Ongoing symptoms. What could this be??
Posted , 3 users are following.
I really hope I get some help. I posted a short while ago but I'm going to go over my full symptoms in the hope of someone maybe having any experience with what it could be.
My GP has simply put it down to anxiety, however, I'm not anxious! I actually am very happy and well. But she thinks it the anxiety of being a new mum. However, my symptoms began before I gave birth. Here goes...
About 8 months ago I was in my third trimester of pregnancy when I started seeing odd occasional lights in my peripheral vision. No pre-hypertension found by my doc so sent to the eye casualty for a retinal exam, nothing found. Sent home none the wiser. As my remaining weeks of pregnancy progressed I began experiencing very blurry eyesight, like someone had smeared oil in my eyes. I might add by this point I was diagnosed with borderline iron deficiency anemia. Things continued in the same manner.
6 weeks after birth, I had an increase in visual disturbance. Many flashing lights or phosphenes, seeing stars and odd patches of colour. This happens all the time now, when I move, blink, sneeze, go from light to dark rooms. Concerned I went to see a private ophthalmologist at the hospital who after a thorough exam found nothing wrong. She also decided it was consistent with changes in the vitreous and anxiety..... Which I'm still in total disbelief about. The anxiety that is.
About a month ago my toes started twitching, followed by various other parts of body. Now I just twitching all over! My toes, feet, calves, thighs, tummy, bum, fingers, arms, neck, cheeks and eyelids. I saw the Dr again, she says it's just anxiety!? Since seeing the Dr my tendons, muscles and joints are now painful. Especially my knees and achilles. As well as all the bizarre visual disturbance which simply isn't going away. I also, 😳 have an embarrassing problem where I have developed nasty skin boils and cysts. They're quite chronic and have at least 10 at a time to deal with and they don't heal well at all... this hit me right after birth too.
Sometimes I think I feel a bit spaced out and dizzy, however this could be lack of sleep from being a mummy to a 5 mother that old. I'm not too worried and don't really think it's connected.
I also had a bout of quite acute numbness in my outer little fingers, which has since resolved. This was a couple of months ago, again, unsure that it's connected but that lasted about 2 weeks. This was after carrying my baby for over an hour walking so could have been that.
Tests:
Blood pressure, ok
Diabetes, no
CRP at 22 above normal range (normal range is up to 19) so Dr said too minor to worry, could be a cold
Vitamin D, ok
B12, ok
Ferratin ok
Haemoglobin "has come up" in normal range but I believe at the lower end however GP not concerned
2 eye tests in hospital, all ok
FBC normal
Im due to see my Dr for a follow up in 3 weeks. I don't know what else to do? Any ideas?
2 likes, 15 replies
ptolemy donna03753
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donna03753 ptolemy
Posted
Well, this is basically what the GP told me. She said the normal range was between (I can't remember) and 22. She was pretty sure... I don't know! She's a very good GP really, very caring. And the head GP. However, I think she's wrong!
donna03753 ptolemy
Posted
Could the inflammation be from the cysts? Some of them are very big now, several CM across and painful 😔
ptolemy donna03753
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jenny19687 donna03753
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ptolemy donna03753
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ptolemy jenny19687
Posted
Donna, ESR is another measure of inflammation in the body, but CRP now seems more popular.
donna03753 jenny19687
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donna03753 ptolemy
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I actually think I'm mistaken, I think it was ESR as I have just had information that this is inflammation. So that makes sense. Yes I'm in the UK.
ptolemy donna03753
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donna03753 ptolemy
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No I've not asked. I get the feeling they won't let me have them. I wanted to be referred by they wouldn't as they believed it would make the 'anxiety' worse. Trouble is, I'm not anxious. I'm actually really quite the opposite. I feel my symptoms are far too physical. My initial concern was I thought it was something sinister due to the horrible vision issues, thinking it was a brain tumour I got myself in a state and went to the Dr. That's where they've got the anxiety bit from.
At the hospital they said there was signs of any intercrainial pressure causing my visual problems and my visual field was 100%. Also full colour vision. No pupillary defects. They said these would have been affected if a tumor was affecting my vision. Now they've tarred me with the anxiety brush they won't let it go.
jenny19687 donna03753
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You are entitled to your test results. If you have access to online booking they may be there. However I always ask for a printout.
It won't hurt to ask.
ptolemy donna03753
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The trouble is once they think up a diagnosis it appears at the top of the notes and is always the first thing seen, even if something else is found later and they never seem to amend things.
donna03753 jenny19687
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Thanks Jenny. I just wish they'd look again!
donna03753 ptolemy
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Thank you. I said to them, in worried about what symptoms may come next. There answer was, well, that's okay of the issue. I've had patients like you before, always wanting the next test... (said in the nicest possible way). Then told nothing bad has happened to me so far has it? Still! I deserve a proper diagnosis! I'm going to insist they go back to basics next time.