pins and needles in left arm. stroke fear

[chl_hobbs]

Hi all

Since last night (while out actually enjoying myself) I have had pins.and needles in my left arm and hand. It started while I was sitting just chatting to friends. My left shoulder felt painful, with a burning sensation in it. Then pins and needles started to spread down my arm. I kept thinking I was going to have a stroke (im.only 29). I sat it out, had some paracetamol and came home.and.went to bed. All day today the shoulder blade.pain has lessened but the pins and needles havent really subsided. Im so scared. I saw a dr on friday morning as I had pain in the back of my neck and my face on the left side started to get pins and needles but at that point the arm was ok. The dr didnt do anything but say ut wasnt a stroke and that if it continues to go back... Obviously its easter monday tomorrow so surgery wont be open.

Am really scared again. I keep thinking this is a stroke about to happen. Rang my mum crying about this but she said if it was a stroke it would have happened by now.

What could this be? Im thinking its a stroke or ms or a blocked artery... Its so distracting the pins and needles are scaring me.

Anyone know anything about this? Please...

Charlotte xxx pi

[xtremx]

Hi Charlotte

It sounds very much like a trapped nerve, you said you seen your doctor with neck pain well it could all be connected.

I can produce pins and needles in my shoulder and left arm just by changing the position of the shoulder as to trap a nerve. Neck pain due to poor posture and the sensations that one can feel sometimes happen many days after the first time you notice something and with you saying a burning sensation will that would point away from stroke and more to a muscular problem that has lead to a trapped nerve.

If it was a stroke you would know about it as I was told a few weeks ago.

I hope this is helpful

[CharlieM]

Charlotte,

I get this every day. I am so tense from my anxiety that I have literally paralysed the left side of my upper body. Neck, shoulder, left armpit, and left arm have constant pain/discomfort/tingling. Occasionally it radiates into my chest, but having had numerous heart tests, I know it is muscle/nerve related. Since I have convinced myself that I am not having a stroke or a heart attack, I no longer get the adrenalin rushes and panic.

The pain is horrible and disconcerting. Sometimes, it is so bad that I can hardly move, but I force myself to continue with my day. It isn't easy, but tonight I have been out and had a great night. Completely forgot about it, and guess what. The pain eased!!!

The mind is so powerful, but if you can convince yourself that your physical symptoms are anxiety related, then you can continue as normal.

Hope you wake up feeling better. Hugs.

Charlie

[chl_hobbs]

Thankyou so much.

I woke up at 5am and immediately again my arm has pins and needles. I went to the yoilet felt dizzy and was sick quite a lot. Made my partber take me to a+e again...he was so annoyed and made me feel as if I was makin it up :( I saw a young dr at a+e, again he did NO tests at all apart from the neurological one (where he looks at your eyes,makes you lift arms, touch nose etc.) he said it'll be nerve pain caused by muscles. I asked him.about it being a stroke warning and he said it wasnt.... But then he said if it continues go see gp asap and get me an.mri of neck and head....so am still worried now. I told him about how I had my first (and last) chiropractor appt 38 days ago and she cracked my neck without warning and could this be an artery bleed from that. Again he said no. Im so upset. I keep thinking that I will be one of those poor people who have been back and forth to drs and be told its fine, to dying or becoming dangerously ill.

How does he know.this.isnt a stroke or the warnings of.one? How can he just presume that?

He said put heat on neck, take painkillers etc. Been doing all that since friday but he didnt listen.

Im sorry I am so upset ive never had head problems or numbness before like this.

Charlottr

[Darbysa]

Charlotte

I think you have to trust the doctors on this. The chances of this being anything related to a stroke are minuscule. Everything points to this being related to a trapped nerve or something similar. That's probably why the doc at the hospital suggested the MRI. I had one a couple of years ago for a similar type of pain/numbness you are feeling. I had also been to a chiropractor by the way so I know what you mean by the cracked neck! Anyway, the MRI showed some wear and tear in one of my discs at the bottom of my neck and that's what causes the problems. It comes and goes but knowing what it is makes it easier. I do find applying heat pads does help along with keeping moving.

Please try and keep calm about this. The sickness and dizziness were probably caused by your anxiety. Go back to your doc for some more investigation for your neck and shoulder but try to relax and accept that whilst this is painful and uncomfortable it is nothing serious.

I hope you start to feel better today. Let me know how you get on later in the week.

Sal x

[chl_hobbs]

Sal, thankyou so much. Ive been for a walk with my partner and my little girl today to try and calm down. Felt not quite with it the whole time and when I was walking, my shoulder blades started feeling like they were burning a bit? When I got back in the car I started to massage the base of my skull and neck and it felt very tender to touch.

I hate this. The pins and needles in my left arm and hand calmed down a bit, but are back now. Im taking painkillers etc, theyre not doing much. Head is hurting a bit, especially when I bend down etc.

Thankyou all again, Im sorry about this, am so upset
Charlotte

[xtremx]

Hi Charlotte.

I seen my doctor last year as my Shoulder blades were burning and tender for a few weeks they sent me for a cervical mri and that showed just normal wear and I also hade a emg done on my left are due to my pins and needles and numbness.

I have been having them problems for about 3 years and it is all caused by my posture we get into bad habits that may not seem a lot but they are just slumping on the sofa can cause a lot of problems.

As I said I can bring on my pins and needles just by sitting in a certain way or even manipulating my shoulders as to put stress on the nerves and then I can correct it again to stop them.

All what you have said points away from a stroke and very much to a trapped/irritated nerve.

I'm trying to learn to re-understand my body and how anxiety changes the way we look at things and learning what bring on my upper body aches and pains is my major learning curve.

I hope this helps.

[CharlieM]

Charlotte,

Great that you got out and didn't cancel your plans due to this.

I have had a mixed day. Slept well last night and woke up pain free. After sitting for about 45 mins, the sensation started to return. I did some stretches and got instant relief. All afternoon my armpit has felt tight with pressure inside it. My hand tingles and the inside of my upper arm is very tender.

Had a hot bath, and it got a lot better. The pain is real, it's my diagnosis which is often wrong. I have to keep telling myself it is muscle and nerve pain and not an imminent heart attack. Keep your chin up and hopefully it will get better for us both soon.

Charlie x

[Darbysa]

Charlotte

There's no need to be sorry. Everyone on this site understands how you feel and knows how upsetting this can be no matter what health worries we may have. The discomfort you have in your shoulder and arm is very real and when you have a constant pain like that it does get you down. The problem is when you start to think the worst and it's very hard to be logical and believe that there isn't something more serious wrong with you. I've been where you are with other health worries. I was about your age when I first started on this path and despite all my past worries about doctors not diagnosing things correctly, no one understanding, panic attacks, dizziness, feeling 'not quite with it' etc I am still here 20 years later in good health! I'd be a liar if I said I didn't have the odd bad patch when I start to get anxious again but for the most part I've learnt to deal with it. I read posts on here from people like yourself and I can relate so much to the distress you are feeling I just want to let you know that you can get through this and be back to yourself again. I wish there had been access to this site when I was at my worst but I don't think I even had a PC back then. God I sound like something out of the Ark!

A couple of other people on this site have posted to others about not letting this take over your life and I can only echo this. It's hard to accept that you have health anxiety but it can make you so miserable. I know, I've been there and it's such a waste. Once you get on top of the discomfort in your shoulder you can start to move forward.

I really hope this helps.

Take care x