Numb/tingly arm and leg

[Nortam]

I will try and keep this short.

6 weeks ago I started getting weird sensations in my right arm. Pins and needles, patches of numbness, tingling ect. Sometimes even painful. Sometimes I'd wake up in the night and my arm felt like I'd been lying on it even though I hadn't. A few times I'd woken up with a dead right leg too.

About 2 weeks ago, my arm got better but then today it's been bad again plus I've woken up today with my right leg feeling the same, although not quite as bad as my arm has been.

Hope all that makes sense! The only other symptom I've had is extreme tiredness. The last few weeks especially, I've been struggling to stay awake and have had to have at least 1 nap a day.

I've got a doctor appointment this afternoon but just wondering if anyone had anything similar? I was initially thinking carpal tunnel but with my leg feeling the same, it can't be.

Also to add, back when my arm was bad, the first time, I felt as though I had lost strength. For example, i had to be really careful taking things out of the oven as I felt like I was going to drop it.

I have this and don't know what it is. I had cancer, chemo etc last year and was nervous about this but they seem not concerned. It might be anxiety but odd it's largely one sided. I don't have muscle weakness. Mine is also on the right. I did get bad neuropathy in chemo so it could be related to that but not unusual pattern for going and coming back.

Thanks for the reply @Silkierabbit. Sorry to hear about your cancer. Are you still having chemo now? I'd not heard of neuropathy before but when I looked it up it said chemo was common cause.

Interesting about anxiety. I do have anxiety and take sertraline. Fortunately I have an appointment this afternoon so hopefully will find out more then.

Thanks Nortam My chemo finished a year ago now and got neuropathy from it which is pins and needles, numbness, for some people it's pain but it peaked 3 months after chemo, got better then returned and in theory it shouldn't return. So a bit puzzled, the cancer can come back as stage 4 and one symptom then can be like this but they said it didn't match as its all one side. So I wonder if it's anxiety but very strange it's largely one sided. Pins and needles can be hyperventilation a bit. I did get this type of thing before the cancer too and no cause ever really found, had a brain and spine mri which ruled out MS and just showed white matter disease in brain which they said would be migraines or tia and they thought tia which are mini strokes. But there are migraines which give strange effects and some have no headaches and stress can be a trigger. I reckon mine now is stress or neuropathy back from chemo. They did recommend me to get blood tests done again but had them done before and they were normal. I don't get symptoms swimming which also made me wonder if it's stress or anxiety.

Do you have it all the time or does it just come and go? Potential ms and mini strokes sounds scary and not things I'd considered. At least you've had these things ruled out.

Just to update, I saw a nurse practitioner who has sent me for a blood test to see if I have a b12 deficiency. She thinks it is carpal tunnel in my arm and maybe a trapped nerve in my back causing the leg numbness.

Glad your nurse helped. Yes I was blood tested for that and folate before and B12 was fine, folate was very low. I think its pretty rare for it to be MS and strokes it more permanent. Mine is mainly there all the time but does go when swimming which is why I suspect it maybe stress related.

Just an update to say I've been referred to neurology. All my blood test came back normal.

I have this, it starts in my neck, I have restricted movement due to nerve damage, it has travelled down my arm into my hand, it’s almost feels like an ache at times… now in my hand it’s called ulnar nerve palsy. Possibly nerve damage of some sort.

@JonjoMonjo21 do you get it in your leg too or just your arm? Mine feels like an ache sometimes too. Like I need to stretch it out or something.

@Nortam i do but that is a separate thing because I have snapping hip… it definitely sounds like nerve damage to me. I have no reflexes at all in one arm. They may do some physio as they did with me but it doesn’t do anything to help. Maybe just loosen you up a bit. Mine started in my neck and has travelled down over time .

Pleased your GP has referred you to neurologist, I hope your symptoms improve. These sort of things often resolve on their own OP, so try not to worry.

I have MS, so I have been through many neurological tests, mri scans and exams, to get my diagnosis. Personally, it doesn’t sound like it’s MS to me from how you have described it. My symptoms were much more acute for my first and second inflammatory attack.

Wishing you all the very best OP.

@JonjoMonjo21 do you know how the nerve damage started?

