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Originally Posted by grifter
Hey all thank you so much for your thoughtful replies.
Sorry for being a ghost, I’ve just been extremely anxious., but I’m back now!
I have a few questions that I hope you great people can answer:
As my initial symptoms that I thought was PN (which was my hands and legs "falling asleep" at night) disappeared when I was sober and hasn’t returned. Does that mean I healed from it?
And in saying that, my new symptoms of tingling in my left hand’s pinkie and ring finger, along with tingling on the palmar side of my hand under this, along with elbow pain on the same arm (which I fractured as a child and had operated on as a teen), only started two weeks into sobriety.
(Health anxiety makes me very vigilant to how my body’s feeling, so I would have know about it when I was drinking.)
So I’m wondering if since these symptoms appeared when I was two weeks sober, while the other symptoms I had disappeared in sobriety, that it may be unrelated and something to do with an ulnar nerve injury, or my health anxiety going mad?
As I can still do everything as normal. I just have these tingles and elbow pain.
I also want to get a clear diagnosis. As my doctor did some strength and reflex tests in her office which she said was normal, so she wants me to come back in six weeks if symptoms don’t improve.
However, my brain can’t handle the wait, so I’m going to return next week. So I’d like to know what to ask for to get a diagnosis. A referral to a neurologist? Or certain tests? As my biggest mental problem is "not knowing" if I’m imaging PN or I have it.
Thanks again, and really hope to get your thoughts on the above. As my brain is killing me more than the symptoms.
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Hey grifter, I am no expert at all, certainly not as knowledgeable as others on here, but I am going through something similar so thought I would share my experience.
I too am a hypochondriac, and it causes me much anxiety. Mine all started about 9 months ago, I noticed being a bit shaky, some back pain, and legs more sore than normal from minimal exercise. I didn't think much of it and kept going about my business (ie drinking fairly heavy - 3 or 4 times a week). Then about 4 months after a bender with a college buddy I started noticing being more shaky and tingling all over my body. The tingling only lasted like a day, but would come and go, started getting some fasciculations in my calves mostly, but randomly as well in other parts of my body. So I shut the booze down mostly, maybe a few glasses of wine with dinner here and there and decided to consult a neurologist.
I went in and he gave me a full neuro exam which is basically testing for all all of your senses, touch, pain, temperature. Then they do strength tests on all of your limbs as I think some more serious disorders begin with weakness in the limbs. Then you walk down the hallway normal, on your heels and toes, the doctor is looking at your gait, again to assess any other potential neurological issues. Since they found nothing wrong in the physical exam they sent me for an EMG test.
An EMG basically tests nerve function, and is really 2 parts, the EMG and an NCS. The NCS is a nerve conduction study where they put electrodes on your arms and legs and shock you a bit to test the speed the electricity is moving through your nerves. The EMG part is a bit more uncomfortable as they put accupuncture like needles in your muscles and have you flex and read the electricity in your muscles. Both tests are looking for any deterioration in nerve function which alocohol neuropathy generally causes, but is sometimes hard to detect.
In my case, he said based on my EMG, and because my symptoms were not textbook for neuropathy (ie pain/tingling in toes/feet, that moved to my legs and hands), he said just to monitor any progression and come back in 6 months to 1 year. We went back and forth a good bit about alcohol, etc and all he said was take it easy on the alcohol as it can cause long term damage and other issues, but he didn't think my current issues are alcohol related. Apparently there are tons of benign reasons for all of these symptoms, very frustrating.
Further, about a month ago I started getting a twitch in my right ring finger. Interestingly my legs feel much better, but hands and arms are worse. I emailed my doctor as I was nervous about more serious neuro disorders and he said not to worry that something like that, again, can be caused by many benign things, but if it would make me feel better to come back in for another physical exam. I might do that next month for piece of mind.
Another thing, I had shingles 3 months ago, and viruses like that can cause these neuropathic symptoms apparently.
Sorry for the long response, but hopefully it gives you some idea of the process. Unfortunately all of these things are super hard to diagnose, but if you find a good neurologist that you like and can talk to, they can be very helpful in helping you find the cause for your issues, or at least put your mind more at ease. I am still freaking out I have something way more serious (probably unnecessarily), but it is nice to have a dr that listens and responds to my paranoia.
Hope that helps.