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85898 tn?1211291774

Pain in left arm/leg

Hello.  I am a fairly healthy 30yr old woman who started having health problems last spring.  I'm concerned about the pains I have in my left arm and leg.  This begun 5mths ago.  It started with a numb tingle sensation with a mild ache followed by sharp shooting pains going from my shoulder/hip down my arm/leg.  I haven't lost strength in my arm/leg.  I am seeing a neurologist who doesn't suspect MS because my MRI on my spine and brain came back clean.  I am now taking 600mg Neurontin 3x's a day and Naproxen 500mg 2xs a day and the pain still persists.  I've recently started getting muscle twitches in my neck and different areas on my left side.  I've had other problems since last spring that may help you help me.  It started with ovarian cysts and now possible endometriosis.  (I'm having a scope done to check for this in April)  I was diagnosed hypothyroid in July 04, was put on synthroid and have had normal levels since Aug.  I had problems with multinodular cysts growing to large and had my thyroid removed 2-2-05.  I was diagnosed with epstein barr virus and now having a relapse.  I'm seeing a urologist because I have blood in my urine which was checked and nothing came back.  My history includes throat cancer on my vocal cord which I had radiation for 13yrs ago.  I wonder if this could be effecting my left side with possible nerve damage.  Since last spring I've also had problems swollowing.  Food and pills get caught in my throat.  That's just a breif description of what's going on.  I hope you can help point me in the right direction on what to do about this.
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Avatar universal
Unfortunately I cannot give a clinical diagnosis over the internet
While its possible that you have a pinched nerve at the neck, this wouild have been apparent on the MRI of the neck. An EMG of the left arm and leg would be useful to document any nerve problems between the spinal cord and the peripheral nerves. Radiation can cause, sometimes delayed, nerve injury in the field of the radiation. Depending on where your radiation was given this could be a possibility, Radiaton induced damage should be visible on MRI or by EMG if involving the nerves coming out from the spinal cord. With a normal MRI, somatosensory evoked potentials can be useful at picking up abnormalities in the spinal cord and brainstem that might cause these symptoms
The swallowing may be neurological or may be related to radiation induced soft tissue injury? - have you had a scope to look down the throat?
An EMG of the left side, and medial, posterior tibial nerve and/or brainstem auditory evoked potentials (simple electrical tests of the nerves), from a neurological point of view is probably the next step in your evalaution
good luck
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Thanks for all the excellent, knowledgeable, compassionate advice you have dispensed during your term.  Please know your internet  "patients" appreciate your hard work and wish you well in your  future endeavors.  With the difficult demands of your "day  job" we can only admire your  overtime dedication to the forum and to those in need.
Kudos to CCF and their staff!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
A related discussion, pain in left arm and left leg was started.
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, Leg pain was started.
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