Originally Posted by cyclelops (Post 1123289)

Just curious, what pattern is your ANA showing? Mine started as fine speckled and then went to nucleolar. I just had labs drawn again and am waiting for results. I imagine it will be 2 weeks before I get them in the mail. I imagine they will also call me. Given you have a high ANA, it sure smacks of an autoimmune process going on.

Originally Posted by Healthgirl (Post 1122162)

I've been fighting it. I can't sleep. The neuropathy has now spread throughout my whole body. The pulsing pains had me up since 3 am and I am so sick of it. My feet hurt so much to walk on them today and if I lie down the pain shoots all around with random twitches everywhere and buzzing. I am exhausted.

In the beginning (September) when this thing attacked me, I took the drugs prescribed because at that point they thought it was just herniated discs, so I wasn't afraid to take drugs (oxcodone for pain and valium for spasms) for such a limited time. I was told 2-6 weeks for healing. Then the neuros all said- no this is not herniated discs, its something autoimmune going after your spinal cord....blah blah blah. Throughout the course of different doctors for 2 months and without a diagnosis, there was still the chance in my mind that this was herniated cervical discs and that I'd make a recovery. I am so anti medication that it upsets me to even take an ibuprofen let alone narcotics or longterm drugs.

Anyway sorry this is taking so long.

I was told by one rheumatologist that while whatever is wrong is healing I should try cymbalta. I did and it kept me up all night and gave me crazy diarrhea (sorry). Then flexeril and zanaflex. That did nothing for the spasms and made my already low blood pressure frighteningly worse. Then baclofen. That did nothing but make tired and grouchy. Then tramadol and that made me jittery all night with NO pain relief and worsening of spasms.
One doctor wanted me to try nortriptylene, but my new neuro said it would probably give me side effects.