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Pain and Numbness
Last June a semi backed into me on my motorcycle. I had to scramble to jump/crawl out of the way and I believe it jammed my arms into the handle bats in the process. I've already had a spinal fusion. The very same day my left hand/wrist went numb. Within the next week both hands were numb. Over the next few weeks the numbness and tingling spread up my arms. It eventually made its way up to my shoulders across my back and up over my head including my face.
I had a Mri on my neck. The doc said there was a very small bulge, but nothing major I have had a nerve conductivity test done on my arms which found no problem. I have been on Gabapentin and Nortryptalin for 5 months. I thought they weren't really working because my hands pretty much stayed numb all the time, though the arms and shoulders occurred occasionally. I assumed the medicines were not helping because of the constant hand numbness and asked the doc to stop the Gabapentin.
10 days later it hit me hard. Pain throughout my arms and shoulders. Hands feel like a firecracker exploded while holding it or i slapped a wall very hard. Typing and writing for extended periods can be irritating and painful. I started back on the Gabapentin, but the symptoms have not subsided. They are not occurring as much so it's probably slowly taking affect again.
Is there any suggestions what I should do or for treatments? I am afraid I'm going to be on Gabapentin for the rest of my life and the numbness even at its best is still very distracting and honestly *****.
I had a Mri on my neck. The doc said there was a very small bulge, but nothing major I have had a nerve conductivity test done on my arms which found no problem. I have been on Gabapentin and Nortryptalin for 5 months. I thought they weren't really working because my hands pretty much stayed numb all the time, though the arms and shoulders occurred occasionally. I assumed the medicines were not helping because of the constant hand numbness and asked the doc to stop the Gabapentin.
10 days later it hit me hard. Pain throughout my arms and shoulders. Hands feel like a firecracker exploded while holding it or i slapped a wall very hard. Typing and writing for extended periods can be irritating and painful. I started back on the Gabapentin, but the symptoms have not subsided. They are not occurring as much so it's probably slowly taking affect again.
Is there any suggestions what I should do or for treatments? I am afraid I'm going to be on Gabapentin for the rest of my life and the numbness even at its best is still very distracting and honestly *****.
Thanks so much. My primary is the one that has diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy. I did talk to my PT today actually and he did just as you said. He believes it is something to do with my neck as he was able to make the symptoms very strong by moving and twisting my neck around.
I am not working. I have been out for 6 months now due to the radiculopathy in legs and butt. I had the spinal fusion for due to that. I have just applied for long term disability and as part of that process I had to apply for SSDI. Basically I cant really use my hands to work as I worked in IT and I can't sit very long because I previously had a coxygectomy a1.5 years before this accident. After 10-30 minutes of computer work the pain is too much and I have to lay down.
Again I cant thank you enough for all this information. You have made it so I don't feel alone. I'll keep you updated how things go. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
I am not working. I have been out for 6 months now due to the radiculopathy in legs and butt. I had the spinal fusion for due to that. I have just applied for long term disability and as part of that process I had to apply for SSDI. Basically I cant really use my hands to work as I worked in IT and I can't sit very long because I previously had a coxygectomy a1.5 years before this accident. After 10-30 minutes of computer work the pain is too much and I have to lay down.
Again I cant thank you enough for all this information. You have made it so I don't feel alone. I'll keep you updated how things go. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
JBRIX, Do not concern yourself with which cervical vertebrae are causing your problems. You can have numbness that goes up into your head AND into your arms caused by several places in your neck being goofed up all at once for whatever reason. Getting a new scan is key to determining if some problem has worsened in your neck, enough to cause the neuropathy you've got.
Now, there are a couple other reasons why you feel numbness and pain in your head, shoulders, arms and hands. One may have to do with any possible brain injury from the accident where a bleed has affected your nervous system, which a scan would reveal. Two is you could have torn up your hands and shoulders, to where nerves in those areas are entrapped from injuries and causing symptoms, and again a scan of your hands and shoulders would be helpful.
I therefore think visiting a hand doctor is in order, and maybe even a sports doc if it's your shoulders that are goofed up. And in general I think once you get the new neck scan done, and if your docs still say nothing is wrong with your neck, you should ask them if it is safe for you to get some message therapist treatments to work on the muscles in your neck and shoulders... could be they are really tight and causing some symptoms. And again, if the scan is clear, you might want a second opinion from a new neuro.
I also think you should talk a lot to your physical therapist, tell him how it's affecting your work, and try to find out what in the world does HE think is causing all this numbness and so forth, as relates to your neck. Also you can ask him to check out your hands for possible sources of injury, and check your shoulder's range of motion. PT people can just move a joint a certain way and know a lot about what is wrong with you.
