[McRiblet]

July 2011 - Began having pain in my right wrist, mostly at night. If I slept with pressure on it, it would ease it enough to sleep.
Pain continued to progress. Pressure no longer helped. Pain spread to forearm.

Aug 2011 - Pain in my entire right arm. Weakness. Feeling wore out during work. Needed frequent rest periods.

Sept 2011 - Pain progressed up my arm and into shoulder and neck areas and into my shoulder blade area in my back, sometimes into my breast and side. Doesn't matter what I did, nothing seemed to help. Taking as many as 6 -8 motrin a day just to try to manage through work. Made Dr. apt.

Oct 10, 2011 - Saw Dr. He did an examination of my arm, checked for pain and range of motion. Prescribed a steroid pack and Naproxen 500 mg. Sent me for arm and neck x-rays. Took the steroid for two days, had allergic reaction. During the two days that I took the steroid, the pain in my arm eased up quite a bit, but I began feeling pain on my spine, that got unbearable. Had to call off of work, could not ride in a car. Hurt to move.

Oct 12, 2011 - I called Dr.'s office to tell them of the allergic reaction, the pain on my spine, and to see if they had the xray results. Lady was irritated. Said they would call me, that I should not have called them and that she would tell the Dr. I was having problems with the prednesone.

Oct 17, 2011 - Dr.'s office calls to tell me that the Dr. thinks I may have been having an allergic reaction to the steroid and that I should now stop taking it. Said that my x-rays were fine and didn't show anything, so I should be fine. I explained that I was still having very bad pain on my spine and that since stopping the steroid, the pain was back in my arm again as well, along with random numbness in both arms. I was told she would notify the Dr., but that if I felt that bad, I should go to the ER.

Oct 18, 2011 - Went to the local ER. They took back and chest x-rays. They said that I had a thoracic sprain and they also found 2 cervical ribs that the ER Dr said could be causing the pain in my arm and that I should get it checked out with a follow up with my family Dr.

Nov 8, 2011 - Saw the nurse practitioner at Dr.s office. He said it sounded like I might have TOS and that he also heard a mitral valve prolapse. He said I was more than he was used to handling and went to get a Dr.
She came in and took my bp in each arm and said they were "close enough". She held my arm at a 90 degree angle up wards and monitored my pulse. She said she didn't see anything wrong and that just because I have cervical ribs does not mean I have TOS, that it is "too rare" for me to have. She then examined my arm and I showed her where I was having pain. She then rubbed my elbow and asked me if I was having pain in my elbow. I told her no. She rubbed it and asked, does it hurt here? I said no. She said, "Yeah, you have tennis elbow and must have carpel tunnel syndrome." She prescribed me B6 to "help with the carpel" and Mobic (for arthritis) along with renewing my B12 and D that I take due to a deficiency. Nurse practitioner questioned this as there are warnings for taking Mobic if you have heart problems (I have history of PVC's that are strong), and asked about the mitral valve prolapse. She took a quick listen and said she didn't hear anything and told him I'm healthy with no heart problems. I reminded her that she had previously put me on a 30 dy holter monitor and diagnosed me as having PVC's. She said I would be fine. She set me up with an apt with Dr. who is listed as a Physiatrist / Rehabilitation specialist/ Acupuncture for an EMG to test me for carpel tunnel.

Nov. 9, 2011 - Physiatrist's receptionist only called and got the report from the x-rays at their hospital from 10/10 of the shoulder and not my hospital 10/18 for the chest and neck, although I told her of both. Dr. did EMG on areas from my elbow down. He said I do not have carpel tunnel syndrome, and if I am still feeling pain in a year to come back for another test. He performed the Adson's maneuver and said it was negative. While making his dictation, he noted that the results from shoulder xrays, of 10/10, stated that I have reverse cervical lordosis, even though PCP's office said there was nothing reported. Dr. asked me where I was getting the cervical ribs from. I said they were found in my ER on 10/18 and his lady didn't call to get that report. He said then he can't tell me anything about that then and that was the end of the appointment.

