arms: burning sensation / dead feeling / numbness

[Dazza]

Hi folks,

I'm back after 18 months of not using the site... my friends and a therapist advised me against using it again, but i'm at my wits end.

Been experiencing strange symptoms for 2 years now, most recently:

• burning sensation in arms and hands (mostly left)
• pains in arms (feel like pinching under skin)
• numbness in arms, mostly left. Also sometimes in legs and other parts. Arms sometimes feel 'dead' and sometimes one hand will go blotchy red.
• ringing in ears.
• Chest pains
• can feel my pulse in my arms mostly left. (without touching my arms, like the the pulse is pounding in my arm).
• strange espisodes where I get an odd feeling in my chest, then like a rush of something that makes me feel dizzy.

I've had endless heart tests, all results normal. I've had heart CT and MRI. Most recently I've had a brain MRI, neck MRI and MRI of ateries that lead to the brain. All results NORMAL, so they have excluded any heart probs or neuro diseases such as MS.

Docs now testing for calcium or potassium inbalance. Get blood results in couple of days. Some docs telling me they think it's stress... another doctor thinks it' physical, but needs to investigate more (thinks it might be a metabolism problem like potassium, calcium inbalance...)

Well, I'm going out of my mind... keep telling myself it's something serious and lifethreatening. The Dr tells me what I have is benign, so why do I feel so awful...

Sometimes, I get days wheere I hardly get any symptoms.. then other times, like this evening, i get lots... dead arm, burning in arms, mostly left, blotchy red hands. then some palpitations, dizziness. ringing in ears.

It's doing my head in... being told for 2 years that there's nothing physically wrong with me. I try to think that, but the phyiscal symptoms SCREAM at me 'there is something wrong with your body!'.

I'm going to see a psychologist this week... I need to vent about this, my mind is now like a pressure cooker with worry.

Sorry for the long post.

Has anyone else had these symptoms, especially, numb / tingling / burning in arms.

Thanks for reading. Would be interested to see if anyone has had the same and had a sure diagnosis?

Thanks.

Darren

[BigDaz]

I get numb and weak arms, particularly left, when I'm anxious. Pains too in chest and arms. I've had burning skin in the past, like sunburn, but only when extremely anxious.

But this morning when I woke up I noticed my left hand felt a bit numb, so as I lay on my back I put both arms up in the air above me just to see what would happen, after a few seconds my left hand started tingling, then after a few more seconds several red blotches appeared on the back of my hand. So I put my arms down. Quite strange, I've never seen anything like that before. I remembered that you'd posted about blotchy hands a few days ago.

It's not that unusual for me to feel a bit weak and frail first thing in the morning. It's a side effect of the Amitryptiline medication I'm on I think.

[BigDaz]

Cool photographs by the way

[whatisthis]

I could have posted this. More or less same symptoms as mine but my have been 3 years. My arms are everything to me, my artwork, computer gaming etc.... this is why my Doc's say this is my primary symptom. It tried other areas but I didn't care!

Mine has gone away while taking anti depressants, only now am I seeking professional help to rid myself of this totally.

Total disability is my fear, not able to work and support my family. Very strange as diseases don't real scare me as that is a diagnosis. Its the constant doubting the anxiety diagnosis that gets me!

Its so frustrating when they say theres nothing wrong with you as you just want it fixing! I guess only the advice like I am given is just get on with it and learn to live with symptoms for now, remove their power!

I suffered from anxiety for a long time only just realising that I actually did this year. I overcome the mental symptoms (buses, social etc) a long time ago by just pushing through them, I find the physical so much harder.

Take care Darren

[Dazza]

Thanks for your replies.

BigDaz: yeh, i've had left arm numbness on an off for two years now. only recently started to get the burning sensations. I think I freak out, because there's history of heart disease on my dad's side of the family. I've had so many heart tests, including MRI's, so you think that would set my mind at ease! It winds me up that I get these symptoms, as sometimes they get the better of me and I totally go into panic mode and end up in A&E again only for them to tell me that there's nothing wrong (even though I feel like I am going to drop dead).

Glad you liked the pics.. will try to upload some more soon.

What is this: sounds like we are in a similar boat for sure. My symptoms have been going on for almost 2 years. with a perdiod of remission about 18 months ago (after lots of counselling and even hypnotherapy, and regular swimming / walking). I think stress has gotten the better of me, and started to produce all these symptoms again... time to get back into the pool i think.

The Dr I am currently seeing doens't think it's anxiety, he thinks' is organic.. will get blood test results this Monday.

I'm the same as you, in that I worry so much about the diagnosis... I know i would not be able to cope with a heart problem diagnosis though.. as it's my main fear. But thus far ALL tests (and boy I've had so many!) have all come back normal, including and MRI with perfusion / dye.

Thanks again for your replies. HOpe you are both having 'good' days.

[BigDaz]

Do either of you get cold feet? Mine go absolutely freezing, it's usually the first sign I'm anxious.

[Dazza]

Do either of you get cold feet? Mine go absolutely freezing, it's usually the first sign I'm anxious.

I don't really get cold feel, numbness and aches sometimes, but i think it's from standing at work a lot.

I sometimes get a cold feeling in the right side of my top chest though, always in the same place. strange, but it's a symptom that doens't really bother me too much.

[Dazza]

Had blood test results back.

All levels normal (calcium, potassium etc), but tested positive for a parasite: strongyloides stercoralis (apparently common here in the tropics) which can cause the symptoms that I have been complaining of.

Been given 3 day course of pills to get rid of them. Will see how I feel after the treatment to see if all the symptoms were due to the infection or anxiety. Fingers crossed that the pills will get rid of them all!