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Suggest Treatment For Symptoms Of Peripheral Neuropathy
Question: OK where to start, about 2 years ago I noticed that my forearms and hands would get weak when held above my head and I had a lot of tender/sore knotted muscles in neck (front and back) and shoulders. I went to a few doctors and one said thoracic outlet syndrome and I did some PT, still have that issue along with a tremor that developed about a year ago in my right hand/arm. Went to a neurologist she did a MRI of my neck thinking MS but no lesions found, felt like there was no more she would do for me so stopped going to her (now I regret that). So fast forward to now, with still the same issues as before and now have started having painful swollen knotted feeling calf muscles and cold numb feeling feet that get little red dots on toes that end up peeling off. I have been having bad headaches and fatigue as well. Sometime the knots in my neck muscle will be so bad that I can feel like it is pressing on my throat cause I feel it hard to swallow when it is flared up. Oh one other thing that I noticed a while back not that it has anything to do with my other symptoms but I have a reddish rash on my chest and now notice it looks like I am getting one on my forehead now as well. I recently went to a rheumatologist who seemed like she was really concerned about my redness on my chest and my calf pain and feet, however she left the room then came back in the room and basically said she thinks I have strained my neck muscles and gave me gel NSAID to put on it and said I will see you back in 3 months. I left there so confused and feeling like I am going nuts...Now I feel like I have exalted all of my options on dr.'s and don't know where to turn to get any answers..I am feeling hopeless and desperate for help and relieve any suggestions you may have on where I go from here would be greatly appreciated. And my family doctor doesn't seem to care I basically ask her to refer me to doctors and she does because I feel she just doesn't want to deal with it. Medical History is I was diagnosed with hyper thyroidism about 5 years ago, had radioactive iodine treatment done and now I am hypo and take synthroid 150 mcg once a day.
Brief Answer:
Peripheral neuropathy ,in my opinion can be a potential cause of the majority of your symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have gone through your question.
I can understand your concern.
You have a lot of symptoms but I am curious to know if you have done a blood panel because the results can help for the diagnose.(Let me know if there is any abnormality)
Anyway I see that you have a lot of problems with your extremities (forearm,hands,calves and feet).Lots of your symptoms can be atributed to Peripheral neuropathy.This is a nerve damage caused by a number of conditions like:Alcoholism,diabetes,certain medication,certain autoimune diseases,Hypothyroidism etc.For this reason my advice is to meet one more time a neurologist because I think that probably is a neurological basis that produce your symptoms and you need more specific investigation.
The reddish rash in you chest maybe is an allergic reaction. The allergologist can determine the most likely diagnosis and the right treatment if it is necessary.
For your actual thyroid condition it is necessary to repeat the thyroid function test because if you don't take the right dose of Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy(Synthroid) you can be precipitate in hypothyroidism and this condition can be also the cause of some of your actual symptoms.
Lasty, a visit to a psychologist will be beneficial for you to overcome the actual physical or mental stress and i think he/she can help you a lot.
Thank you for using HCM.
Best regards.
Dr Elona
Peripheral neuropathy ,in my opinion can be a potential cause of the majority of your symptoms.
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have gone through your question.
I can understand your concern.
You have a lot of symptoms but I am curious to know if you have done a blood panel because the results can help for the diagnose.(Let me know if there is any abnormality)
Anyway I see that you have a lot of problems with your extremities (forearm,hands,calves and feet).Lots of your symptoms can be atributed to Peripheral neuropathy.This is a nerve damage caused by a number of conditions like:Alcoholism,diabetes,certain medication,certain autoimune diseases,Hypothyroidism etc.For this reason my advice is to meet one more time a neurologist because I think that probably is a neurological basis that produce your symptoms and you need more specific investigation.
The reddish rash in you chest maybe is an allergic reaction. The allergologist can determine the most likely diagnosis and the right treatment if it is necessary.
For your actual thyroid condition it is necessary to repeat the thyroid function test because if you don't take the right dose of Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy(Synthroid) you can be precipitate in hypothyroidism and this condition can be also the cause of some of your actual symptoms.
Lasty, a visit to a psychologist will be beneficial for you to overcome the actual physical or mental stress and i think he/she can help you a lot.
Thank you for using HCM.
Best regards.
Dr Elona
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
I have had blood work done all was normal, also i have had a NCV and EMG done on the nerves/muscles in my arms, about 2 years ago, which was also normal, but i have not in my legs as this issue with my legs and feet just started more recently.
Brief Answer:
Ask to your doctor to perform ENG of inferior extremities
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear
All your tests are normal...this means that in your case it is difficult to associate all your physical signs or symptoms with a particular morbid process, the interpretation of which leads to a specific diagnosis.
Anyway, in my opinion you should talk with your doctor if he can perform a electromyoneurography of the inferior extremities.This is a combined procedure(ENG and EMG) and measures the conduction of electrical signals along nerve pathways and the electrical activity of muscles.
The purpose is to identify peripheral nerve damage or destruction and establish the precise location of the problem and to differentiate peripheral nerve disease from muscular injury.
I'm curious to know the results of your blood work for hypocalcemia because the symptoms include numbness and/or tingling of the hands, feet, or lips, muscle cramps, muscle spasms, muscle weakness and this can be another possible culpit of your actual condition.
My advice is to be patient because finding the definitive diagnosis can be difficult but i am sure that after some time the doctors will find the right diagnose and treatement and you'll be fine.
Wish you very good health.
Dr Elona
Ask to your doctor to perform ENG of inferior extremities
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear
All your tests are normal...this means that in your case it is difficult to associate all your physical signs or symptoms with a particular morbid process, the interpretation of which leads to a specific diagnosis.
Anyway, in my opinion you should talk with your doctor if he can perform a electromyoneurography of the inferior extremities.This is a combined procedure(ENG and EMG) and measures the conduction of electrical signals along nerve pathways and the electrical activity of muscles.
The purpose is to identify peripheral nerve damage or destruction and establish the precise location of the problem and to differentiate peripheral nerve disease from muscular injury.
I'm curious to know the results of your blood work for hypocalcemia because the symptoms include numbness and/or tingling of the hands, feet, or lips, muscle cramps, muscle spasms, muscle weakness and this can be another possible culpit of your actual condition.
My advice is to be patient because finding the definitive diagnosis can be difficult but i am sure that after some time the doctors will find the right diagnose and treatement and you'll be fine.
Wish you very good health.
Dr Elona
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
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