back, but he wasn't positive.  I have been taking medicine for this and it helps sometimes, but at the same time it irritates my stomach which I also have problems with.  I feel like people think I am just crazy, but I know what I experience is real and maybe one day I will actually find a doctor who is willing to go the extra mile to figure it all out!!

[jdlk]

I don't know much about MS, but if you copy and paste this into the MS forum, perhaps somebody there can relate to what you are feeling.

[jdlk]

I am so sorry that you are going through something like that.  It must be extremely stressful.  You would think between 4 specialists you would have some answers.  I found some case studies that you might want to read - it's just a simple blurb, but it seems that a lot of these cases extend from an injury.  

I don't have the pain that you do, however have you ever been to a chiropractor?  I'm not one to really believe in it, but I started going cause I was off balance - I was constantly walking to one side, was getting extreme headaches, had a sore back, arms, legs, neck and was extremely constipated.  I went to the chiropractor and after one adjustment was perfectly fine.  I have never slept so good - he literally put my body back into it's spot and (sorry for this part) but was crapping like crazy.  My spinal system was so messed up that my body was not receiving it's commands causing all the pain.  This could help you out for your bodily pain and perhaps the seizures.....

http://www.erinelster.com/CaseStudies.aspx?ConditionID=10

Also type in "case studies - seizures chiropractic"  they give some interesting cases.....

hope this helps a little....