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Q: Please Help With This Puzzle
asked by: LMenichi on April 19th, 2007
New User
First of all, sorry this is so long

Operations- 2 c-sections 1997 and 2001

fall 1999- minor car accident. Injured neck, no general practioner doctor visits however went to chiropractor. Indicated slight curvature of spine and upper neck problems.

August 2001- fell 8-feet from ladder. Broke left wrist. Titanium plate and seven screws in left arm.

November 2004- uterine ablation due to heavy periods

march 2005- went to er. Severe pain in lower, right side. Passed out, sweating, ears ringing. Mri of right side to check appendicitis. Ruled out. Given pain meds. Went to obgyn; thought it could have been a ruptured cyst. Had several tests done because of continual white discharge. No std’s or yeast infections.

April 2005- went to family doctor for feelings of pins and needles in both arms and legs from elbows down and knees down. In addition, experienced fatigue, and muscle twitches all over body (eyes, arms, legs, stomach, back). Doctor suspected ms.

May 2005- switched docters. Doc ordered mri of brain and cervical spine to test for ms. Also ordered blood work: cholesterol level at 375 and hiv test negative. No apparent ms from mri. Mri did show mild arnold chairi malformation and c5-6 disc bulge.

April 2005- muscle twitching, weakness in arms and legs, depression, anxiety, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, memory difficulties, felt as though I was losing cognitive abilities, weight loss, continual pins and needles throughout body now including right side of face and lips. Emg given to check for parathenesis, tests came back negative.

March 2006- injured right arm. Heavy lid with ice on it from industrial dumpster fell on right arm pushing wrist back and pressure on elbow. Went to hand doctor, splinted wrist, no fractures. Wore wrist guard for 3 weeks.

Fall 2006- with continuing muscle twitching (although not as frequent), weakness in arms and legs, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, memory difficulties, continual pins and needles throughout body including right side of face and lips (this is continual and apparent at all times), woke up several times a night because I was clenching my right hand, noticed some swelling of feet, hemmroidal bleeding (external hemorrhoid).

January 2007- right arm weakness, severe neck, right arm, wrist, and hand pain including burning and increased pins and needles. Lump over right wrist appeared. Went to doc; suspected carpel tunnel and ganglion cyst.
In addition, on two separate occasions woke up in morning with severe headache, much like a hangover headache but no alcohol was consumed.



February 2007- went to neuro (), nerve studies did not suggest carpel tunnel.
In addition, lower back right side “cracked” when walking up staircase. Severe burning in right leg, and muscle weakness. Noticed fingers and feet would become white, then purple for several minutes ending with pins and needles. Continued feelings of muscle twitching and spasms, weakness in arms and legs especially right side, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, memory difficulties, continual pins and needles throughout body including right side of face and lips, electrical shocks throughout body. Most apparent was waking up several times a night in severe pain in right arm. One time woke up with right foot clenched. In addition, bones in knees, ankles, wrists, chest, back and shoulders would “crack”. Extreme gas, no pain, but gas throughout the day, especially in morning.

March 2007- went to emergency room because of pain of right arm, neck and right legs. Doctor suggested pinched nerve. No tests were given, sent home with pain meds. Next I went to hand specialist to look at right hand. X-rays did not suggest fractures. However based on his testing (no nerve studies) he diagnosed me with carpel tunnel and tendonitis of right arm. Sent to pt 2 xs per week and use of wrist guard for several weeks. Also went to chiropractor (2-3x’s per week); this seemed to help arm and leg pain (burning).
Went to reg. Doc because of continued pain in extremities. Repeated mri of brain and cervical spine for ms. Also did blood work with ana.

April 2007- mri came back normal with similar findings of pervious mri (no apparent ms from mri. Mri did show mild arnold chairi malformation and c5-6 disc bulge). Blood work normal however urine test was contaminated. Repeat done, came back normal. In addition ana blood work came back normal. Also given test for hemochromotosis which came back negative. Continued symptoms of muscle weakness primarily right side, pain, burning, pins and needles extremities including right side of face and lips, achy body parts (shoulders, neck, back, arms, legs), some electrical shock feelings in different parts of body (left legs and left arm) mostly apparent when sitting down or laying down, right hand and wrist pain (still keeps me up at night), running my finger down both wrists produce an electric like charge, increased intolerance to cold with hands and feet turning colors, hands and feet swelling, middle knuckle in left hand and middle knuckle and ring finger of right hand painful and swelling, foot pain, right knee pain (trouble walking because of pain), bones “cracking”, extreme gas, continue problems with sleep, extreme fatigue. Feeling as though I am losing my cognitive functioning, word recall difficult, simple tasks difficult to complete and organize in my head, overwhelmed, stressed and anxious.




