Feeling Muscle Weakness, Joint Pain, Headache With Burning And Tightness. How To Get Relief?

Posted on Sat, 6 Oct 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 6 Oct 2012 Answered on

Tue, 6 Nov 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : i have had a headache with burning, tightness and pressure, stopping me from eating, even chewing, opening my mouth! and i started feeling muscle weakness, joint pain! several times, i feel like fainting completely! i feel throbbing pain as well sometimes at the end of my fingers! My spine hurt as well. My lower back hurts as well! unbearable pain! and goes up to the center of my back, my spine and keeps hurting me! i tell my doctor all of that! she simply did x-ray of TMJ, and sinus. And when i went to the emergency, i don't know whether they did a CAT SCAN or x-ray! as days are passing by i am feeling weaker and weaker! i don't know what to do! Even when i eat i don't feeling good!

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (7 hours later)

Hi,
Thank you for contacting Healthcare magic.
I can understand the discomfort you are going through on account of your problems.
The main problems seem to be headache, back pain, weakness and difficulty in eating.
Diagnostic possibilities include collagen vascular disease, fibromyalgia, disc disease, etc. We also need to exclude anaemia and vitamin deficiency.
Investigations that would be useful are- MRI brain and spine, Hb, ESR, XXXXXXX profile, serum CPK, serum vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels.
As of now, for symptom relief, you could use neuropathic pain medications such as pregabalin or gabapentin.
Physiotherapy- IFT/TENS/US would also be useful in relieving pain.
Please get back if you have any further queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sudhir Kumar (45 hours later)

thank you for the previous answer! for my anemia, even though my feritin is slightly coming up, i still feel the thing i previously mentioned! the doctor doesn't see it as anything major! i stopped working because mu weakness increases every day! And im only 30 years old. i cannot climb four stair step without being out of breath completely. i felt i ran a marathon. it is like i am going to pass out. i feel extreme fatigue to the core. i have severe joint pain. i stopped working since october last year. i constantly feel i am going to faint. Although i tell my primary physician the previous symptoms written above, she doesn't refer to a neurologist. After some tests done which involved hemoglobin, hematocrite, red blood cells, white blood cells, she assumes everything is fine. can those tests reveal anything that could be wrong in my brain and my spine: the exams that you mentioned up above? i thank you in advance!

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (3 hours later)

Hi,
Thank you for getting back with more details.
The tests I have mentioned above may help us to find the reasons for your current symptoms.
For evaluation of brain and spine, we need to perform MRI scans. However, that should ideally be decided after a neurologist has examined you.
As of now, please get the investigations done (as mentioned above) and also consult a neurologist.
Please get back if you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX consultant neurologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Sudhir Kumar (9 days later)

hi, lately, they found out that my cortisol is very high. i was making some research. one of the reasons , it might be the pituitary gland and it talks also about adenoma tumors. it can be situated anywhere. could you tell me if a CAT scan detect tumors anywhere in the body from my head to my toe better than a MRI? i read there can be tumor situated in the pituitary gland. how come after they have done some CAT scan, they could not detect it! my primary doesn't realize the severity of my case! i thank you in advance for your answer!

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (2 hours later)

Hi,
Thank you for getting back.

For detecting tumors, an MRI of whole body can detect tumors anywhere in the body. CAT scan can also detect it, however, it is less sensitive and can miss very small tumors.

Regarding pituitary adenoma, MRI of brain is the best investigation. I hope it clarifies.

Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar