Tingling/numbness -Negative MRI

[Auburn]

I have had tingling/numbness in my arms/legs for 3 months. ARMS significantly worse than feet and SIGNIFICANTLY worse at night. I wake up with my arms "asleep" I have tingling/burning in hands and electric shock feelings in feet.  Eye exam- normal.  Negative brain MRI, Negative EMG testing that was completed on the right arm. Cervical spine MRI in 2 weeks. Neurologist states,"if it is not this-then it is not a nerve problem."

I am very frustrated to find a diagnosis.  I have been under much chronic stress for 2 years- husband deployed in combat-death of friends-new job- relocation.  I can totally accept the diagnosis of anxiety, if that is truly what it is.  However, can ANXIETY truly cause these symptoms?  They are present everyday.

2002- Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis (somewhere between T-2 and T-4)  Surgeon has said that the nerves have regenerated based on return of the sweating.  He is unsure if it is possible that the regeneration of nerves could be pressing on another nerve to cause the tingling/numbness.  What is your opinion?

So, my questions are- can anxiety cause these physical symptoms and do you think it is possible that the nerve regeneration could result in these type of symptoms?

Thank you so much for your time!
Auburn

[milty456]

Hello all.  I am a 28 year old male.  I started having symptoms last year.  Numbing of one side of my body, dizziness, palpitations, etc.  I felt like a stroke/heart attack was coming on.  I went for lots of tests(blood, sleep) and got an echocardiogram.  All negetive.  Doctor said it was panic attacks.  I tried clonozopam and it seemed to work.  I unfortunately am going back tomorrow because the attacks are coming back.  Interestingly enough, most of my attacks happen at night when im trying to get to sleep or while i am sleeping.  I too can't believe that it is stress.  It seems like it is anything but stress.  I am calm at night and don't really have much on my mind.  Who knows.  If you can suggest anything else i'd be most appreciative.

[heather_who]

I hope that everyone remembers to post test results (good or bad).  Clearly, some doctors are more interested and (self-?)educated in this field of study.  Most doctors (even neurologists) are clueless.  I am surprised to see that so many people are suffering the same symptoms with NO idea why.  This is not a trivial matter that can be easily ignored; we are all screaming in pain!  Surely, SOMEONE has done some research, and made some connections by now.  This is simply outrageous.  Most doctors don't even know what neuropathic pain IS, let alone what causes it or how to treat it!  FOUR doctors blew me off before I demanded to see a neurologist, who admits that this is not her specialty, but is willing to work with me.  Tests are underway.

[JoOntario]

Same thing...I dont feel any of this when sleeping. But I do find if I havent slept 'longer' I tend to feel queazy for a second or two. Actually I find at times, more symptoms when I am tired.  Another unusual pattern is I find I am better on the weekends...so does this mean I am stressed at work and part of the problem.  Or is it maybe back/spine problem??  I too am told I overreact...how not!!!???  Sitting there working away and boom!  Weird sensation number ??...Other symptoms I do have that I did not mention previous...face is red when i wake, worse after shower or heat, sometime neck as well.  Other odd one, when I ended up getting other colds, the symptoms disappeared, but, then again, my symptoms seem worse during the week when I dont get as much sleep.  My husband also went thru testing at hospital for what they considered was part of his panic attacks.  While testing him they found some unusual symptoms; heavy achey legs and arms, he could barely walk up the stairs.  This is a man who could run up stairs without thought, physically active, went to neurologist, and they did mega tests, MRI, blood work,so far nothing....symtpoms slowly disappeared.  Well talking about the unusual circumstance that both of us had strange symptoms...we realized he too had a terrible cold a week prior to all this happening.  As today once again my arms and hands felt like the blood was draining...sitting at my desk...all I could do was fight the tears.  Obviously and of course we are going to be stressed...who wouldnt!?!?! One symptom that has subsided is the headaches, I realized how badly I was clenching my teeth after seeing an ENT specialist.  He said my one side was swollen.  Noticed lower back pain off and on since had these symptoms as well?  Same feeling as I had after having son (with epidural).  Curious as to whether that could be a similarity???  All I know is I wait for my next appointment with doc to see next steps...last time she told me that sometimes you have to learn to live with it....easy for her to say. Finding other with the same has given me some of my sanity back.....thank you:)

