One sided weakness/numbness, "brisk" reflexes, fuzzy headed

[iwasagirlinavillage]

I'm going through an especially stressful time at the moment - marriage has broke down and I have two young children to care for. For the past 3 weeks I've been getting numbness and tingling in my left arm, accompanied by fuzzy headedness/feeling spaced out, headaches and blurred vision. It's not been constant, on average once a day for the past three weeks, sometimes lasting minutes, sometimes hours. Two days ago the numbness started and then I had shooting pains going down my arm into my hand. The shooting pains stopped but the numbness carried on. Later that evening I had what I thought was a panic attack - pins and needles in my hand, lightheadedness, struggling to breathe. After the panic attack the numbness continued and it was still there when I woke yesterday. I went to minor injuries and was seen by a doctor there who, upon examination, said that my reflexes are brisker on my left hand side in both my arm and leg. From the examination I realised that the loss of sensation is all down my left side. It's not completely numb, I can feel it when touched but I can feel more on the right side than the left. I can use my arms and legs fine but, with my arm at least I have to put more effort in. It feels weaker and heavy, like there's extra weight attached to it and it tires easily if I'm carrying something. Following the examination the doctor advised me to go to A&E as he felt I needed a CT scan. They did similar physical examinations there and then sent me for a head CT which was clear. They came to the conclusion that it's a type of migraine as I have a history of migraines. However this isn't anything like the migraines I've had before. They said to take over the counter pain killers, but I'm doing this and it's having no effect.

The numbness/weakness is still there in my arm and I am noticing it in my leg now that I'm more conscious of it. When I first stood up this morning I noticed a tingling shooting sensation when my foot came in to contact with the floor, and I remembered that I had numbness in my foot, also left, at the beginning of February which resulted in me injuring my foot and needing to go to minor injuries for x rays. It wasn't broken and no one had any idea how it was bruised and swollen from doing nothing other than walking on it when it was numb, or indeed why it was numb in the first place.

I will be going to the GP to follow up about this. I'm wondering if it could all be related to stress, but I mentioned that to the first doctor I saw and he said that stress or anxiety often bring things to the surface but they can't give you actual, physical symptoms - like the brisk reflexes.

Has anyone had similar or know what this could possibly be? Could it really be a migraine? Even though it feels nothing like a migraine to me?

iwasagirl Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease and you will be theoretically at increased risk of developing one of the many autoimmune conditions, depending on gene expression. There are autoimmune issues which cause neurological symptoms (generally bilaterally though not just one side). Hope you don't mind me chipping in just to add that info - I hope whatever it is resolves very soon, it sounds really unpleasant.

Some of my blood tests have come back. Mostly normal but the Lipid profile said to discuss with GP in a routine appointment. Could I really have high cholesterol at 30 years old and weighing less than 10 st. My diet hasn't been the best lately, because of the separation I've just eaten easy, slightly less healthy stuff but I've also lost weight.

My ESR results still haven't come back. Do they usually take quite a bit longer to come back?

Not sure if anyone is still looking on here but my blood results are all back. The ESR was 2 which is low and means there's practically no inflammation. Does anyone know if that means it's definitely not MS? Otherwise my blood test results were fine other than a low, but satisfactory serum globulin level and my Serum HDL cholesterol level was high, which is the good cholesterol. I don't know what would have made it high, I couldn't find out too much about it from a quick google.

A bump for you OP - I'm still reading and thinking of you but can't be of any help with the medical questions.

No, ESR is an inflammatory marker but not in relation to MS. Diagnosis for that is only through neurologist and MRI +/- lumbar puncture.

Thanks Mystified. That's what I thought but I wasn't sure if a high result could mean any number of things, whereas a low result would mean it's definitively not MS. I'm going to go back to the GP and see if I can see my usual doctor.

I have a condition that mimics MS , lots of similar symptoms to the ones you have .
My condition can only be picked up by an MRI .
A CAT scan is no use for me.
I would hope you could be referred for an MRI of your brain and cervical spine .
At the very least you need to be referred to a neurologist .

That's what I would think Deb. It's been going on for at least 5 weeks now with numbness, lightheadedness, double vision at least once every day and the numbness/weakness has been constant for 2 weeks now. To me it's just not the pattern for a migraine. It could well be stress but I'd rather not just assume that without checking physical causes. I've had my eyes tested and that was all okay, slight prescription but in terms of eye health they're fine. And I've got an initial appointment with a chiropractor on Saturday so hopefully they will be able to do a full neurological exam. I'm starting to question if it's all in my head but my left arm is definitely weak and I can't really hold my daughter with it anymore.

My doctors also tried to say that my symptoms were down to maigraines,
I have a lot of issues with my eyes ( blurryness and double vision ) but my optician has checked and they are healthy.
The pins and needles and tingling/numbness could be nerve related ,from your neck.
An MRI would help a lot in diagnosing your problem .or at least ruling things out .
Another thought ,look up the symptoms of low vitamin b12.see if any of that fit in with how you are feeling .

Do you mind me asking what your condition is Deb?

My condition is pretty rare , I think I would out myself if there's anyone on here that knows me .
I'm happy to pm you if you want ? I think if you looked up what I have ,you would see why I'm thinking you should have an MRI .

I've had the exact same! I'm waiting for a referral to neurology, I've been told it's hemiplegic migraines probably triggered by anxiety/stress/exhaustion. Please keep updated as very interested to know what it is as my CT was clear too as was blood work

I'm intrigued if nothing else now Deb so feel free to PM if you're happy to.