Nov - Dec, 2011 - I continued to have pain in my right arm, with occasional pain in my left. The veins in my right arm have become more prominent. My right hand always feels a little weird. It constantly feels like my hand is swollen and I find it harder and harder to grip things, including silverware and pens. The day I couldn't button my daughter's shirt or tie her shoes, I nearly cried feeling completely useless. It hurts to drive. I have trouble lifting anything with weight to it, washing dishes, unscrewing my gas cap, opening jars, etc. I can not lean on anything because I now have pain in my right elbow if I lean and also I have noticed pain in the "fleshy muscle" area under the left thumb, which I found leaning on the edge of a counter. The vitamin B6 that was supposed to help with the "carpel tunnel" I don't have, caused me to get very bad PVC's again. I never took the Mobic, which I am glad I did not. Who knows, it may have killed me when the PVC's started acting up.

I ended up quitting my job. I was doing post construction cleaning. I was not moving as fast as I needed to be and was having trouble performing my job. One day, I got so lightheaded from the PVC's that I nearly fell out a window I was cleaning. The job was no longer "worth it."

I get this weird feeling in my arm that keeps me up at night that I can only try to describe as a mix of burning muscles like they have been overworked, numbness, and skin crawling all at the same time. Pains are much worse at night and in the cold. If I am holding a glass with ice in it or touching anything cold, such as mixing and rolling meatballs or mixing cheese for lasagna, placing my hands into cold water, I get terrible sharp pains in my hands and up my forearms. I wake up numerous times during the night with complete and total numbness in my arms from shoulders down. I was previously a side sleeper but have now begun sleeping on my stomach. I sleep with my arms under my pillows (tisk tisk, I know).

Jan 1, 2012 - Pain jumped. Woke up to a new year and had only mild pain in my right arm, but pains so bad in my left arm that it felt as though I was being stabbed in my arm pit. I could barely lift my arm and if my elbow or hand was higher than my shoulder the pain was unbearable. This lasted until Jan. 6. I have had mild symptoms since then. Still having pain in my forearms especially with cold and all of the muscles in my back feel overexerted and my arms still feel weak.

Jan 13, 2012 - Saw a new PCP today. I really had hope for him. After an examination and review of the xray reports from previous Drs, he is leaning toward arthritis. I mentioned TOS to him and his response to me was, "Even if it is from the cervical ribs, we don't do anything with those anyway." !?!?!? He sent me for bloodwork to test for arthritis. They are supposed to have the results by Tuesday. My thinking here is this is going to kind of be a false positive because I am pretty sure that I do have arthritis in my knee because it pops, cracks, and grinds a lot, especially going up stairs, and since he did not perform xrays for a conclusive location result...

I'm sorry this is so long. I have a lot of pent up frustration and it's a bit of a jumbled mess trying to get it all out. I guess I am looking for a little help or direction here. All that I have read TOS seems to fit but no one wants to listen, so I have begun telling myself, and the Dr's seem to keep telling me, maybe I am wrong. I would love some opinions from those diagnosed with TOS as to whether or not it sounds similar to what you have experienced or if perhaps I should look at other things?

[brmr19]

Originally Posted by McRiblet

July 2011 - Began having pain in my right wrist, mostly at night. If I slept with pressure on it, it would ease it enough to sleep.
Pain continued to progress. Pressure no longer helped. Pain spread to forearm.

Aug 2011 - Pain in my entire right arm. Weakness. Feeling wore out during work. Needed frequent rest periods.

Sept 2011 - Pain progressed up my arm and into shoulder and neck areas and into my shoulder blade area in my back, sometimes into my breast and side. Doesn't matter what I did, nothing seemed to help. Taking as many as 6 -8 motrin a day just to try to manage through work. Made Dr. apt.