[goofydump]

It seems like there are quite a few folks out there with these terrible, "weird" and definitely unexplained symtoms. I am just counting the days until I can see my doctor. The thing that strikes me most odd about my symptoms is they don't bother me, at least not that I am aware, during the night while sleeping. I also don't notice any of them when I first wake up every morning. I find this odd. Maybe it isn't. Like I've said, I am absolutely a worrier, so maybe mine is stress related somehow although reading everyone battling the same issues, I'm not certain. Another thing I find odd is that the areas that feel like there is a tingly/burning sensation almost feel "cold" somehow at the same time. Especially if I'm outside and it is windy. I just hope that one day we all will finally have someone tell us, "this is what you have" and it not be nerves or stress related. I don't want a doctor telling me it is all in my mind! I'm just really glad I found this site. Maybe somehow it helps to chat with other people going through the same thing.

[JoOntario]

I too have had all these unusual symptoms...started end of January after a terrible head cold.  I havent been that sick with a cold as far back as i can recall.  From that point on I struggled to get over the cold and I never felt 100%.  It was as if weekly I'd start to feel a tiny bit better.  Shooting sensation across from ear to cheek on left side then tingling sensation for a couple days, terrible headaches with shooting pains, ear had been bothering me all the time, earlier on terrible nausea and dizziness at times (weirdly enough always at same time of day)cold sensations over different areas of head, nubness, tingling, in toes, under nose, between thumb and forefinger...list goes on.  Today it was a new one, right arm felt as if all blood was draining out.  Have done the thyroid, diabetes, all the blood work, CT, Neurologist tested me for MS - negative...very frustrating. Seems as i am in a cycle of about 4-5 weeks where it starts to subside and then starts again with different symptoms...my next attempt...chirpractor??? glad to see i am not the only one out frustrated...

[goofydump]

I'm really not sure how to make this short and still have it contain everything. I was really happy to find this site. What happened to me is this: I found a small area on my right lower leg that looked "different" to me than the left leg. I am a worrier by nature(just ask my husband, he'll tell you I'm not happy if I'm not worrying). I did sort of dwell on the area and looked it up and came up with all sorts of bad things. This was cut short due to me coming down with Strep Throat. It has been going around where I live. I was treated for that and was feeling much better within four days. About a week after I started feeling better however, I started noticeing all kinds of "weird" symptoms. My chin followed by my cheeks especially underneath the eyes became sort of numb. This probably isn't a good way to put it, because if it is touched, I certainly feel it. It then started to feel a bit "prickly" and finally there was a burning sensation making me want to pick up the nearest thing I could find and put it on the area to cool it off. Ice, you name it. This all concerned me too to say the least as everything you read online about the matter suggests it must be something horrible. I then started to get the same numb/prickly/burning sensation on both my forearms and legs. I get the numb prickly feeling in my feet and my fingertips just get numb. I've also been experiencing some joint pain in my fingers and toes and right knee. I am seeing my doctor, but as he is the only one I trust in the office, I'm having to wait unti the end of the month to see him. He's quite popular. This tme seems to be taking FOREVER and gives me way too much time to do searches on Google!! I've now started getting terrible headaches in the back of my head and beside my right eye. I'm trying to convince myself that if I had something horrible it would have shown up by now. I had a complete bloodwork done 8 months ago which only showed my cholesterol to be a bit elevated. All the other numbers were great the doctor said. My papsmear in September was negative as was my mammogram in January. I also had pretty extensive dental x-rays done in February that only showed a cavity. Do my symptoms and the way they all started sound like anything you've heard of before. I'm going crazy!!