I'll try to be brief! I was a very healthy woman until my symptoms started after a minor surgery several months ago. I have tingling, a pins and needles feeling, numbness and a cold-yet burning pain throughout my left arm, shoulder, front of my chest, down my back and all the way to the top of my head. If I rest and lay still, or keep my arm propped it helps, but it never completely goes away. I had numerous other symptoms that came on rapidly, headaches, joint pain and weakness in both legs, blackout/dizzy spells, heart palpitations, anxiety and panic attacks. It was very scary, as I had no idea what was going on with my body after a minor surgery.
I was hospitalized r what I was afraid was a stroke when my arm went numb one evening and I collapsed. They did a lot of tests: blood work, chest x-rays, mri's ct's. All they found was a mass on my thyroid. Bingo! They pursued that condition. Actually, I ended up having a partial thyroidectomy. I was scared to death I would come out of this surgery worse than before. But fortunately, it did not get worse-yet.
I don't have the severe headaches anymore, or the dizziness and blackout spells. But the arm tingling and numbness symptoms and lower body weakness still persists. All doctors are perplexed. They do not think these symptoms are related to my thyroid condition. I don't know who to see next. I'm just a shell of my former self. I can barely walk, my arm goes numb all the time, and I'm dealing with hypothyroidism.
They've sent me to numerous specialists and I am grateful they ruled out a lot of other illnesses. I had a nerve conductor study done on my arm and leg only and it was negative. I wondered why they didn't do my neck or part of my face, maybe it starts there?
I would be happy to provide more information if you need it. My friends tell me I should be on House, because I am definitely a mystery patient.