You asked me about my neuropathy timing and disability. The neuropathy in my feet and lower legs began many years after my accident, because my original thoracic spine injuries worsened as I aged and thus telegraphed into the lumbar spine, which caused neuropathy. Then when I had cancer, the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy went into my hands, too, and made my feet neuropathy much worse. However, I have regained some feeling in both hands and feet as the drugs have slowly left my system, but some symptoms will always remain. And yes, I am on disability, which is based on both my injury and my many disorders and syndromes that developed as a result of that car wreck. I got approved for disability after just one rejection, and did it through the mail, never had to go to court.
So, let me share what I know as relates to your disability claim. Whichever doc is saying you have peripheral neuropathy and does not know the cause, the unknown cause part makes it idiopathic neuropathy in terms of applying for disability. So, you have your diagnosis. Then you have to have supporting evidence for how it's affecting your ability to work, and this can come from you, and perhaps from your physical therapist, maybe from the doctor who says you have peripheral neuropathy or your regular family doc if they are aware of your work problems, and of course any other specialists you may visit in the future.
I might add that if you are currently working, it is harder to get disability since you are obviously able to work... but if you have missed a lot of work, had to leave early, take off time for doc appoints, or do a poor job or are slow or are distracted becuz of your neuropathy, then could be your employer will be willing to say what a lousy employee you are! Smile. But yes, it is difficult to apply for disability when the very thing you are applying for makes it hard to do the paperwork and such. GG
Now, there are a couple other reasons why you feel numbness and pain in your head, shoulders, arms and hands. One may have to do with any possible brain injury from the accident where a bleed has affected your nervous system, which a scan would reveal. Two is you could have torn up your hands and shoulders, to where nerves in those areas are entrapped from injuries and causing symptoms, and again a scan of your hands and shoulders would be helpful.
I therefore think visiting a hand doctor is in order, and maybe even a sports doc if it's your shoulders that are goofed up. And in general I think once you get the new neck scan done, and if your docs still say nothing is wrong with your neck, you should ask them if it is safe for you to get some message therapist treatments to work on the muscles in your neck and shoulders... could be they are really tight and causing some symptoms. And again, if the scan is clear, you might want a second opinion from a new neuro.
I also think you should talk a lot to your physical therapist, tell him how it's affecting your work, and try to find out what in the world does HE think is causing all this numbness and so forth, as relates to your neck. Also you can ask him to check out your hands for possible sources of injury, and check your shoulder's range of motion. PT people can just move a joint a certain way and know a lot about what is wrong with you.
You asked me about my neuropathy timing and disability. The neuropathy in my feet and lower legs began many years after my accident, because my original thoracic spine injuries worsened as I aged and thus telegraphed into the lumbar spine, which caused neuropathy. Then when I had cancer, the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy went into my hands, too, and made my feet neuropathy much worse. However, I have regained some feeling in both hands and feet as the drugs have slowly left my system, but some symptoms will always remain. And yes, I am on disability, which is based on both my injury and my many disorders and syndromes that developed as a result of that car wreck. I got approved for disability after just one rejection, and did it through the mail, never had to go to court.
So, let me share what I know as relates to your disability claim. Whichever doc is saying you have peripheral neuropathy and does not know the cause, the unknown cause part makes it idiopathic neuropathy in terms of applying for disability. So, you have your diagnosis. Then you have to have supporting evidence for how it's affecting your ability to work, and this can come from you, and perhaps from your physical therapist, maybe from the doctor who says you have peripheral neuropathy or your regular family doc if they are aware of your work problems, and of course any other specialists you may visit in the future.
I might add that if you are currently working, it is harder to get disability since you are obviously able to work... but if you have missed a lot of work, had to leave early, take off time for doc appoints, or do a poor job or are slow or are distracted becuz of your neuropathy, then could be your employer will be willing to say what a lousy employee you are! Smile. But yes, it is difficult to apply for disability when the very thing you are applying for makes it hard to do the paperwork and such. GG
Thanks for your help. I feel relieved to find some validation through your experiences. I had a spinal fusion from the accident at the L5 -S1. Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes the doctor at this point is saying i have peripheral neuropathy, but there is no medical evidence to pinpoint where to treat so its sticking to the gabapentin and nortryptalin.
The second doc and neuro-surgeon have said they didn't see anything at all in the MRI. Luckily I am having another done Monday. The neuro-surgeon also told me he has no explanation for how the spreads up to my head and face. Not sure if I mentioned that effect or not, but my physical therapist says it has to do with the c1 and c2 vertebrae, so I'm getting conflicting information.
