On March 1, 2012 my husband received a tetanus vaccine. He had pain and initial redness, a bit of swelling for about 2 weeks. He then had a blood draw from the same arm 3 weeks after the tetanus and he experienced horrible pain at the draw site that then went up and down the arm. Two weeks after the blood his arm would turn a violent color of red/purple (like a BP cuff had been squeezed too tightly and left on) with white blotches. The pain was so terrible that he ended up in the urgent clinic where they thought he had a blood clot and sent him to the ER. The ER diagnosed him with ascending lymphadenitis. The next day he saw our PCP who diagnosed him with neuropathic pain syndrome. For the next month his arm would turn this horrid color and the pain would literally bring him to his knees. We were sent to a neurologist who performed an EMG on his arm and this was normal. Now for the past month/month and a half the horrible pain has subsided, the color has returned to normal, but now he has pain and numbness in both arms and muscle twitching/fasiculations in his legs along with numbness/tingling around his neck, jaw and mouth. He has substancial weakness in the original injection/blood draw arm with a bit of atrophy. He says it feels as if his arms are wasting away. He had MRI of his head (to look for MS) and his neck (looking for pinched nerve) last week and both were normal. Prior to March 1 my husband was an avoid outdoors man...hunt, fish, canoe, kayak, hike. Now he is sleeping 12 hours a day just so he can go to work to continue to provide for his family. We are going to see a neuromuscular rehab pain specialist in 3 days and hoping for a diagnosis more specific than 'neuropathic pain syndrome' and hoping that something can be done to stop the weakness, numbness, tingling, creepy crawling feelings in his arms. He does notice that if he lays his arm on a cold surface (metal computer table at work) or cold water, his left arm goes crazy with humming, tingling feelings. Just here for support and some ideas of what this might be. The more I read about multifocal motor neuropathy (esp. with the reaction to cold) I'm thinking perhaps this is is. Thanks for listening. Linda from Michigan.

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

There are two possible scenarios I can see right off...

A vaccine reaction--which can cause neuropathies.

2) Development of RSD/CRPS... which can be triggered by
blood draws if a nerve is nicked.
This is the RSD forum.... reactions to cold, spread, and color changes makes this more likely than PN.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum21.html
I suggest you post there first, and ask questions. It can be difficult finding a doctor who understands this problem.

We live in northern MI (Cadillac/Traverse City area). We are looking for some good neurologists in Michigan. We saw a neurologist through Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, but we were not super impressed. Although I will say at that time the symptoms were mainly confined to my husband's left arm, which was tested with EMG and was normal. Since that time symptoms of numbness, tingling, twitching, creepy crawlies have spread to all extremities. If anyone in MI can give us the name(s) of any neurologists that seem to listen and care, we would certainly appreciate it! Thank you!!

Linda,

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Here are a great number of dear friends to listen when you are in need of ears. Please let us know how we can help you out. You will find out we are supportive and relaxing place.

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene

Thank you!

Hi there hon.

I am so sorry that this has happened to your husband. You sound like a loving and caring wife. Mrs. D has given you great info.

Just wanted to say hi and Welcome.

Melody