I am a 33 year old female with 2 young children and healthy up until some odd things started to happen a couple of months ago.
I started having tingling and pain in right hand, then by that evening the sensation had spread until my entire body was buzzing. It wasn't painful as such but very frightening. I was able to see my GP the next day who said it was odd and did a load of tests on strength, sensation and eye sight - all I which were normal. He did refer me for nerve conduction studies and did full blood work including vit B12 and sugar - again all normal.
The symptoms have not gone although have lessened a little in severity. The tingling now comes and goes but I have almost constant pain between my shoulder blades and in various joints from elbows to toes and fingers. This comes and goes in different areas almost daily - ie yesterday it was my right big toe and today my left shoulder. The joint pain is like a stiffness accompanied by a very sore sensation like I've just dropped a hammer on the area.
I am seeing the gp again soon and will ask for neuro referral but any advice would be massively appreciated.
I struggle some days to manage daily tasks and enjoy my beautiful children. I'm scared something horrible is happening to me!!
Thank you in advance x

Hello pickle,

Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups.

I'm sorry that you're dealing with these symptoms and trying to manage your children and daily life. Hopefully your doctor will find the cause soon.

Were you ill with a virus or sickness before the symptoms began?

Hi Lara, thank you for your reply. I am new to this and it is comforting to have a response.

I did have an infection about 4 weeks before this all began. I got a pretty bad case of mastitis from breastfeeding my baby which took 2 courses of antibiotics to clear. Because of this, guilian barre (sorry prob wrong spelling) was investigated first but ruled out quickly.

Both the GP and nerve specialist weren't able to shed any light on cause but I raised concerns about MS. This has been dismissed as I don't have eye or balance symptoms. I can't shake MS from my mind though. I guess we always want to try and find a name to help us cope.

Also, I forgot to mention that since this began I've had terrible night sweats, only on chest and neck, and also a burning sensation in both palms. Symptoms seem to worsen with fatigue, ie when baby isn't sleeping well and I'm up through the nights.

I would love to hear from anyone else who has similar symptoms, not that I'd wish this on anyone! Or any suggestions on forum groups that fit my oddness.

Thank you

What antibiotics did you take? Some of them cause nerve damage (neuropathy).

Fluoroquinolones like Cipro, Avelox and Levaquin.
Flagyl (metronidazole)
Tindamax (related to metronidazole)
And Zyvox (last resort for mrsA.)

It may not be connected, but if you had the bacterial infection prior to the onset of these varied symptoms, I wonder if your GP hasn't suggest a Rheumatologist rather than a Neurologist. [The night sweats and the joint pains]. I think there are several types of bacteria that can cause mastitis and maybe it wasn't totally cleared from your body.

No rash or fever or light sensitivity or anything like that now?
It's the joint pains that would concern me.

Welcome Pickle.

You could check out the Fibromyalgia Forum

Not sure how long ago you had your last baby, but postpartum joint pain in particular is not uncommon. Sleep deprivation wouldn't help you either.

Hello Pickle and welcome to NeuroTalk.

Joint pain, such as you are having, does not fit with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

MS is a disease of the Central Nervous System which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. There is a diagnostic criteria for MS, The McDonald Criteria.

Although abnormal sensations such as tingling and vibrations/buzzing can be part of having MS those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, vitamin deficiencies, some medications, and mental health issues. There is no symptom(s) which are unique to MS.

A Rheumatologist was my thought also.

Best wishes and I hope you get answers soon.

Have you been checked for lymes?

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your comments, suggestions and support. It is such a relief to have your input. I'm not sure how to comment per reponse (newbie) but hope this is picked up.

To your comments:
I'm afraid I can't remember which specific antibiotics I had but the ones named above don't look familiar. Could effects from antibiotics come on several weeks after completing the course? I will talk to GP about this possibility thank you.

My baby was 11 weeks old when this began and is now four months. I am no longer nursing so can take ibuprofen which takes the edge off the pain but not the tingling and burning sensations. I will start some new mum supplements as suggested, thank you.

Thank you also for the MS information

Re lymes, I haven't had any rashes or illness other than described nor any bites that I've noticed. I haven't been camping or anywhere likely to pick up a tick bite. Do you still think this is possible? If so I'll also raise this with the GP. Thank you for the suggestion

My baby still has night feeds so fatigue is definitely in my life although hubby is a great help. I definitely feel worse with the pains and tingling when particularly tired.

Is anyone able to suggest what rheumatic conditions may present like this and so suddenly? I am keen to go to GP armed with as much info as possible as they seem keen on suggesting this is driven by anxiety... Which I am very sure it isn't.

Thank you again so much for your time.