New to the forum but severely depressed.....

[rckstr1253]

Hi to you all! I am a 28 year old male who on 5/17/2014 woke up to numbness and tingling in my right arm. I had unloaded and packed out truck the night before. I figured my arm fell asleep and sure enough things got better. Fast forward to 5/23/2014 and I was at work for truck day again when my arm all of sudden when numb. I rushed to the ER as 2 dr's offices thought I was having a stroke when I described my symptoms. Anyway I was told I might have carpel tunnel and given prednisone and sent on my merry way.

Well for a few days all things were good, and then suddenly I started to get a charlie horse like feeling in the back of my right leg. Then my left arm started to have similar symptoms. For 3 days I had maybe 3 hrs of sleep and finally was able to see a hand dr workers comp had given me. He checked me out and evaluated my arms and determined unknown double neuropathy that had symptoms of cubinal and carpel tunnel syndrome. Later that day, I started to get cold feet with a tingling feeling in my right leg that didn't hurt but felt weird. I was rushed to the hospital that ran a bunch of tests and determined nothing wrong with my head(catscan) and showed I had normal sugar levels, so doubting any diabetes symptoms.

I again was sent home with prednisone and daypro(anti inflammatory) which I took a few days and got better. Sure enough by the 4th day I couldn't sleep, had anxiety, felt like every time I'd dose off I'd wake up not breathing, which made me go to an urgent care clinic by me. The dr evaluated me and told me he was almost certain I had carpel tunnel or cubinal tunnel. It hurt to write, or type on the computer. Anyway, yesterday I went to the neurologist and was given an EMG and nerve conductor test and passed both. Stumped as the tests say I don't have carpel or cubinal tunnel, I went to a chiropractor thinking I had a pinched nerve in the neck. He took xrays and today I found out I have a healthy neck.

At this point I don't know what to think. I feel a lot better today and really no hand pain at all. I am scared its MS or ALS or Rheumatoid Arthritis as the one doctor did mention them. I do have this weird feeling that burns kind of when the AC is on. I had it on my arms and both shins but even today its gone. Anyone have an idea what this might be? IS it ALS? I AM REALLLLLLY scared and depressed.

[rckstr1253]

Well I had numbness tingling in my hands with tighness in my arms, wrist and throbbing in he Palm of my hand. Also eventually developed cold sensation/ burning when in cold stores or near the ac. It was on my left bicep, arms and then on my shins. My fingers occasionally hurt as well

[Seasha]

Hi rckstr1253,

I'm terribly sorry you are having some difficulties. When our bodies go through weird changes or experience weird sensations, it can be scary!!

Before you jump to conclusions and speculating about it being ALS, RA or Guillain-Barre, find a good neurologist who will do a complete workup on you. (Something that goes beyond a nerve conduction test and EMG.)

MS can be tricky to diagnose and many times there are tests to rule out other disorders. As you know, none of us here at MSW can tell you what it may or may not be. Only a neurologist can determine that! If need be, find a different neurologist if you feel that your voice is not heard.

As hard as it sounds right now, try to find time to relax. OK? Stress can be detrimental to everyone's health regardless of what the condition is.

I hope you find answers soon. Take good care of yourself and check back with us as often as you need!

[rckstr1253]

Thanks for the kind words and I plan to see a rheumatologist soon. But ALS wouldn't show symptoms and then get better right?

Do any of the symptoms I described sound like MS or RA or even Fibromyalgia.

I feel like I got better for a few days without any meds than got bad, then got better and still haven't taken any meds. SO could this be Fibromyalgia instead? I have the achy hands, wrists, and upper arm area. The sensation to cold has gone. I don't know what to think.

[Thinkimjob]

You're not going to get a diagnosis on the net. Sympathy, yes; diagnosis, no.

I have no idea what you might have, and nor does anyone else online.

Might be nothing at all, might be worst of the worst. I can't even guess, but it's probably something somewhere in the middle.

Please try not to drive yourself mad googling. If I google my various symptoms, I could have almost literally every disease/ disorder in the world. With the exception of Ebola and smallpox.

I know it's hard, but that's why God invented doctors. (There's the joke, doctors only think they're God is the punchline.) Go back and keep going back until he/ she / they work it out.

[KatieAgain]

Thanks for the kind words and I plan to see a rheumatologist soon. But ALS wouldn't show symptoms and then get better right?

Do any of the symptoms I described sound like MS or RA or even Fibromyalgia.

I feel like I got better for a few days without any meds than got bad, then got better and still haven't taken any meds. SO could this be Fibromyalgia instead? I have the achy hands, wrists, and upper arm area. The sensation to cold has gone. I don't know what to think.

