Does this sound like a neurological issue?

[goldensun96]

Hi all.

I do suffer with anxiety, but like to think I have got better in the last couple of years.

However, some things have been happening over the period of a few months and I am now starting to get a little concerned it could be something serious.

So let's start by unintentional weight loss, I lost 1.5 stone after my second really quickly despite eating well and not breast feeding. I had so many bloods done but nothing came back so they kind of just forgot about me. The only thing that was low was my serum ferritin of 12.

Over the last 4 months, these things have started, not all at the same time or constant, just the odd occasion.

• Going extremely numb down below during intercourse where I lose all feeling, never happened before until 2 months ago and it's happened 3 times now. It's like I can't feel a thing at all.
• Being very clumsy, dropping things more, like things just fall out of my hand.
• Slight pins and needles randomly in the palms of my hand when at work. (desk job)
• Sometimes when eating or drinking some food or liquid goes to the back of my nose and feels awful.
• I've noticed on some pictures my smile is slightly crooked now.. never been an issue before but looking back on pics it's been like that for around 6-7 months.

I have no idea if I should be overly concerned or not? I haven't spoken to my GP yet (other than the weight loss). Reason being is because I'm awaiting an internal scan because my periods are so heavy so I was waiting for this to come and go then if I am still feeling the way I am then book in to discuss the above.

Please someone take my out of my spiral, I have googled and the worst is coming up, such as MND, MS, Parkinson's, tumors. I don't want to sound insensitive if someone reads this and is going through one of these conditions personally.

As someone who's been here and has some understanding, honesty, this sounds like nothing. Random weirdnesses that you notice when you're in hyper vigilant mode.

I get three of the five things you describe and (as far as I know) there's nothing wrong with me.

Of course I'm not a doctor, and you should get yourself checked etc.

Heavy periods - perimenopause
Random bins and needles - Oestrogen fluctuations - perimenopause
Clumsy and dropping things - perimenopause
Weight loss - not perimenopause (or if it is your bloody lucky!)

Get your iron levels sorted 12 is way too low , looks at any peer reviewed paper or guidelines from other countries and you'll see it should be 50. The NHS is outdated for their ridiculously low ranges and it's disproportionately women who suffer as a consequence.

Could be anaemia @goldensun96

Go to your GP to alleviate your concerns.

The more stressed you become could easily exacerbate those symptoms

I have a neurological condition.

ok, so

pins and needles is normal when you temporarily lose circulation to a part of your body eg you sleep on your arm and it has pins and needles when you get up.
if it’s transient (ie goes away quite quickly) then this is the most likely explanation.

food or drink at the back of your nose - no idea.

numbness can be a sign of neurological stuff. Can also happen for other reasons.

clumsiness is much more likely to be tiredness than anything else. People generally do get clumsy when tired, drunk, or under stress. This is a much more likely explanation. Low iron also wouldn’t help frankly.

Are you on antidepressants. I had numbness during intercourse when I use to take citalopram. Pins and needles is really common with anxiety. Dropping things really normal. Like pp im not a dr so don't take my word but fixating on health makes health significantly worse.

You need to see your GP & take this lust with you. Hopefully it's just a deficiency that can easily be sorted. But you need to get it checked out xx

I'm only 30 and had my second baby 2 years ago so wouldn't like to think i'm peri yet.

The pins and needles come on randomly, not when I've been sat on them, I'll be sat at work and it will come on like a fizzy feeling in my hand.

Have they checked your thyroid and thyroid antibodies?

yes all thyroid were checked when investigating my weight loss x

Agree. Might be nothing but best to run it by GP.

I don't think it's anything but have been here. I was seeing floaters for a while and being really clumsy and kept losing my grasp in my hands. I do think it was anxiety and tiredness related. I would get some decent vitamins as a lot of people are depleted after having a baby .

No, unfortunately it sounds like health anxiety.

Iron deficiency due to your heavy periods is the cause I reckon. Are you taking iron supplements? You could probably need an iron infusion.

I had similar many years ago now, and after an iron infusion I was a new woman. Check with GP to see if you need supplements or an infusion. Good to hear you're getting the scan to check things out in the period department. That might lead to proper treatment of the issue.

Good luck.

Sudden pins and needles in your hands could be carpal tunnel syndrome 🤔

The pins and needles could be iron-related. Make an appointment and take a list.

If your ferritin is low then chances are your b12 and folate are low also as these all work in tandem. the latter two can cause the pins and needles sensations and numbness that would be classed as neurological as your nerve endings are implicated from deficiency (neuropathy). Ask to see a print out of your results as sometimes things can be borderline but don’t flag and therefore not treated.

ps low ferritin will cause heavy periods and obviously heavy periods will prolong low ferritin, so priority is to get this up also, ideally you want to be over 80ug/L to be replete.

not sure about the crooked smile, although a friend of mine had a mild Bell’s palsy occur during labour which caused that, but would have been picked up at the time??

I would definitely want to see a GP in your circumstances.

Take the list in your op and make sure that you’re listened to properly.

It might be a simple vitamin deficiency but it’s not something that I would try to self treat or ignore.

I would be concerned about the numbness more than the other things. However, it doesn’t mean anything is seriously wrong - just that you should see your gp about this to check.

My symptoms started at 33. I battled for 9 years of being dismissed, with by health deteriorating due to knock on effects on my endocrine system because my oestrogen and testosterone was so low, turns out it was 'just' perimenopause.
Investigate other causes but don't dismiss perimenopause as a possible cause just because you're 30.

When i look back at my original referral letter to rheumatology (that's where i was first incorrectly referred) when i was 34 weird pins and needles sensations in my finger tips and toes where one of my symptoms.

I felt like shit with low ferritin.

What you're describing can be classed as neurological. You may want to get your vitamin B12 checked along with your folate. Look into vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms also get your thyroid checked

Yes I am thinking B12 too (and I have had MS for 20 years).

Same and drs never take it seriously

my b12 on my last test was 492
folate was 14.9
vit d was low at 48

OP, to reiterate, no-one on this thread can diagnose you, but what you're describing really, really doesn't sound like MS, or MND, or anything terrible.

You should get yourself checked out, of course, but what you're describing is very, very much like health anxiety 'symptoms'. I know, I've been there.