How long after your accident did the neuropathy start? Are you on disability? I've just had to apply and am pretty depressed/ worried about the process. It's like having your hands amputated.
The second doc and neuro-surgeon have said they didn't see anything at all in the MRI. Luckily I am having another done Monday. The neuro-surgeon also told me he has no explanation for how the spreads up to my head and face. Not sure if I mentioned that effect or not, but my physical therapist says it has to do with the c1 and c2 vertebrae, so I'm getting conflicting information.
How long after your accident did the neuropathy start? Are you on disability? I've just had to apply and am pretty depressed/ worried about the process. It's like having your hands amputated.
I hope someone else will talk to you here besides me, so you'll get another point of view. But I did want to comment that you reported the original doctor said, "very small bulge, but nothing major," so if this second doc simply looked at the first doc's records, or radiology's original report or pictures, he is essentially saying the same thing, that your neck injury was so minor that no way is it causing all this pain and numbness in your hands, arms, and shoulders. But the trouble is, you do have symptoms that suggest otherwise.
So, when I read your post the first time, when you said you had already had a spinal fusion, I thought you meant a long time ago, but on reading it the second time, perhaps you meant they did a spinal fusion right after the accident. In either case, not only do you have a "very small bulge," but could be the pre-accident fusion hardware was affected or the latest injury fusion hardware has somehow moved around, and now something is pressing on some cervical spine nerves. And I say the cervical spine because it is the last few of those that affect the arms and various fingers depending on the level.
In addition, it's possible a newer scan will show SOME changes from the original one, becuz many times when a person is scanned right after an injury, they will be asymptomatic or the scan shows very little, but when a LATER scan is done when someone develops more serious symptoms, it WILL show a larger change, but this generally has to do with brain injuries where bleeding followed by a hematoma develops and creates symptoms.
I think you could use a NEW scan, perhaps, or find a neurologist who will give you a second opinion based on either the old scan or a new one, and I also think wherever the fusion is, that should be scanned too, whether pre- or post-injury, and also I think it might be a good idea to have your shoulders, arms, and hands scanned, as well. The latter is because it is POSSIBLE you busted up and wrenched your hands and shoulders, rather than the spine, and damaged some nerves in your extremities somewhere, and that's what is causing you pain and numbness. You can ask this second opinion neuro, too, if he thinks you tore up your hands versus your neck, and you can also ask him if he thinks surgery is the only way to stop your symptoms completely, or if he has some other ideas for treatment.
The reason I said in my last paragraph in my last post that I thought you have peripheral neuropathy is because that is what I have. It is a very numb feeling in my fingers, feet and toes, makes it sort of awkward to walk and to use my hands, I drop things all the time. This numbness is where I cannot tell if my bedroom slippers are on or not, and also can be tingly like when a leg falls asleep and then wakes up, and also I usually cannot feel pin-pricks that neuros do in their office exams. I really only feel pain in them, tho, when the swelling gets worse for whatever reason, like my feet hurt like mad after walking on cement floors in a grocery store when shopping. But now, I take the cousin to your medicine NOT because of my neuropathy, but because my back hurts a lot from an accident, too. I am not really sure if the medicine you take will ever do anything for your numbness symptoms, but I do know it will help the pain aspect of your symptoms, which was proved when you went off the drug and all this pain shot into your arms and hands. The reason I'm not sure if it will help your numbness is becuz I have that, and yet Lyrica does not help it.
Perhaps provide some missing pieces where in both my posts I wondered various scenarios in what happened to you, and another person or myself can better respond to what's going on with you. Hope you get a second opinion.
So, when I read your post the first time, when you said you had already had a spinal fusion, I thought you meant a long time ago, but on reading it the second time, perhaps you meant they did a spinal fusion right after the accident. In either case, not only do you have a "very small bulge," but could be the pre-accident fusion hardware was affected or the latest injury fusion hardware has somehow moved around, and now something is pressing on some cervical spine nerves. And I say the cervical spine because it is the last few of those that affect the arms and various fingers depending on the level.
In addition, it's possible a newer scan will show SOME changes from the original one, becuz many times when a person is scanned right after an injury, they will be asymptomatic or the scan shows very little, but when a LATER scan is done when someone develops more serious symptoms, it WILL show a larger change, but this generally has to do with brain injuries where bleeding followed by a hematoma develops and creates symptoms.
