[Earthquakeinme]

I have had some weird neurological symptoms come and go for the past six years. It all started with a bought of very stiff fingers that went away after a month and never came back...then the really weird stuff started:
1.) pins and needles sensation from my right knee cap down the front of my leg. It lasted 2.5 months. Went away and came back three more times at 6 month intervals.
2.) fuzzy vision in my left eye that comes and goes every two-three months and lasts anywhere from a couple days to several weeks.
3.) Episodes of having truble falling asleep. I will be dozing off any my entire body jerks away. This has happened three times (for a 2 month period) in the last 6 years.
4.) Woke up during one of the above episodes and my feet burned, pretty soon my legs burned and then it moved all over my body like someone had dipped me in acid. The intense pain lasted about a week and then faded into patches of moderate pain that came and went. This symptoms has reared it ugly head MANY times over the last three years, but never as bad as the first time.
5.) While driving in a car I noticed I felt shaky. I thought I needed food, but when I got out of the car my legs felt like jello. This wobbly feeling lasted only about an hour, but my back started hurting so bad and my legs ached like a tooth ache. Pretty soon this "internal tremor" as I call it was everywhere and lasted for about three weeks and went away. It didn't appear again for two years and now it is back worse than ever!

I have had every neurological test under the sun and nothing can be found. My thyroid has been checked and it is normal. The Rheumy says probably fibromyalgia, but I do have widespread pain as most people with fibro do. My GP says anxiety and I need to take an anti-depressant. Whatever!

I would like to know if Parkinson's symptoms can present as sensory issues and if Parkinson's symptoms tend to disappear for long periods of time and then come back unannounced in the early stages?

Sorry for the long post!

P.S. I am a 41 year old female (hormone fluctuations has crossed my mind, but my OGBYN says - "No, you are too young and here is a prescription for Zoloft!"

[lurkingforacure]

If you read many posts here about how people got their dx, for many, too many, it was a long road, filled with uncertainty, multiple visits to multiple specialists, sometimes downright WRONG dxs, and often PWP are told they were "too young" to have PD.

I don't know about the coming and going of symptoms, and it's clear your docs don't either. I can tell you that anytime a doc doesn't seem to know what is going on, they chalk it up to anxiety and want to write a script for zoloft, xanax, etc. I know many folk besides myself who this has happened to. And if your docs think 41 is "too young" for PD, have them read about the 19-year old from Europe who was recently diagnosed and in the news, also after a long period of head-scratching from the "experts" who were hesitant to dx such a young man with PD. But there it is, huh?

You know if something is not right with your body, and you know your body better than anyone else. If you don't feel things are "right", I would keep a log, like a matrix, so you can keep track of what happened when....if things progress, you'll have that for the doc(s). One thing about PD is that it marches relentlessly forward, so time will ultimately tell. I would enjoy every minute of every day as much as possible...and try not to worry, as stress makes everything worse, and in and of itself stress can make anyone sicker). I sincerely hope you don't have PD, though, and wish you luck finding your answers.

[DC48]

Originally Posted by Earthquakeinme

I have had some weird neurological symptoms come and go for the past six years. It all started with a bought of very stiff fingers that went away after a month and never came back...then the really weird stuff started:
1.) pins and needles sensation from my right knee cap down the front of my leg. It lasted 2.5 months. Went away and came back three more times at 6 month intervals.
2.) fuzzy vision in my left eye that comes and goes every two-three months and lasts anywhere from a couple days to several weeks.
3.) Episodes of having truble falling asleep. I will be dozing off any my entire body jerks away. This has happened three times (for a 2 month period) in the last 6 years.
4.) Woke up during one of the above episodes and my feet burned, pretty soon my legs burned and then it moved all over my body like someone had dipped me in acid. The intense pain lasted about a week and then faded into patches of moderate pain that came and went. This symptoms has reared it ugly head MANY times over the last three years, but never as bad as the first time.
5.) While driving in a car I noticed I felt shaky. I thought I needed food, but when I got out of the car my legs felt like jello. This wobbly feeling lasted only about an hour, but my back started hurting so bad and my legs ached like a tooth ache. Pretty soon this "internal tremor" as I call it was everywhere and lasted for about three weeks and went away. It didn't appear again for two years and now it is back worse than ever!