Darlin'...please put away your computer after you read this. You are Googling too much.

My FIL had ALS. You are absolutely right symptoms do not come and go. They continue and they get worse.

I read through your post several times and the only thing that sounds like MS is the tingling and possibly the throbbing hand. But so do hundreds of other things.

You have already seen a Neuro and have started a relationship with them. Go back to the Neuro and say, "Hey listen, I am scared. I honestly think I have MS or ALS or something Neurological going on." That Neuro is either going to perform tests or explain what is or is not going on.

Bottomline is this, and I say this with all the kindness in me. We don't know you and we can't diagnose you. So, off to the doctors you must go. And don't be afraid to tell them what is concerning you. If you do have MS or they start testing you for MS...come back here and we will walk the journey with you.

It's the weekend...go out and enjoy it and worry about the medical stuff on Monday.

[rckstr1253]

Thanks for all the kind responses....I'm just sooooo scared right now. I am going to try and just relax. It's kind of hard though as I am nervous and anxious. One last question though, this may be embarassing, but I my bowel movements have been nothing but diarreah like. It's hard to explain but its kind of watery but some stool......but I haven't had a normal stool movement in close to 5 days. Is this probably due to nerves in your opinion?? I currently am not taking any medicines.

thanks again guys! =)

[palmtree]

I don't know if this will give you any comfort but there is a very real possibility that you don't have MS. I can't diagnose you but there is one condition that your doctors haven't considered. That is thoracic outlet syndrome. It's very hard to diagnose and neurologists don't even recognize it as a real condition. But if you like to Google, this will give you a new lead.

[Marie12]

please don't b depressed

U were put on this planet for a purpose!!!! I know that's difficult to figure out, but we need U!!!!!!!!!! Do not leave us!!!!!!!!! See your dr, church, U do matter. They will B very appreciative to help U. That IS why they R here 2!!!!!!!!!!!! Please stay on this planet. It isn't easy 2 figure out what 2 do, but please stay with us Please!!!!!!!!!!

[rckstr1253]

I don't know if this will give you any comfort but there is a very real possibility that you don't have MS. I can't diagnose you but there is one condition that your doctors haven't considered. That is thoracic outlet syndrome. It's very hard to diagnose and neurologists don't even recognize it as a real condition. But if you like to Google, this will give you a new lead.

Thanks for the info. I will have to look into it. What kind of DR should I see to find out if this is the case?

[Seasha]

Bottomline is this, and I say this with all the kindness in me. We don't know you and we can't diagnose you. So, off to the doctors you must go. And don't be afraid to tell them what is concerning you. If you do have MS or they start testing you for MS...come back here and we will walk the journey with you.

I just want to 2nd what Katie has said. We can't diagnose you! In fact, that is one of our guidelines - #14. And I 2nd what she has said about enjoying the weekend! You take care now.

[palmtree]

Thanks for the info. I will have to look into it. What kind of DR should I see to find out if this is the case?

That is a good question. Mine was diagnosed by a neurosurgeon then he referred me to a thoracic surgeon. A physical therapist, possibly. Or a physiatrist.

It's a condition where the nerve gets trapped in a narrow opening in the shoulder. There are conservative treatments like physical therapy and shoulder immobilizers. The final treatment is a surgery where they remove the first rib. It takes a long time to recover from but is nothing like the devastation of MS.

[dyin_myelin]

I know what you're going through. I palpated a mass and was sure it was lymphoma. Not sure why I picked that, I guess because it was near my groin. It was fixed, and that was bad. My friend in the medical profession said that I shouldn't think zebras in Central Park, and not to worry. How insensitive! All I could do was read about lymphoma, even on my vacation. Basically, it ruined my vacation, and a few short months later, I would never be healthy again.

Well, it wasn't lymphoma, it was benign and it came out with no complications. I know it's hard not to worry and fear the worst, but if it is MS, you will have MS for the rest of your life. Enjoy possibly *not* having MS! Your odds of having MS are 1/800, so it's a zebra.

[Pipes123]

I would also follow up re the bowel issues. If it's just a virus, great, but it's worth checking.

[rckstr1253]

thanks I plan to. I don't think I have ALS symptoms which leaves me with RA, MS or Fibromyalgia. I have symptoms of anxiety, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue that usually sets in around evening and when I sleep a good amount of hrs, I still feel tired. I have muscle pain in the palm of my hand and in my right index middle joint. The sharp pains that were carpel tunnel like(as the dr had diagnosed me with) is now gone. It's weird. I know RA is suppose to cause fingers to get swollen or look red when aching, yet mine don't have any swelling and it goes away daily. It's just weird. I am hoping its just fibromyalgia.