Oct 10, 2011 - Saw Dr. He did an examination of my arm, checked for pain and range of motion. Prescribed a steroid pack and Naproxen 500 mg. Sent me for arm and neck x-rays. Took the steroid for two days, had allergic reaction. During the two days that I took the steroid, the pain in my arm eased up quite a bit, but I began feeling pain on my spine, that got unbearable. Had to call off of work, could not ride in a car. Hurt to move.

Oct 12, 2011 - I called Dr.'s office to tell them of the allergic reaction, the pain on my spine, and to see if they had the xray results. Lady was irritated. Said they would call me, that I should not have called them and that she would tell the Dr. I was having problems with the prednesone.

Oct 17, 2011 - Dr.'s office calls to tell me that the Dr. thinks I may have been having an allergic reaction to the steroid and that I should now stop taking it. Said that my x-rays were fine and didn't show anything, so I should be fine. I explained that I was still having very bad pain on my spine and that since stopping the steroid, the pain was back in my arm again as well, along with random numbness in both arms. I was told she would notify the Dr., but that if I felt that bad, I should go to the ER.

Oct 18, 2011 - Went to the local ER. They took back and chest x-rays. They said that I had a thoracic sprain and they also found 2 cervical ribs that the ER Dr said could be causing the pain in my arm and that I should get it checked out with a follow up with my family Dr.

Nov 8, 2011 - Saw the nurse practitioner at Dr.s office. He said it sounded like I might have TOS and that he also heard a mitral valve prolapse. He said I was more than he was used to handling and went to get a Dr.
She came in and took my bp in each arm and said they were "close enough". She held my arm at a 90 degree angle up wards and monitored my pulse. She said she didn't see anything wrong and that just because I have cervical ribs does not mean I have TOS, that it is "too rare" for me to have. She then examined my arm and I showed her where I was having pain. She then rubbed my elbow and asked me if I was having pain in my elbow. I told her no. She rubbed it and asked, does it hurt here? I said no. She said, "Yeah, you have tennis elbow and must have carpel tunnel syndrome." She prescribed me B6 to "help with the carpel" and Mobic (for arthritis) along with renewing my B12 and D that I take due to a deficiency. Nurse practitioner questioned this as there are warnings for taking Mobic if you have heart problems (I have history of PVC's that are strong), and asked about the mitral valve prolapse. She took a quick listen and said she didn't hear anything and told him I'm healthy with no heart problems. I reminded her that she had previously put me on a 30 dy holter monitor and diagnosed me as having PVC's. She said I would be fine. She set me up with an apt with Dr. who is listed as a Physiatrist / Rehabilitation specialist/ Acupuncture for an EMG to test me for carpel tunnel.

Nov. 9, 2011 - Physiatrist's receptionist only called and got the report from the x-rays at their hospital from 10/10 of the shoulder and not my hospital 10/18 for the chest and neck, although I told her of both. Dr. did EMG on areas from my elbow down. He said I do not have carpel tunnel syndrome, and if I am still feeling pain in a year to come back for another test. He performed the Adson's maneuver and said it was negative. While making his dictation, he noted that the results from shoulder xrays, of 10/10, stated that I have reverse cervical lordosis, even though PCP's office said there was nothing reported. Dr. asked me where I was getting the cervical ribs from. I said they were found in my ER on 10/18 and his lady didn't call to get that report. He said then he can't tell me anything about that then and that was the end of the appointment.

Nov - Dec, 2011 - I continued to have pain in my right arm, with occasional pain in my left. The veins in my right arm have become more prominent. My right hand always feels a little weird. It constantly feels like my hand is swollen and I find it harder and harder to grip things, including silverware and pens. The day I couldn't button my daughter's shirt or tie her shoes, I nearly cried feeling completely useless. It hurts to drive. I have trouble lifting anything with weight to it, washing dishes, unscrewing my gas cap, opening jars, etc. I can not lean on anything because I now have pain in my right elbow if I lean and also I have noticed pain in the "fleshy muscle" area under the left thumb, which I found leaning on the edge of a counter. The vitamin B6 that was supposed to help with the "carpel tunnel" I don't have, caused me to get very bad PVC's again. I never took the Mobic, which I am glad I did not. Who knows, it may have killed me when the PVC's started acting up.