I will go back to my GP and mention the MRI. I'm still of the way of thinking that the GP should be the one to say "this is what we're going to do" rather than me asking for what I think they should do.

Iwasagirlinavillage
I have just discovered I have no idea how to private message !
I'll take a chance on there being nobody on here that knows me .
I have a thing called a cavernoma in my spinal cord .its a cyst/tumour made up of blood .they are usually found in the brain .its not so usual to get them in the spine .
But they can only be detected with an MRI ,
It took about a year to diagnose mine as It it takes a while to get through all the referrals gp to neurologist then on to neurosurgeon .
I have had ,and still have all the symptoms you are describing ,and it was thought at first it could be MS.
But Iv just had another look at the symptoms of vit b 12 deficiency and they are pretty close too .probably not a concern if your diet is good ,if you are a meat eater .

I'm going to have a read up on vitamin B12 deficiency. I'm still hoping for some kind of pinched nerve or something like that as I think it would be most easily resolved. Although from what I've been told a pinched nerve is unlikely to affect both the arm and the leg. I just worry the GP will dismiss it as stress related, especially as it's the NHS and referrals and MRIs obviously cost money, but the numbness/weakness is constant and starting to have a day to day impact. The lightheadedness and double vision, although annoying, isn't constant so that's slightly more bearable. Although I'm going back to work soon and being spaced out and lightheaded like that won't be so good when I need to concentrate.

I have a similarly rare condition called syringomyelia which is a cyst in the spinal cord called a syrinx made up of excess spinal fluid. It can be caused by trauma, tumours or a brain malformation but mine has no known cause. Like Debinaboat, it caused MS like symptoms due to the spinal cord being compressed and was diagnosed by MRI.

Definitely push to be referred to neurology and don't be afraid to go back to A & E if you get more symptoms - there was a 10 month wait for neurology outpatients appointments in my area - I went private and had had 2 major operations by the time my NHS appointment came through!

I've had a read up about Vitamin B12 deficiency but I think it could be ruled out by the blood tests I've had - red blood cells are fine etc.

My knowledge of the anatomy is pretty crap, but I'm wondering if you could have a pinched nerve somewhere close to the spine which was cause similar symptoms to a cyst/tumour in that area?

I do definitely feel the weakness in my arm and hand more than my leg, but I don't know if that's because I use it more. Sometimes I can't get my hand to move as quickly as I want it to or think it should. Usually once I've got it moving it's fine but it is as though the signal from my brain is taking a while to get through. I don't think it's the case with my whole arm, mainly if I'm using my fingers to type or do something a bit more dexterous.

My cyst is in my neck ,so it would make sense that a pinched nerve there would cause those symptoms .
Whatever it is , I hope you get it sorted soon ,and that your doctor is prepared to consider that it may be something other than migraine.
My doctor originally thought I had a pinched nerve as my neck was sore and stiff .he recommended exercise,
I have to admit it was very frustrating before I got my diagnosis .
Good luck

I just badly hurt my left leg as I tried to move it and it didn't move as far as I wanted it to so I hit it on part of the slide at the children's playground.

Ouch! I nearly fell down the stairs in a shop trying to stomp off after a shop assistant was unhelpful because my leg was not working properly!

A trapped nerve might explain the numbness and pins and needles, but not the vision and headaches, though obviously you could have migraines as well. You could try physiotherapy - I had some for my neck and it was really good - they gave me exercises but also manipulated my neck in strange but wonderful ways which really helped. In my area you could self refer on the NHS but I guess it might be worth asking your GP about.

Been to the GP. He's going to refer me to a neurologist but he said the wait is likely to be months. He doesn't think it's migraines but he doesn't know what it is.

How worrying, is there any way that you could afford a private consultation and get seen earlier? I this what I did, but be aware that sometimes more questions than answers get thrown up!

In my case, briefly, I have most of the symptoms that you have, including debilitating fatigue,(had to give up work, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2013) numb patches, areas that feel sunburned, blurred vision, flickering vision, double vision, dizziness, poor balance, tingling face, tingling tongue. My left heel feels cold and wet, like I have stood in cold water and my sock is wet, its very annoying.

Anyway, I also got referred to a Neurologist, he ordered a brain and spine MRI, which in fact showed numerous high signal areas within the white matter of the brain. He then sent me for a lumbar puncture, which came back completely normal so I received a letter saying nothing to suggest MS. So I am back to square one, just trying to carry on with life with the diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

I think a lot of the symptoms of fibro can mimic MS.

At least you are on the right track now and hopefully the neurologist can give you some proper answers.

Just come out from the chiropractor and he isn't happy to treat me until I've had an MRI to rule out a medical reason for the numbness. He said that with the numbness being in my arm and leg it would have to be two physical causes, which isn't impossible, but with the lightheadedness and double vision as well, he wouldn't want to jump to that conclusion. So I have to continue to wait for the MRI and if that's clear then I can go back for them to try some different things. He did press on a nerve in my left shoulder and it sent a shooting pain down my arm which would be indicative of a bulging disc, but that wouldn't account for the numbness in my leg. Since he pressed on that nerve though my arm is feeling even weaker.

i have similar symptoms - kept in hospital for 10 days under neurology and i am a hemiplegic migraine sufferer but this was different.
lumbar, brain ct , mri spine and brain amongst other tests , most came back normal. (blood pressure and temp low ,calcium low and immunoglobulins raised)
i have been told there is no evidence of ms yet!
he thinks i might have a functional neurological disorder where my software is "glitching" which can be caused by severe illness or stress.
mine started after a bad bout of pneumonia and i suffer from chronic ptsd so always stressed.