I think you could use a NEW scan, perhaps, or find a neurologist who will give you a second opinion based on either the old scan or a new one, and I also think wherever the fusion is, that should be scanned too, whether pre- or post-injury, and also I think it might be a good idea to have your shoulders, arms, and hands scanned, as well. The latter is because it is POSSIBLE you busted up and wrenched your hands and shoulders, rather than the spine, and damaged some nerves in your extremities somewhere, and that's what is causing you pain and numbness. You can ask this second opinion neuro, too, if he thinks you tore up your hands versus your neck, and you can also ask him if he thinks surgery is the only way to stop your symptoms completely, or if he has some other ideas for treatment.
The reason I said in my last paragraph in my last post that I thought you have peripheral neuropathy is because that is what I have. It is a very numb feeling in my fingers, feet and toes, makes it sort of awkward to walk and to use my hands, I drop things all the time. This numbness is where I cannot tell if my bedroom slippers are on or not, and also can be tingly like when a leg falls asleep and then wakes up, and also I usually cannot feel pin-pricks that neuros do in their office exams. I really only feel pain in them, tho, when the swelling gets worse for whatever reason, like my feet hurt like mad after walking on cement floors in a grocery store when shopping. But now, I take the cousin to your medicine NOT because of my neuropathy, but because my back hurts a lot from an accident, too. I am not really sure if the medicine you take will ever do anything for your numbness symptoms, but I do know it will help the pain aspect of your symptoms, which was proved when you went off the drug and all this pain shot into your arms and hands. The reason I'm not sure if it will help your numbness is becuz I have that, and yet Lyrica does not help it.
Perhaps provide some missing pieces where in both my posts I wondered various scenarios in what happened to you, and another person or myself can better respond to what's going on with you. Hope you get a second opinion.
I spoke to my doctor today. This is a different doctor than the one who saw a small bulge. He informed me there is no bulge or medical evidence to explain my issues and so I have to simply stay on my Neurotin for now.I've been on it for almost 6 months. If there is any other advice, I'm all ears.
Well, there is no question but that the disc bulge in your neck is doing this to you. Whenever there's a bulge like that in the neck, it pushes on the cervical nerves that go into the arms and hands, and you'll get your symptoms. Now, initially, right after the accident, the reason the numbness went all the way up your extremities and took over your head is because of swelling and inflammation that always happens right after you wrench some part of your body like happened to you.
When you were put on the gabapentin, that is for nerve PAIN. So, either you were given it because you were in pain at the time and perhaps just don't recall how things were, and thus it returned when you went off the drug. Or could be that disc bulge or other parts of your neck got worse, pain developed that you didn't notice since you were on gabapentin, and so when you went off the drug, you were able to FEEL this change.
So, depending on whether you are feeling the original pain or a new pain, it is a sign that things are just not right in your neck, so could be a doc will order a new scan of your neck, and maybe provide a new treatment plan, aimed at settling down whatever is going on in your neck, like throwing in physical therapy, maybe have you wear a soft neck collar for a while, and perhaps a different medicine added with your gabapentin. As for taking it for the rest of your life, I take four life medicines now, I was in a car wreck, and I've dealt with pain almost all my life. If you don't like gabapentin, you may prefer its cousin pregabalin better. I went that route and did not like the gabapentin stuff, but I've been on pregabalin now for a few years and I like it a lot.
I would say you have peripheral neuropathy from your cervical spine injury in the accident, and I would also say that your injury has perhaps gotten worse (unless this feels like it did in the beginning). And I'm sorry for what has happened to you, these sorts of things are unique events in life, and their effects can be SO frustrating.
When you were put on the gabapentin, that is for nerve PAIN. So, either you were given it because you were in pain at the time and perhaps just don't recall how things were, and thus it returned when you went off the drug. Or could be that disc bulge or other parts of your neck got worse, pain developed that you didn't notice since you were on gabapentin, and so when you went off the drug, you were able to FEEL this change.
So, depending on whether you are feeling the original pain or a new pain, it is a sign that things are just not right in your neck, so could be a doc will order a new scan of your neck, and maybe provide a new treatment plan, aimed at settling down whatever is going on in your neck, like throwing in physical therapy, maybe have you wear a soft neck collar for a while, and perhaps a different medicine added with your gabapentin. As for taking it for the rest of your life, I take four life medicines now, I was in a car wreck, and I've dealt with pain almost all my life. If you don't like gabapentin, you may prefer its cousin pregabalin better. I went that route and did not like the gabapentin stuff, but I've been on pregabalin now for a few years and I like it a lot.
I would say you have peripheral neuropathy from your cervical spine injury in the accident, and I would also say that your injury has perhaps gotten worse (unless this feels like it did in the beginning). And I'm sorry for what has happened to you, these sorts of things are unique events in life, and their effects can be SO frustrating.
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