Med history-
• several antidepressants in 1998 for post partum depression. On and off medication, currently not taking antidepressants (march 2007)
• ambien since 2001 for inability to sleep. Started with 5mg, increased to 20 mg. Currently down to 10 mg.
• clonipin .5 for anxiety, although rarely use
• vicodin for pain when needed since march 2007
• concerta 54 mg given in 2006 for poor concentration, switched to adderal xr 20 mg since feb. 2007.
• advil and glucosimen with msn for pain and joints.

Other info-
• no history of frequent illness
• rarely consume alcohol, do not use illegal drugs.
• i smoke approximately ½ to pack a day.
• consume approxietly 4-5 diet cokes per day, little water consumption.
• no exercise, why?? Pain, lack of energy and motivation.
• approximately 10-20 pounds overweight.
• no history of frequent illness
• childhoods illnesses- chickpocks and hives. Frequent headaches in teens and early 20’s, once per day. Not a migraine.
• hemmoroids in late teens
• heart murmur

family medical history-
• grandparents- ovarian cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (both sides), hemochromotosis, stomach cancer, heart disease (both sides), diabetes, hypothyroidism and pancreatic cancer.

• parents- high cholesterol, hypertension, arthritis

• aunts and uncles- hemochromotosis, hypothyroidism

i have been told in the past it is all in my head. I feel horrible and no answers. Someone please help.
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Replies(5)
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dynamicdebz
replied on April 23rd, 2007
New User
I feel for you LMenichi, it sounds like somethings going on but as to what I wouldn't like to hazard a guess. I myself have Scleroderma which is an autoimmune disease.
One of the symptoms of Scleroderma is Raynauds which you seem to be displaying symptoms of (cold extremities etc). However you can have raynauds & not have any other condition.
With a lot of immune disorders like Scleroderma it can take years to eventually get a diagnosis but keep on at the dr's you know you're own body.
I know how you feel about being told it's all in your head as before I had a diagnosis I often walked away from dr's in tears because I felt they didn't believe me. I wish I could get all those dr's together now & say ha I told you so!
I wish you all the best & hope you get the answers you deserve soon.
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schatzi
replied on January 27th, 2009
New User
I hope you get this
Hi there,
it sounds like you may be experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease. If you live in an area of the country with lots of grass and woods, you may have gotten bitten by a tick and been infected with the Lyme bacteria. Try to find a doctor who is "Lyme literate" and get tested for Lyme. Testing can be costly and is difficult. My Mom was tested 3 times before an actual Lyme literate doctor found her bacteria. She got treated and is doing much better.
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Tiddleywinks
replied on August 26th, 2009
New User
I have CREST scleroderma, and the swelling hands and feet, and tingling, fatigue, muscle twitches, weakness in shoulders and hips, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, flatulence, anal bleeding because of extreme constipation causing anal fissures, color changes in the feet (Raynaud's), joint pain from tendonitis - well, I've been through ALL of that. I think you should get to a rheumatologist and be checked for antinuclear antibodies. If positive, this would indicate an autoimmune disease. And if so, please ask the doc to check you for both the SCL-70 and anticentromere B antibodies, regardless off the ANA staining pattern. It took many years for them to get me diagnosed, because no one would do the anticentromere B test. It's not on the usual ENA panel of tests done after receiving positive ANA results. It has to be ordered separately. Both SCL-70 and anticentromere B are highly specific for different kinds of scleroderma.
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catchnet
replied on October 10th, 2009
New User
Right arm/hand pain!
I too have raynaud's,( phenomemon!}thought!had a grown recently fitted! later that night sever stiff neck,right arm/hand & half way down my spine! neck & spine not so bad now however my right arming/hand still swollen & constantly acheing! now left foot on top of in step is acheing& a dark bruise keeps appearing just below my left thumb pad! top it all my endometrosis is has reapeared with more than ever heavy periods! help im falling apart at just turned 46yrs.
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chader04
replied on November 11th, 2009
New User
I have raynauds with lupus...with a huge amount of autoimmune diseases Raynauds is a symptom and mental confusion along with half of ur symptoms...I also have endometriosis and have had ganglion cyst removed from my wrist...You need to go to a rheum. and at that you need to find a good one...you may have to shop around...It took me 5 years to find a good rheumie...its not in your head....even with a diagnosis some doctors treat me that way...you need to understand if you do not have text book blood results come back it is hard to find a doc that will diagnosis you. Not everyone is a text book case...Good Luck..also Rheum. Arthritis is part of the autoimmune family...people with auto immune problems tend to run in their families and it is not usually the same ones...I have family members with several different kinds of autoimmune diseases..so i think ur on the right track.
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