Thank you @Roselilly36 the nurse did mention ms but said she didn't think it was that. What kind of tests did the neurologist do to start? I'm actually not worried at all but my DH is a huge worrier and has me diagnosed with all sorts of things!

@Nortam saw neurologist, we discussed my symptoms, he did Neuro exam, ordered MRI scans head, cervical and full spine. Chest x ray, many blood tests. If MS could be possible, lots of other conditions need to be ruled out. The MRI which showed two areas of inflammation in my spinal cord and small white lesions on my brain. My MS wasn’t confirmed until I suffered a further attack which effected my vision 2 years later, then a further new lesion was found on my brain. Wishing you all the best OP, I hope it all turns out well for you.

Hi old are you? I'm 45 and have had similar symptoms over a few years. Mine ended up being part of my perimenopause symptoms. So fun! The numb arms are way less and the fatigue has improved since starting HRT.

I mean it's probably not that but worth a thought if anything else adds up.

I was initially diagnosed with carpal tunnel and fibromyalgia.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.

Lots of people are having similar issues post covid/and or post vaccine. There are masses of posts about this on the long covid Facebook support group- and it isn't always occurring immediately afterwards- sometimes months and months. I've had identical to you - saw neuro - I had a lot of weird buzzing in legs and a finger too initially- after a while these mainly went leaving me now just with intermittent migraines , painful base of neck (intermittent) and a right leg that feels like walking through concrete (intermittent) -

@Nortam I’ve always had stiffness in my neck , but one day at work my hand just went completely weak and my pinkie finger was paralysed. Went to gp and they referred me. It will slowly get worse and now in my other finger I feel the ache but not paralysed like my pinkie. I’m only 35 but have been hair dressing since I was 16. And I’m putting a lot of it down to that

@Nortam how are you feeling? I hope the symptoms have improved.

Thanks for asking how I've feeling @Roselilly36

My arm and elbow have been hurting a lot the last 2 days and my leg was hurting a few days ago so now I keep thinking were they actually numb or was I over thinking it? I've noticed that using my arm makes it hurt more. Kind of like it's been over used. I feel confused over the whole thing to be honest. Sorry probably not making any sense!

I did actually get a phone call this morning to say I've got a neurology appointment for next Friday! I was told it was a very long wait so I'm shocked.

I think I'm wondering if this is actually a nerve/brain thing and more a physical problem and I'm just wasting their time.

@Nortam sorry to hear you are still experiencing these unpleasant symptoms. Great news that you have an appointment to see Neurologist so quickly, that is brilliant, the Neurologist will soon get to the bottom of it 🤞I can sort of understand what you mean, my first attack mainly affected my left arm & leg and both hands, numbness but can be painful too, I sometimes get burning in my toes. These limbs just feel so heavy. Unfortunately for me the transverse Myelitis damage was permanent. Good luck, I hope you get some treatment soon.

@Roselilly36 how long do your 'attacks' last?

It's my appointment tomorrow. I feel nervous and like I'm wasting their time.

@Nortam first acute one, lasted a few weeks, still have symptoms from the first attack. Second 3 days. So totally varies. Entirely different symptoms each time. Now when something happens I look at the symptoms and it will invariably say MS.

The appointment will be fine, I know it’s a worrying time, but Neuro’s will soon get a handle on what’s going on, they will take a detailed history of your medical history, examine you etc. then go through the next steps, probably imaging. You definitely aren’t wasting anyone’s time. These symptoms need investigation. Good luck tomorrow and I hope you get some reassuring news, let me know how it goes 🤗

@Nortam wishing you all the best for your appointment today, good luck 🤞

Thank you @Roselilly36 for asking after me.

The neurologist was lovely. He did lots of checks on eyes, arms legs ect and asked me about all my symptoms. He's sending me for an MRI. The only thing he said was that he was quite sure it's not a brain tumour which I hadn't considered anyway luckily!

I will use this thread as a diary so I will update when I get a date for my MRI.

@Nortam so pleased it went well. I thought MRI would be the next step, based on my experience. Often MRI Appts are on Saturdays and Sundays. I hope you get the MRI quickly 🤞take it easy.