Pain in left arm/hand, left foot/leg, and parts of my neck and back for about a month?
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Stats: Male, 24 y/o, about 115 pounds, 5'6", history of anxiety, depression, panic disorder, OCD tendencies, definitely a hypochondriac, other related disorders.
Starting about a month ago (I'd guess April 12th), I started to feel stiffness and tightness going down the inner left side of my neck, under my clavicle, into my shoulder, and down through my arm and hand. This sensation was accompanied by pain, weakness, and some tingling and numbness, but those two symptoms have come in quick flashes whereas the pain and weakness stick around. I became concerned that it was cardiac-related because of the location, and was referred to a cardiologist. After two EKGs and and echo, I think all medical professionals involved agreed that I was just super anxious. Which I am. I just finished a very demanding master's program, I'm looking for a job, my grandmother just died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis.
A few days later, I took a two-hour flight and that whole upper side of my body just blew up over that period. Neck, middle of back, lower back, arm, part of my chest, back of left shoulder, all on the left side. It took a couple days to resolve itself again, but it went back to "normal" (could still feel the tightness and weakness, but the pain has not stopped me from moving around, doing ordinary tasks, sleeping, and so on).
Now, almost a month later, I'm in really messy shape. My neck is stiff, the annoying pain and feeling I can only describe as "odd" has moved to behind my left eye and the outer areas of my face, my upper body is in moderate pain that worsens throughout the day, and my left leg and foot have joined in the fun. Now it feels like my whole left side is leading a rebellion against me. Same symptoms for both leg and arm (and foot and hand): weird pop-up pain, slight burning sensation, some tingling but not extensive, tightness in chest and shoulder, pain in middle-left back, very stiff and aching neck. Still, I am able to sleep, and it definitely does get better when I lie down. I've been able to determine that it's bad when I'm sitting upright and when I'm in a reclined position, but subsides when I'm lying down and standing. But I can't spend my whole life lying down and standing – I have to sit down and get work done.
I was worried then that I might have a pinched nerve or something wrong with a disc in my back or neck. I am an enthusiastic cracker of my lower back and also crack my thoracic vertebrae by throwing my shoulders back and leaning backwards over chairs and s**t like that. Unfortunately, because of my anxiety, I do it a lot. Maybe 5 times an hour.
When everything really flared up at once a couple weeks ago, I decided to stop all back cracking and haven't done it since, but I did go to the doctor again and described my symptoms to her. She told me that if it was just my upper left limb or just my lower left limb, she would probably think it was nerve or disc related. But she found it unusual that it was both at the same time. She said that, based on my description of my habits, it was entirely possible I was just unlucky enough to have messed up nerves or vertebrae at multiple points in my back at the same time. I currently have what feels like a tweak in my lumbar area, another in the middle of my back, and my neck is messed up.
Because of the multiple-points-of-pain factor, and this going on for a month, she did refer me to a neurologist to see what might be going on. I'll be seeing the doc on Wednesday. But I am really concerned as to what the source of this pain might be. It is really uncomfortable right now, Advil doesn't do much, and I don't really know what part of my left side it might strike at next (or if it'll move over to my right). Having a family history of M.S., that is of course one thing that concerns me pretty majorly. I know that seeing the neurologist is a step in a good direction, but my impression of going down the nerve-pain rabbit hole is that you often end up with no answers or with bad ones. So the prospect of beginning this process is really depressing to me, too.
Sorry for writing so damn much, I just wanted to put as much information down as possible. Essentially the whole left side of my body is acting up right now, as is the middle of my back. This is after a long period of twist-cracking my lower back and stress-cracking my thoracic vertebrae about five times an hour. Is it possible that all of these things have reared their heads at once, or has anybody heard of a situation where this kind of issue comes on in just a month and blows up like this?
Some more info – non-smoker, vegetarian (I do take magnesium, omega-3, multivitamin, B12, and D3 supplements), blood and urine tests done in the last two weeks have come back clear for iron/electrolyte/kidney/thyroid/diabetes issues, motor abilities including fine motor abilities seem to be fine, reflexes fine, vision is fine. A couple of months ago, my PCP told me that one of my eyes (I can't remember which) tracked juuust a millisecond behind the other, but attributed it to dehydration (I wasn't even dehydrated at the time and wish I'd asked her more about that).
Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight into this and feel free to let me know if there's something else I should answer that might be helpful.
1 like, 1 reply
sal81399 schimmelreiter
Posted
I can't believe I have finally found a post like yours here! I am a 39 male. I have been doing extensive searching for almost 10 months now to find some answers to my strange hemi sensory condition but couldbt find anybody who has the same syndrome. 90% of your symptoms resemble mine too except my symptoms are completely on the right side. constant stiffness, little heaviness and weakness feeling in shoulder, upper right back(, arm and leg (mostly thigh area). also, mild tingling or prickling and burning sensations that extend to more areas on my right side like down my right knee and foot and also to my right side of neck or in middle back. most of your remarks look like mine too. I feel much better when I lie down or sit, especially when leaning forward, not leaning back. the only difference is I feel worse when I stand still but feel better when walking. the weakness is just a feeling without a real diminish in strength. this mean I have my full strength doing my normal physical activities or workout, but something just feel odd and you think it is weak. also, there is no tenderness in any part, I mean when you touch affects areas, on the contrary, massaging and rubbing give me a momentary relief for few seconds.
I have done MRI for brain, neck and thoracic back with all blood work but all came back normal then as you mentioned in your post the 2 neurologists i saw left me without any answer. but i can say that the severity is less now after 10 months. everything about this condition is enigmatic and strange. my condition was preceded by another condtion that I received no answer for it too from doctors, that was one year and a half before this one, I can't be exactly sure if they are related. I posted about it here few months ago.
Please let me know if you come to find anything new about your condition, i will do the same here. i am actually planning to travel to try a better medical facility in MN as the doctors here in Tx were not much of a help.
you are not alone there my friend.