arms: burning sensation / numbness / tingling / dead - heavy feeling

[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

[gypsywomen]

no not had these but it sounds like anxiety ,, if you have something wrong with your levals there are druges whitch will sort it out

[guitarpants]

It wouldn't hurt to see an infectious disease specialist. Lyme Disease and other infections can cause things like this. Unfortunately chronic infections are overlooked and ignored by most doctors.

[Jimpy]

Hi darren I have had most of those symptoms at some point, usually the tingling and numbness, last night I woke up twice and my little finger was numb on my left hand, quite slot I can feel my pulse in my arms which freaks me out. Today was chest and stomach tightness and shooting pains so not been a good day !!

N e way, hope it helps to know others have similar symptoms, If the docs say it's ok and the scans are ok then try and force yourself to believe it's all ok, if you can, that's what I did after my tests and now my symptoms don't get to me much as they used to, still have the odd bad day though but I know that's normal,

jim

[Clair]

Yes! I've been getting all of these symptoms for a few months because of my anxiety. Just before I came on here I had a pain in my hip, a numb leg, and a heavy, weak and painful arm. I'm just starting to realise that I bring these feelings on myself when I give a small ache or pain alot of undue attention - then the feelings spiral out of control and the tiny niggle I had to start off with ends up being a stroke or something. Crazy!

[shanlynn1012]

I have the burning sensation in my legs and feet and bad days shoulder back chest everywhere. Reading the Claire Weekes book and it has helped me lots! It is anxiety facing it and floating through SHOULD work, easier said then done. I know how u feel i too was staying off the site thinking it was worse for me jsut stopped in and saw your post. Get that book & feel better.

[Christian_88]

Hi Darren---Read my post....in this section--! Lots of strange "neurological" symptoms---Same kinds of tests--!
Driving me crazy-:weep: Get back, OK , Darren? Either post or PM--take care--Christian

[Dazza]

Hi all thanks for your replies.

@ NinjaXero - I live in Vietnam, so the doctors are checking my blood for parasites as a matter of course (will get results on Thursday).

I definitely need to get back into the Claire Weeks stuff...

@ Christian - yeh, I know how you feel. It's a constant battle in my mind... I had symptoms all of night, numb, dead arms. then got up and it felt quite ok. Then this afternoon at work, I felt this horrible feeling in my uppers abdomen and a rush through my hole body. made me feel like i was going to pass out. this evening, had some pains in left arm etc. The fact taht most Drs are telling me it's psychological is hard to take onboard. The symptoms are just SO discomforting and painful. Anyhow, I will know more on thursday once I get the results back from the bloood tests (potassium, calcium, serum, Na+, parasites). And will be interesting to see if my visit to the psychologist on Thurs will have any effect.

Thanks again for your posts. :o)

[Dazo]

Just want to say Dazza that i know about those symptoms very very well.
I have them too and the doctors dont find anything wrong at all.

Its easy to doubt and get anxoius about all the symptoms.

[Dazza]

Hi Dazo,

So what kind of tests did you have? I've had CT scan and a few MRIs as well as numerous blood tests. I've seen general doctors, cardiologists and neurologists.

Thanks.

[Dazo]

Hi Dazo,

So what kind of tests did you have? I've had CT scan and a few MRIs as well as numerous blood tests. I've seen general doctors, cardiologists and neurologists.

Thanks.

CT scan, MRI, lumbal punction, blood tests, emg and eng. Lots of tests for the heart too.

[libbie]

hi, ive had all the symptoms u describe and more! but in my legs, best way i could describe it to doctor was if you pinch yourself under the top of your arm, hard, well thats like the pain i have in my legs, and very blotchy. i became obsessed by what they look and felt like. i had mri scans blood tests everything, and all came back clear. like u, my therapist told me to stop coming on sites like this, and i did, but it didnt make any difference. 2 years on, my legs still hurt, but on the positive side, my doctor said if it was a nasty neuro disease, it would have certainly got worse by now! i think its amazing what the mind can do to the body. one day i had a really bad arguement with someone, and i suddenly noticed my legs didnt hurt anymore, it was like a miracle! I came to the conclusion that adrenelene make my legs hurt once i got rid of it, they stopped! A few days later they came back, hurting, burning blotchy etc. its made me think that anxiety and adrenelene have a lot to do with it, i have a agruement every now and then, just to see if it works again, but it doesnt, but something made them stop in the first place! When i first had this, i was convinced it was m.s. or some other nasty neuro disease, but now, im not so sure.
If it was, would it go away after an arguement !!!!
libbie

[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! :)

[Chana]

Hi Dazz,

I have a very similar thing going on burning in the hands and arms.

Mouth has sores not painful, occasional dry mouth and occasional blood from the upper gum.

Eyes began to feel like hay fever but sitting inside a building. I have conjunctivitis in the mornings and soreness in the evenings.

Noticed weight loss from 87 to 75kg.

Occasional cramps in my feet, fingers, and numbness in the legs.

Strange feeling around my left ear. Like it had lite pimples.

Abdominal stabbing pains

Muscle pains mainly the lower and upper back and under the left shoulder.

A lot of fluctuation.

Most notably sudden cracking joints everywhere. Still, continues, really noticeable in the mornings.

Mild itchiness in various place on the bloody.

GP say's it anxiety and gave me pills.

Does any of the sound similar? BTW how are you doing?


I had also those tests as well and according to the doctor and the tests, I'm perfect.

I have also been to the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, they have does a single stool test and normal blood. They refuse to test for parasites other than a single tool.

How were you diagnosed?