Numbness/Tingly sensation in right arm/lower leg for nearly a year and now left fingers/toes.

I am a 50 year old male.

Last October I started to have a numb/mild burning sensation started in my lower right leg. A bit like a dead leg, but not severe as such. Just like mild pins and needles.

About a week later the numbness started appearing in my right arm and right side of my face too. This too was mild.

Long story short, I saw my doctor who checked me out and then referred me to a neurologist who did tests with pins/hammers, etc. Nothing obvious.

Various blood tests were done but nothing was found.

I had an MRI scan in November of my brain and cervical spine. Again, nothing obvious cropped up other than normal wear and tear for someone of my age.

I tried to have a lumbar puncture in January but this failed as the neurologist was unable to get to the fluid in my spine despite his best efforts. He said that the test was going to look for neuroinflammatory disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis. However, he also said it was unlikely I had that based on his tests, etc.

Since about April time I've had tingly fingers in my left hand and my left toes. But not the overall achy/numbness I get on my right side arm/lower leg.

I did tell the neurologist I had the flu vaccination about a fortnight before I started to have the numbness sensation on my lower right leg but he told me "it is not inconceivable there could be a relationship but there is not enough here to advise him not to pursue future vaccinations."

So, as things stand, the whole of my right arm aches and feels a bit numb and tingly. The fingers of my right hand are noticeably tingly. I can feel things and there is no noticeable weakness or anything that I do. If I stick a pin in me I can feel it good and proper! My right lower leg feels similar, so from my knee to my toes. Sometimes it just feels cold - but not to touch. My face also feels a bit tingly. Started on the right-hand side on the cheek, jaw and forehead. And, as I said, my fingers and toes on the left-hand side are a bit tingly now too.

I'm not due to see the doctor or neurologist again about this unless there are any new developments. My neurologist said, "I have reassured him that I have not found anything of significant concern here. He is aware that non-specific neurological symptoms are common and there is not always a clear diagnosis emerging".

It's kind of hard to describe the sensation. But it's like I've been sleeping on my right arm and it feels a bit dead from doing that. Or like my arm, lower leg and both my hands and feet have mild pins-and-needles. Or sometimes my face feels like it does when you've been to the dentist and you've had local anaesthetic - but I must emphasize it's a very mild version - so almost when the anaesthetic has died off.

I don't know of anything that eases the symptoms of what I have. But when my right leg, especially my foot, feels particularly cold I tend to get a hot water bottle and rest my foot on that and it helps with that. But can't seem to do anything for the numbness/tingling.

If I'm out and about and doing things I don't really notice anything - and nobody has noticed any difference in me (e.g. my gait). It's usually when I'm sitting down watching TV or working at my desk. And, bizarrely, it seems to be worse if I think about it. It sometimes wakes me up too as I have to go from side to side to stop aching.

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar and/or knows of anything that can ease the symptoms?

2 likes, 2 replies