Hi, I am 19 years old and from Glasgow, Scotland.

I'm writing this as for the last 6 months my left arm feels like it's someone else's. I can move my elbow, hand and fingers but however it feels like it's not mine and when I clasp my hands together it feels like someone is holding my hand. In addition to this my legs are starting to go a bit numb from time to time, also I am struggling to concentrate, I am struggling with my short term memory when I'm forgetting something I was thinking of 3 seconds before, I am also having trouble reading letters and numbers as sometimes they get mixed up in my head like confusing 7 for a T. I also have completely lost all my energy , even when I've had 8/9 hours of sleep at night I still don't feel I have the energy to take my dog out for the toilet or to go to work.

About 6 weeks ago I went to my doctor and he told me to move my arm up and down 4 times a day and gave me a prescription for naproxen he never took notice of any other symptom. I have another appointment on Wednesday.

In the past year due to my family history I have been tested for diabetes and had my thyroid checked all came back normal. In addition to this I also have a cousin who has recently been diagnosed with MCTD, Reynaulds and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I am posting here as after having a conversation with my aunt who is a Nurse Practitioner she believes it could be neurological however she is lives at the other side of the country and can only offer advice. I am not looking for a diagnosis just maybe some advice if you have had the same or similar symptoms as well as maybe some advice on how to speak with my doctor. As I said I'm 19 and this will be only the third time I've been to my doctor on my own.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post,

Emma

I redirected your post here, to our new members forum, for more input..

I think a neurologist would be the best route, do you need to get a referral from your general doctor? If so ask for that.

It is easy to forget al symptoms when in the doctors office.
It is a good idea to make a list, so you can recall everything as you wrote here..
Sometimes drs only hear a few things and miss other key items..

Hi Emma

As far as seeing your doctor is concerned, you could think about taking along a trusted friend to an appointment.

Sometimes "Two heads are better than one", in terms of absorbing information that a doctor gives you may help you in understanding it - a trusted friend could be of benefit to you in this context.

Hi Emma,

Welcome to NT!

Your symptoms, as described, seem quite disconcerting to you. I think it would be tough to live with these symptoms day in and day out?

I agree with your aunt, please do pursue a neurological consultation, if possible.

What type of physical activities do you engage in daily? Do you use your arms/legs a lot or are you more sedentary?

So you sit often and for prolonged periods?

As for your left arm, I strongly suggest you work on your arm as often as possible, at least several times a day. I am specifically suggesting you massage your entire arm with lotion or oil, whatever you find comforting.
Consider massaging your left arm completely, from shoulder down through finger tips, as often as possible. If this is difficult for you, please ask someone to help you with this. It's important to see if stimulating feedback from your arm to your brain will help to create/reinforce pathways in which your limb may not feel so foreign to you. I have also gone a bit further and have used textures, even a washcloth, a textured pot scrubbing pad (the green flat style, not the brillo pads or the metal types, which may do some skin damage). Some people have good luck with soft brushes and/or light sandpaper, for example. The idea is just to offer some varying stimuli to your arm/hand, with the messages going to your brain. If possible, you might eventually add some vibration to the stimulation, via a massaging tool or other means.

This may or may not be helpful to you, in the longer run. It isn't an approach that will cause serious side-effects. It's a very benign approach, as far as side-effects or interactions are concerned. I also think any neurologist or other physician might be pleased you have tried such an approach and will be interested in your specific approach along with your reports on the outcome, and progress if any. All information is important in their overall assessment.

Are you aware of some of the theories around "neuroplasticity?"
You might look into this topic a bit if it interests you.

If we change the sensations/message to the brain, sometimes we get an amazing response, the brain may better recognize the limb (which otherwise feels "disowned") and we regain a better sense of limb sensory integration.

I feel it may be helpful for your own right hand/arm to feel your left arm and hand, as you massage the left and add in some additional sensory stimulation (texture and/or vibration). This may help with a sense of overall sensory integration.

If/when this becomes too much work, or tiring, please include a friend, a family member and keep working on the left arm/hand, creating stimuli which sends messages to your brain. Many state it helps to talk to the limb, giving welcoming, loving messages to the limb at the same time. Some report this can be done silently, within one's own mind, or out loud -- whichever is most comfortable for you.

I hear you and understand you are also experiencing memory/cognitive issues. Sometimes people report memory issues, when they really have concentration issues. With poor concentration, information is not encoded, therefore it's difficult to then retrieve the information, as the info was never entered into the brain's "computer." With pure memory issues, the information was encoded and entered, yet cannot be retrieved. I also see you are experiencing some misinterpretation of numbers/letters.

Sounds frustrating and possibly anxiety-producing? I might feel a bit anxious and frustrated if I was experiencing all of the signs/symptoms you have been dealing with.

I hope you can work on some massage and feedback to your brain as you also work on obtaining consults.

Please join in on any forums of interest to you!

Again, welcome!

Warmly,
DejaVu

Hi,

Thank tou all for your advice. My doctors appointment didn't go because my doctor himself called in sick haha. But I'm going on Tuesday now. I'm going to get my mum to come along with me as I think having support there is a good idea. I've also written a list of all my symptoms to take with me.

I also tried massaging my arm the last few days but it's not quite done anything yet but I'll keep trying. I've also tried a few other things such as using my left arm to use my phone and play games like temple run on it to try and get it moving as much as possible but that hasn't done much either.

I've also been in a lot of pain the past few days too but I think because it's summer in Scotland that it's a cold coming on. I've also been getting blind spots occasionally in my eyes lately too.

I'll keep you updated thanks for your help

So it went ok, this doctor actually seemed concerned unlike his collegue. He done a few different tests and Im being referred to a neurologist, urgently, however urgently for the nhs (national health service) in my area is 4-6 weeks. He also sent me down to my opticians who done an in depth eye exam and found that my peripheral vision isn't right.

I know it will differ from dr to dr but does anyone have any idea what my neurologist appointment will include?

Emma x

Hi Emma

Depending on what the neurologist may be looking for you could expect some physical type examination to check reflexes, (particularly of your arms and/or neck). They will ask questions about how long this has been going on, when & how often it occurs etc.

They may refer you for further testing such as electromyography (EMG) and/or nerve conduction velocity (NCV) - different ways of testing the functioning of nerves. They may also order CT or MRI scans if they feel further investigation is warranted.

If you have a written report from the optician take that with you.

Like you I am in a country with a public health system so all I can advise is to have patience with the system - 4-6 weeks seems like a long time when it's 'urgent' - I had to wait 4 months for my first neuro appt. Depending on your circumstances; ie work, study etc -you may want to try phoning the hospital and tell them you can be available at short notice if there is a cancellation. Also request a written copy of any results/reports after the appt.

All the best - and please let us know how you get on and if you have any further questions.