I have had every neurological test under the sun and nothing can be found. My thyroid has been checked and it is normal. The Rheumy says probably fibromyalgia, but I do have widespread pain as most people with fibro do. My GP says anxiety and I need to take an anti-depressant. Whatever!

I would like to know if Parkinson's symptoms can present as sensory issues and if Parkinson's symptoms tend to disappear for long periods of time and then come back unannounced in the early stages?

Sorry for the long post!

P.S. I am a 41 year old female (hormone fluctuations has crossed my mind, but my OGBYN says - "No, you are too young and here is a prescription for Zoloft!"

I am far from any expert and still trying to find my own diagnosis.
I think visual symptoms are associated with MS, and I wonder if you have talked to anyone about MS?

I hope you find an answer soon, I know how frustrating it is.

[Ronhutton]

Hi Earthquake,
Yes, syptoms most certainly come & go, or just change.
I have had PD for 19 years now, so I have been able to observe the progression of symptoms.
I first experienced tremor on the LHS of my body. This faded and gait took over. I started dragging my left foot, and walking with smaller steps. The tremor has gone completely now, superceeded by my walking difficulties. Then getting up from a chair began to loom large, although this has also faded now. The main symptom that has breen with me since diagnosis is my walking. Even then, new symptoms have appeared like delay in initiation of movement. Another one that came and went was sleep. Years ago, I have been known to spend the entire night watching TV or on the computer. That has gone now, and last night I slept unbroken for 9 hours.
PD, although mostly occuring over 55 or so. can literally occur at any age. If your neuro says it is only with the elderly, you are well without him or her.
Other symptoms associated with PD are loss of sense of smell up to 4 years before motor symptoms occur. Your voice going softer, is another symptom. The developement of "cogwheel rigidity, where tour doc winds your arm round , looking for intermittant resistance.
Hope this helps.
Ron

[neeta]

I was diagnosed in 1996 at the age of 48, I am now 62. I have been through just about every symptom that exists with PD. I have even had 3 doctors tell me I had no symtoms and wondered if I was misdiagnosed. After putting me through some dexterity tests the symptoms reappeared.
I now have difficulty with freezing while walking and rigidity in my facial expressions. Yes, symptoms come and go. I just try to stay active. I am able to do about anything I want, it just takes a little longer. PD has taught me patience, something I was lacking before.
Good luck to you.

[vlhperry]

If he would consider ordering an MRI (magnectic Resnance Imaging) to begin ruling out possibilities. The MRI will rule out MS if no lesions are found in the brain. Once a neurologist has committed to the cost of an MRI, he will probably seriously look for a cause for your symptoms because of the cost committment. If you appear knowledgable and appear to have done your homework, they will understand you are not going to just go away without an answer. Good Luck!!!

[indigogo]

Good luck on your hunt! None of your symptoms are what are called the "characteristic symptoms" of PD, but stranger things have happened - I had a series of strange symptoms before my tremor appeared (11 years ago; kind of fuzzy now); things have remained relatively static since then. Explore all possibilities .....

[Conductor71]

I just wanted to add to the observations on doctors and add what I know about hormones and PD.

I agree with what the others have said about doctors telling you that it is only an old person's disease. They are either ignorant to the point where they should not be practicing medicine or they are dodging you because they don't feel comfortable with making a more 'definitive diagnosis. In defense of doctors, it can be extremely difficult to diagnose PD very early on as it is entirely a clinical diagnosis.

Keep in mind that you must exhibit at least 2 of the four cardinal signs of PD which are tremor (usually at rest), bradykinesia, rigidity, and gait or balance problems. Given your symptom descriptions, I think it would be questionable for any doctor to unequivocally to tell you that it is PD. Many times you have to be monitored over the course of several years before other signs emerge. I only had a predominant tremor of my right hand and for five years was diagnosed with Essential Tremor which can be disabling in and of itself. Please see the Brain Explorer site for info on cardinal signs and diagnosis.

