Jaw Tremors, Hand Pain, Foot Pain, Hand shaking

[MAF1986]

Hello
I am a 24 year old male in a masters program.  So about a year ago, I started experiencign strage sensations, first in my legs and then in my upper limbs.  These sensations include prickling feelnigs, waves of heat and electricity, pulsating sensations in my extremities etc.  These symptoms gradually evolved into other symptoms.  For teh last 6 months, I have had chronic foot and hand pain.  Almost as if my hand and feet are arthritic?  The soles of my feet hurt daily despite low levels of activity.  Also, when I left I get real sore in my hands frmo lifting weights.  I have also had hand weakness, for example one day I could not open a peanut butter jaw.  Aside from the chronic hand and foot pain, the other main disturbing symptom is my shaky hands.  My index finger in my left hand seems to twitch, especially in teh show when its hot or when I am very tired.  It is also in my right but not as severe.  There have been other random symptoms as well.  For example, my lower left eyelid constant shakes.  My wrists also feel limp or dead.  And my jaw has small oscillations/tremors, sometimes it shakes so much it feels like low frequency chattering similar to when you are very cold.  I've also been chronically fatigured.

What is disturbing is that I had a head MRI, C-spine MRI, T-Spine MRI, and blood work for lyme, hypothyroidism, complete blood count and it all came back normal.  My doctor has implied that it is from stress adn all in my head.  However, I am not a hypochondriac.  I was a 3 sport athlete and never wen tto teh doctor.  Ive gone more in the last year than my whole life. Also, I am not stressed or depressed. What could this be?

[mely84]

I had these symptoms plus much more. Ive never been a stressy persn and am very active and healthy. Mine came outa the blue and got a lot worse.this in itself made me anxious and constantly checking medical forums for answers. I thought i had brain tumour, als, parkinsons, lupus, ms, stroke etc. Had bloods,mri, ct and other tests done. All clear. Research into anxiety and a mild antidepressant made me except over time this was my issue. Ive been ok a year now. Do get wee relapses but i can control them.  It really doesnt help people guessing from ur sypmtoms that u have a horrible illness. Anxiety mimics many illness symptoms and can hit u even when u dont feel anxious. I hope this helps.

[distressingdelilah]

Wondering how you are doing? Sounds like sx of Parkinsons Disease.

[MAF1986]

I was also thinknig MS, however, my neurologist does not seem to think so because my brain MRI, C spine, and T spine MRi all came back clean with no abnormalities.  
THank you!
Federico

[Dr Sharma]

Hi there. Your multiple neurological symptoms are suggestive of a chronic demyelinating neurological condition known as multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating neurological disorder where the disease phase is characterized by active phase and remissions. It has multiple symptoms and signs and is a diagnosis of exclusion. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are loss of balance, muscle spasms, numbness in any area, problems with walking and coordination, tremors in one or more arms and legs. Bowel and bladder symptoms include frequency of micturition, urine leakage, eye symptoms like double vision uncontrollable rapid eye movements, facial pain, painful muscle spasms, tingling, burning in arms or legs, depression, dizziness, hearing loss, fatigue etc. You have many of these symptoms. The treatment is essentially limited to symptomatic therapy so the course of action would not change much whether MS has been diagnosed or not. Apart from clinical neurological examination, MRI shows MS as paler areas of demyelination, two different episodes of demyelination separated by one month in at least two different brain locations. Spinal tap is done and CSF electrophoresis reveals oligoclonal bands suggestive of immune activity, which is suggestive but not diagnostic of MS. Demyelinating neurons, transmit nerve signals slower than non-demyelinated ones and can be detected with EP tests. These are visual evoked potentials, brain stem auditory evoked response, and somatosensory evoked potential. Slower nerve responses in any one of these is not confirmatory of MS but can be used to complement diagnosis along with a neurological examination, medical history and an MRI and a spinal tap. Therefore, it would be prudent to consult your neurologist with these concerns. Take care.