Something odd is going on with my health but my gp is no help at all??

[weirdsymptomsforyears]

I’ve been having strange symptoms for years now. Sometimes nothing for months then periods of time where I have various strange symptoms. I think my gp thinks I’m going mad but it’s not all in my mind it’s very physical and I need to know what sort of doctor to see privately if that’s what it takes to get some help ?

About 10 years ago I started getting dizzy episodes that would last a few days. Maybe once every 3 months. Then they would be accompanied by numbness and tingling in my back/waist / back of thighs . Then it would
go and I’d be fine again for weeks or months.

5 years ago I had a terrifying episode of loss of vision in one eye and went to the optician but they couldn’t find anything wrong and it got better gradually over 48 hours.

The dizzy attacks have continued . On a few occasions I’ve had feelings like something warm is being poured over the back of my legs. I’ve had one totally numb toe for 4 years! I have developed what I think is IBS and over the last few years Ive had to keep increasing my laxatives to cope with constipation .

Im always exhausted now and have to keep going to sleep in the day

For the past week I’ve had the intense sensation of bugs crawling all over my scalp and forehead. It’s unbearable. The gp is saying this must be psychological.
Do I need to see a rheumatologist? A neurologist ?

I did beg them to do bloods on a few occasions and everything is normal. Something else I’ve had a few times is weird weakness numbness and cramping up of my arm and hand.

I’m 45 could it be perimenopause getting worse and moving into actual menopause? I don’t feel like I can cope feeling this way it’s like my body is not mine anymore

I would want them to rule out MS with those symptoms, not to scare you.
Probably you need to see a neurologist.
It could also be some kind of vitamin deficiency like B12.

Ask for a referral to a neurologist. Write down as much detail as you can on when symptoms started and stopped - as you’ve done here but more detailed if possible.

Sounds autoimmune something with nerves.
I had the bugs under scalp thing, was driving me mad, a few weeks later I found a large bald patch where the sensation was. Alopecia is an autoimmune condition.

Have you had blood tests and had your vitamin levels checked?

Look at vestibular migraines

My gp is so unhelpful I think I will book to go to see someone privately. They keep saying to me it’s psychological as bloods are fine but I really don’t feel fine. This latest symptom with the bug sensation on my skin is driving me mad . A few years ago I had an episode where I had to call an ambulance as had similar and it progressed to spasms in my legs and shaking and no cause was found and no follow up at all just discharged and I think I should have done something then. I’m constantly having dizziness issues and having to do the manoeuvre to try and sort that out now as well and it’s so much more frequent.
Its hard to explain as well but I keep having gaps in my thoughts and memories where I can’t get a word I need or recall something but it’s a very physical feeling.

If you're not happy you could switch to a different GP.

Yes all fine. I have thyroid issues but it’s well
controlled.

A friend of mine had symptoms like this. She has turned out to have some kind of brain lesions. This is way above a Gp’s pay grade. Try to get to a specialist.

I think you need a referral to a neurologist asap. Sadly it sounds like relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

If your GP refuses a referral, ask for a second opinion.

Lack of Vitamin B12 might be a cause @weirdsymptomsforyears . There is a range for 'normal' levels of it. I discovered a long time ago that I get similar type symptoms unless my B12 levels are 'High' normal Level - not 'Low' normal level.

I take High Strength B12 capsules Igennus Super Vitamin B12-Complex 1000mcg Sublingual, Methylcobalamin Methylated, 180 Servings, Clean Label & Vegan, 3 High Absorption Forms, Sugar-Free Melts, 1-a-Day : Amazon.co.uk: Health & Personal Care

The sublingual tablets are dissolved under your tongue, so are absorbed better than the tablets you swallow

It could be other things of course, but you could take High strength B12 and go from there?

I work in mental health op as a psychotherapist and we always go with the rule of not to assume it's psychological until all health causes be ruled out. A blood test for numbness in my opinion isn't enough to prove it is psychological. Please go back and fight for more tests. It could end up being psychological but I do t think this has been investigated enough and I'd feel I comfortable taking your case on as anxiety at the minute

The vision issues, speech disturbance, numbness/cramping all fit with migraines, as PP suggested. I can’t reach for the word when my migraines start to come on. The visual disturbance makes me dizzy before and after. I get pins and needles in my hand, arm and leg, sometimes my hand locks in a crab and I often lose power on the affected side. Messes with my bowels too!

I would be trying for a referral so they can rule out anything more serious, or rule in migraine and help you treat that.

Agree, also hemiplegic migraines.

This is my thinking too. I would want my bloods checked and a referal to a neurologist.

Have you been tested for Coeliac Disease? It's a simple blood test but you need to eat lots of gluten (bread, pasta, pizza, biscuits etc) for it to be accurate.
Someone with undiagnosed Coeliac Disease could present with something called gluten ataxia. It's something a neurologist would know about.
CD might also explain the IBS symptoms.

Is it Hashimoto’s underactive thyroid? If so that is autoimmune and more likely you have a second autoimmune issue. Have you been tested for coeliac? Some people experience more neurological problems than digestive problems.

I’d want to see a neurologist OP.

Purely neurological conditions won't show anything on blood tests, and this sounds neurological. You do need a neurologist and they will order a head MRI scan.

Sorry to say either your GP is actually too stupid to be GP or they are totally negligent.
with that history you should have been referred to a neurologist who could then book an MRI to check for MS and rule it in or out. Blood tests wont help.
Could easily be migraines too.

Ask for a print out of your blood test results. Sometimes results can be just over the line for "normal" in your NHS trust, but the same results in a different area would mean further investigation.

Could you have a trapped nerve that flares up?

Also consider migraine. Migraines are a neurological event and don't always produce a headache but a whole range of neurological symptoms.

I'd see a neurologist.

You need to see a neurologist and or a rheumatologist. What are your actual bloods - in range doesn't mean optimal and nice guidelines are not great.

You need to see a neurologist I’d say. You would need to be assessed for MS, Parkinson’s and migraine amongst other things. Constipation and numbness can be early signs of Parkinson’s.
You need to keep pushing to be seen by a specialist or book a private consultation with one.