I also want to stress that PD for women can be quite different and even would go so far as to say we need more nuanced care and treatment. Estrogen is generally or friend and considered neuroprotective. Many women experience symptom exacerbation around the menstrual cycle. As estrogen levels rise, symptoms abate. When it drops, it gets ugly. It is also documented in case studies that women who have PD and experience pregnancy will note a worsening of symptoms when estrogen levels drop in the second and third trimesters (L M Shulman 2008) . I can vouch for this from my own experience; I was very mild symptomatically until my third trimester and exacerbated the PD-- post partum period brought further decline. I am sad to say that the change appears to be permanent. The most troubling thing for me is that my neuro never bothered to conduct a literature search and assured me that pregnancy would have no ill effect when she should have given me a more authentic "We do not know but based on small number of case reports, it doesn't look favorable." Needless to say, I now have a new neurologist.

So, I'd say that you really just have to hang in there and maybe read some of the MS board here (PD also does not usually have an oculomotor aspect). Maybe keep a diary or record of symptoms. Doctors only have so much to go on and in their defense it is difficult to diagnose movement disorders. Above all; however, it is important that you make sure your doctor has the integrity to be truthful even if just to say they do not know.

Best,

Laura

[Conductor71]

I just wanted to add to the observations on doctors and add what I know about hormones and PD.

I agree with what the others have said about doctors telling you that it is only an old person's disease. They are either ignorant to the point where they should not be practicing medicine or they are dodging you because they don't feel comfortable with making a more 'definitive diagnosis. In defense of doctors, it can be extremely difficult to diagnose PD very early on as it is entirely a clinical diagnosis.

Keep in mind that you must exhibit at least 2 of the four cardinal signs of PD which are tremor (usually at rest), bradykinesia, rigidity, and gait or balance problems. Given your symptom descriptions, I think it would be questionable for any doctor to unequivocally to tell you that it is PD. Many times you have to be monitored over the course of several years before other signs emerge. I only had a predominant tremor of my right hand and for five years was diagnosed with Essential Tremor which can be disabling in and of itself. Please see the Brain Explorer site for info on cardinal signs and diagnosis.

I also want to stress that PD for women can be quite different and even would go so far as to say we need more nuanced care and treatment. Estrogen is generally or friend and considered neuroprotective. Many women experience symptom exacerbation around the menstrual cycle. As estrogen levels rise, symptoms abate. When it drops, it gets ugly. It is also documented in case studies that women who have PD and experience pregnancy will note a worsening of symptoms when estrogen levels drop in the second and third trimesters (L M Shulman 2008) . I can vouch for this from my own experience; I was very mild symptomatically until my third trimester and exacerbated the PD-- post partum period brought further decline. I am sad to say that the change appears to be permanent. The most troubling thing for me is that my neuro never bothered to conduct a literature search and assured me that pregnancy would have no ill effect when she should have given me a more authentic "We do not know but based on small number of case reports, it doesn't look favorable." Needless to say, I now have a new neurologist.

So, I'd say that you really just have to hang in there and maybe read some of the MS board here (PD also does not usually have an oculomotor aspect). Maybe keep a diary or record of symptoms. Doctors only have so much to go on and in their defense it is difficult to diagnose movement disorders. Above all; however, it is important that you make sure your doctor has the integrity to be truthful even if just to say they do not know.

Best,

Laura

[Earthquakeinme]

Thansk everyone for your input and replies!
Laura, I love you profile picture. So cute!
I appreciate the feedback on homones as I must admit that during my period my symptoms go haywire! I just cannot seem to get a reliable answer from any doctor and I have seen them all. I know that diseases like Parkinson's are hard to diagnose, but in 2010 there should be a brain scan or something to tell if it is PD or not! Just like cancer - how many billions of dollars do we have to toss into the collecton plate before REAL cures are found??
I have had an MRI (four actually) over a period of 6 years and they have ruled out MS. However, I am on the fibromyalgia road now. Hey, I will take that over PD...but I have found myself putting off a life for fear of burdening the people I love down the road. I have cut off a relationship that could have led to marriage, because I did not want to saddle him with this mess I have which could turn into something pretty bad in the future. I have canceled trips, canceled parties, canceled life in general. I know it is not a good thng to do, but I am so paralized in fear right now I cannot move forward. I have seen a counselor and she wants me on anti-depresants.. I am not depressed - I am **** that I cannot find answers or feel better. I will admit I am anxious, but who wouldn't be with these questions hanging over their head?
Whah, whah, whah - poor me. I will shut up now, because basically until the monster in my shows its ugly head in plain sight I am stuck in limbo-land. Not as fun as Disneyland.