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Ongoing pain and nerve pain - Doctors stumped

13 replies

ButtofaMonkey · 06/03/2025 12:42

I have been unwell for almost 4 weeks now. Current symptoms are tingling and pain in my left hand/ arm, ibuprofen, codeine + paracetamol are not helping this, sometimes it takes the edge off. Also have general aches and pains all over my body as if fighting a flu. The arm pains and tingling are worse at night. Haven't slept properly in a month.

Backstory:
4 weeks ago woke with pelvic and bladder pain, cloudy urine, frequent urination, feeling generally unwell. Prescribed a UTI treatment for 3 days. Symptoms did not alleviate, also got tingling in my left hand, most in the little finger and ring finger and pains in my left arm. Prescribed another course of antibiotics for UTI, which then resolved after approx 3 days.
Pain in pelvis and aches and pains remained, pain in arm got worse and also started getting pains in back and numbness from bellybutton on left side, around to my spine. Last Thursday I had horrific waves of back pain in the left mid back. Multiple tests in A&E and they couldn't find anything. The pain lasted about 12 hours and has not recurred. The following day I got a mild rash of tiny blisters on back in the same area but GP inspected and ruled out shingles.

Tests done and all clear:
CAT scan of pelvis and mid abdomen. Ultrasound of pelvis. Multiple blood panels to check for infection, vitamins and minerals etc, all results perfect. Multiple urinalysis in GP and in lab.

I am stumped and my doctor is too. I have been to A&E twice, seen my own GP 6 times. The ongoing pain in the arm seems to be unrelated to all the other stuff and has developed into causing me the most pain and difficulty in sleeping.

Any thoughts from anyone who enjoys a puzzle? I am thinking maybe internal shingles but that would not explain the pain and tingling in my left hand/ arm. Or the pelvic pain on the left side that is still ongoing.
I don't have any other health issues other than hypertension that I am medicated for, it has been under control but since I got sick its been very high consistently.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 06/03/2025 16:54

Is it possible these things are unrelated and what is stumping everyone is trying to connect them?

Tingling in your little/ring finger is typically ulnar nerve entrapment. Possibly if it started when you were unwell you were lying on your elbow more, or in bed using a phone/laptop and triggered it. I got mine by spending a week mumsnetting during Covid for example.

ButtofaMonkey · 06/03/2025 18:16

Thanks, yes that's possible and I do sleep on my left side. How did they diagnose that? And what can be done for it? My GP is dragging his heels on referring for an MRI.

OP posts:
AmusedGoose · 06/03/2025 18:38

I suffer with the arm tingling and shoulder pain and physio said it's probably bilateral carpal tunnel. Probably caused by lying on one side using phone or watching TV. Try leaving your phone and ipad in another room. It should improve in a few days. You may need to take a week off sick and do as little as possible. Stick with any NSAID meds. Good luck.

NeonGiraffe · 06/03/2025 18:49

Were the antibiotics nitrofurantoin? Could be a reaction. Although agree arm is probably separate and nerve related, cold packs or heat, whichever helps and painkillers. I had a trapped nerve in cervical spine which caused agony in my arm.

Totototo · 06/03/2025 19:04

Have you tried a TENS machine?

How old are you?

Treepot · 06/03/2025 19:10

Look up thoracic outlet syndrome and nerve flossing exercises.

AnnaMagnani · 06/03/2025 19:49

It doesn't need an MRI to diagnose, it just is.

I found physio very helpful, got me doing neck and arm stretches to keep everything moving.

ButtofaMonkey · 07/03/2025 08:42

Totototo · 06/03/2025 19:04

Have you tried a TENS machine?

How old are you?

No. Haven't tried tens.
I'm 55.

OP posts:
cutefluffyunicorn · 07/03/2025 11:38

what were your B12, folate and ferritin levels?

Patcherdog · 07/03/2025 12:19

I get tingling etc in both arms/hands. Had mri and compression of cervical nerve root was found

ButtofaMonkey · 07/03/2025 12:28

cutefluffyunicorn · 07/03/2025 11:38

what were your B12, folate and ferritin levels?

All within normal ranges.

OP posts:
cutefluffyunicorn · 07/03/2025 12:30

ButtofaMonkey · 07/03/2025 12:28

All within normal ranges.

do you know the actual values? these are often reported normal by GPs when they actually aren't so might be worth double checking.

ButtofaMonkey · 07/03/2025 12:32

Saw a different GP this morning, who thinks all the symptoms are unrelated.
Arm pain = ulnar nerve compression. Prescribed amitripyline and see physio.
Pelvic pain = an old fibroid that may have shifted and is pressing on a nerve - referral to gynae
Numbness and back pain = degeneration in spine identified on CAT scan (which was not shared with me when scan was done last week in A&E).
Aches and pains - exhaustion, anxiety, body fighting feeling so unwell for weeks

So that's where we are at. Isn't getting older a bitch. 🙄

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