I ended up quitting my job. I was doing post construction cleaning. I was not moving as fast as I needed to be and was having trouble performing my job. One day, I got so lightheaded from the PVC's that I nearly fell out a window I was cleaning. The job was no longer "worth it."

I get this weird feeling in my arm that keeps me up at night that I can only try to describe as a mix of burning muscles like they have been overworked, numbness, and skin crawling all at the same time. Pains are much worse at night and in the cold. If I am holding a glass with ice in it or touching anything cold, such as mixing and rolling meatballs or mixing cheese for lasagna, placing my hands into cold water, I get terrible sharp pains in my hands and up my forearms. I wake up numerous times during the night with complete and total numbness in my arms from shoulders down. I was previously a side sleeper but have now begun sleeping on my stomach. I sleep with my arms under my pillows (tisk tisk, I know).

Jan 1, 2012 - Pain jumped. Woke up to a new year and had only mild pain in my right arm, but pains so bad in my left arm that it felt as though I was being stabbed in my arm pit. I could barely lift my arm and if my elbow or hand was higher than my shoulder the pain was unbearable. This lasted until Jan. 6. I have had mild symptoms since then. Still having pain in my forearms especially with cold and all of the muscles in my back feel overexerted and my arms still feel weak.

Jan 13, 2012 - Saw a new PCP today. I really had hope for him. After an examination and review of the xray reports from previous Drs, he is leaning toward arthritis. I mentioned TOS to him and his response to me was, "Even if it is from the cervical ribs, we don't do anything with those anyway." !?!?!? He sent me for bloodwork to test for arthritis. They are supposed to have the results by Tuesday. My thinking here is this is going to kind of be a false positive because I am pretty sure that I do have arthritis in my knee because it pops, cracks, and grinds a lot, especially going up stairs, and since he did not perform xrays for a conclusive location result...

I'm sorry this is so long. I have a lot of pent up frustration and it's a bit of a jumbled mess trying to get it all out. I guess I am looking for a little help or direction here. All that I have read TOS seems to fit but no one wants to listen, so I have begun telling myself, and the Dr's seem to keep telling me, maybe I am wrong. I would love some opinions from those diagnosed with TOS as to whether or not it sounds similar to what you have experienced or if perhaps I should look at other things?

Your symptoms and what has been happening to you sounds a lot like what I went through. I had one doctor tell me it was neck strain and said I should not see any other doctors. I felt like I was always going to pass out. I refused to give up and made an appt. at the cleveland clinic with vascular medicine. I originally seen Dr Kim who immediately said I had thoracic outlet. She ordered an ultrasound that day and a pvc test which showed the arterial compression on the subclavian artery. When that was being compressed, my vertebral artery completely stopped flowing. I was then sent to Dr Dan Clair who did my surgery for 1st rib resection. After surgery, Dr Clair said he was surprised at the amount of compression I had and that no wonder I was having so many symptoms. I nurse told me that my scalene muscles were double in size that she normal sees.

[Joanna81]

Find a specialist in tos and cervical ribs.
Your symptoms sound likely.
I had my left rib removed 4minths ago and the right due to be out on weds.
If you need to see the same dr print some info on tos and cervical ribs and surgery.
Good luck, that sounds tough

[Jomar]

Sounds like you have come across some less than stellar doctors...
but it happens to most of us.

Sometimes asking about drs at some good PT places will net you some good referrals, they sometimes seem to know who is up on certain things.

Or check our Drs & Pts sticky thread up above the main TOS list to find names in your area.