Hello All, 34, female here.
I am new and was just recently diagnosed with plexus neuritis (shoulder neuralgia amyotrophy, has many names), but the cause is not really understood.
I also have 2 herniations in my C-spine (C5/C6 - C6/C7), which my neuro says are too low to be connected to the level of my arm pain, so he believes I have two separate things. Needlesstosay, I have lots of neck pain.
The EMG of my deltoid was abnormal (increased action potentials, fasciculations, positive waves), and I had clinical weakness in my arm of 4/5. I am terrified of this being MND/ALS.
Arm Symptoms:
Pain in my shoulder and arm, usually in the same areas. Deep, stabbing/pinching pain, that sometimes feels hot/warm. Cortisone therapy now helps just a little with the pain. I just started gabapentin on top of the cortisone...
My arm is totally restless - it's twitching, vibrating, and pulsating (my heart beat thumping).
Is this my arm dying or healing? Is it normal in neuropathy to twitch, and also twitch when the muscle is being used?
Weakness - this is what is bothering me and scarying me the most. My left arm shakes when holding things, or when I am trying to do simple exercises (I am in physiotherapy).
I know it takes a long time for nerves to heal, but did anyone experience their weakness get worse before it ever got better?
I am very scared about the cause not being known and the weakness and I would like to reach out to others who have neuropathy/neuritis to see if others experience the same fears, same symptoms and for tips on how to cope.
Has anyone experienced ways to help nerves heal sooner - like B vitamin infusions or acupuncture...other things?
Other info:- Brain MRI was normal
- Reflexes are normal (which is weird to me if I have weakness. My neuro said that the deltoid that is weak, does not produce a reflex...)
- My neuro is ruling out ALS because of the pain, my age and location of weakness (upper arm/shoulder), when usually limb onset ALS is distal (hand/foot), but I am still very uneasy.
Thanks for your time!