Not diagnosed yet. Frustrated, especially w/Neruo Doc.

[Tish64]

For the past 4 summers, I have had horrible muscle and joint pains.  The would come and when it cooled off, they would go.  Last year, it failed to go away.  I had broken my ankle earlier in the summer, had surgery, and been on crutches, so I assumed the pains remained due to my body healing and trying to walk correctly.  Getting my body back into alignment.  The pains never went away and I developed other symptoms.

I started getting numbness in my feet and left hand.  Then the entire left side of my body started getting numb and I could tell I wasn't as strong on that side.  I'm not one for going to doctors.  Growing up, we were poor, so we took care of ourselves.  So, I thought maybe I was becoming diabetic.  I quit drinking sugary sodas.  This was in Feb. 2010.

By April 2010, I was very numb, like the circulation had been cut off to parts of my leg and arm, extremely weak to where it felt like I was hauling bowling balls around with my left leg.  I slap my foot when I walk.  My wrist would drop and my hand curl.  I could use it and straighten it, but it wasn't right.  The color of my hand and lower arm are lighter than the right side, and it just feels weird.  The numbness is on the top of my hand, and the ouside of my entire arm up to my shoulder.  The wrist thing is intermittent.  I have gone as long as 8 days inbetween what I call my "weaker" days.  On these days, I loose small motor skills in my wrist and hand.  I used to be able to lift over 50 lbs, but now it is only about 10.

After I have stressed my muscles, I get horrible spasms.  They start in my chest, and move outwards.  Then I will get tremors to the point I think I might throw my shoulder out.  It is extremely painful.  I have slept through all of this at times.  I know this because my husband has witnessed this.

I am exhausted all of the time, and my voice is hoarse many times.  I don't think I've every felt this bad my whole life.

I saw an internist, who ordered every blood test imaginable to me, and everything came back normal.  EMG, MRI with and without contrast came back normal.  He said see a Neruologist.  The neurologist said I should see psycologist because there's nothing wrong and it's stress due to my daughter getting married.  Really?  You figured all of this out by looking at negative tests and asking me about my family??  I thought my husband was going to strangle this doc!

My daughter has since been married and I still have symptoms.  My GP is great family friends with the groom, so I do know him more personally than most would know their GP's.  He has never thought that any of this was due to stress, nor does my internist.  They just don't know where else to turn.  My GP says maybe a Rheumatologist, but not sure since all blood work has come back negative.

Any thoughts from any of you would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks so very much!

[Tish64]

I did have an MRI with contrast.

I don't have the actual report for the tyroid, but I know it was normal.  All blood and urine work, even the 24 hour urine collection have come back normal, except for low vitamin D, but I live in a northern state, so that could be the reason for that.

I went to bed in pain, and I woke up in worse.  It feels as if I've been beat up.  Today is one of my "weaker" days.  

Thanks for your response.

[bwm441]

Sorry to hear about your help issues.

I would get an MRI with contrast. My primary care doctor ordered an MRI without, and when I saw a neurologist 2 weeks later he said the MRI's without contrast don't show nearly as much as those with. So needless to say I had another one done.

What was your thyroid level (TSH)? That could be causing your voice to be hoarse.