#167736 - 10/16/09 05:16 PM
dizziness & arm numbness
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Ellen_Esposito
Junior Member
Registered: 10/16/09
Posts: 2
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My husband is t3-5 complete with a syrinx. For the last 3 weeks he has increasing intermittent dizzyness and his left arm goes numb. Basically now he can't drive or work. After 3 days in the hospital, 4 MRI's, 4 ultrasounds, an EEG, CAT scan, x-rays, EKG's, echocardiogram, and blood & urine cultures, they say "it's just your condition. Normal BP & pulse, no loss of mental function, and it's not his carotids. It is positional - when he lays down it lessens significantly. Any ideas?
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#167739 - 10/16/09 06:13 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Ellen_Esposito]
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ParaDude
Member
Registered: 03/22/00
Posts: 33855
Loc: United Provinces of America
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Well...I don't think it is "just his condition". I'm no medical professional but I think you've run into a patch of lazy doctors.
I'd post this at CareCure forum, you'll get more professional responses from there.
http://sci.rutgers.edu/
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#167776 - 10/16/09 10:00 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Ellen_Esposito]
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flicka
Member
Registered: 04/06/00
Posts: 24616
Loc: SLO County, CA - 66.122.77.142
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It is positional - when he lays down it lessens significantly. Any ideas?
What lessens significantly..dizziness, numbness, or both?
Maybe these are two different conditions that seem connected? I know my arms (left in particular) go numb a lot. I know that is positional on my part.
Maybe he has an inner ear infection with the dizziness?
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"A lot of things were acceptable--until we stopped accepting it." -- Al Sharpton '12
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#167780 - 10/16/09 11:02 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: flicka]
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Paul I
Member
Registered: 02/24/00
Posts: 7913
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Positional issues could cause numbness and it's usually in the neck. Sit up straight and while it's numb put your head in many different positions- chin up chin down, sitting straight, slouching, etc.
If it's going to go away it should do so in a minute.
As Flicka said they may be unrelated but since they occur together it's more complicated.
Has he had his BP taken while sitting then lying flat to see if it changes? 80/50 could begin to cause dizzyness but it should
pass.
A syrinx is a tricky thing. I could see how it could numbness bu usually long term.
Check out this link:
http://www.craighospital.com/InfoResources/adviceNurse.asp
If you've never been there it has probably the best syrinx, and tethering doctors. It's a free call; can't hurt.
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"...only the shadow knows"
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#168884 - 10/23/09 05:31 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Rich]
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anita
Member
Registered: 03/17/09
Posts: 155
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I would insist that your husband's doctors give both of you a much better answer than that.
He has the right to a definitive diagnosis that explains what is causing his new symptoms, along with a prognosis and treatment plan. Obviously, if he is experiencing *NEW* and disabling symptoms only in the last 3 weeks, then something has changed in his body, and he needs it to be diagnosed, and treated if possible. He shouldn't accept such a vague and unhelpful response from medical professionals.
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#168965 - 10/24/09 11:34 AM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: anita]
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ghoti
Member
Registered: 04/06/02
Posts: 8469
Loc: Ishpeming, MI 75.128.229.255
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I get dizziness periodically from blood pressure fluctuations. My BP has been as low as 50/30.
When it happens I get very light-headed and come close to passing out. If I recline fully it generally will pass after a minute or two.
I doubt that this kind of thing would show up on tests unless he had an episode of it during the test. Doctors have suggested compression stockings or a "girdle" type stomach compression for me, but since I don't drive I've decided to just deal with it by reclining and live with it.
Edited by ghoti (10/24/09 11:35 AM)
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Feisty survivors populate this site. Avoid controversies unless you have a very thick skin.
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#169005 - 10/24/09 08:19 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: ghoti]
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Paulwa_dup1
Member
Registered: 02/12/05
Posts: 4951
Loc: Washington
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Ghoti do you have enlarged heart? I had that most of my life and was having that dizziness problem a few years back. I was fortunate that I had an attack while on the exam table in my Dr's. office. I would sit up and had to lie down to keep from blacking out. He put me in the hospital right then about 300 feet away fortunately. I took Lisinopril (I think that is it) for a few years and got my pumpimg capacity from 25 per cent upto near normal. He said my enlarged heart was cured and took me off the lisinopril. That was a couple of years back and I haven't had that problem since but I can tell I am moving back into it very lightly though. I never knew you could heal enlarged hearts. Haven't checked that out before.
Paul
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#169006 - 10/24/09 08:22 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Paulwa_dup1]
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Paulwa_dup1
Member
Registered: 02/12/05
Posts: 4951
Loc: Washington
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I missedall the first posts and thought this was Ghoti's post, sorry. Maybe my story might help someone.
Paul
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#169770 - 10/31/09 01:37 AM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Paulwa_dup1]
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Paul I
Member
Registered: 02/24/00
Posts: 7913
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Why is it that people post for advice on their or loved one's
medical problem and never return?
_________________________
"...only the shadow knows"
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#180399 - 02/14/10 06:05 AM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Paul I]
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MrsDrublic
Member
Registered: 04/03/09
Posts: 926
Loc: los angeles ish
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i wish i knew the answer to that Paul...
i have left arm numbness and dizzyness as well, and iam AB.. however mine is from pinched nerves in my neck and back... slouching is one of the main probs ive had cause this, my suggestion is to do as my musculo-skeletal doc said: dont stay in one position for more than 2 hrs at a time,lay on ur back if u can and sleep that way if u can, get the knots that are in ur shoulder blade area rubbed out once a week, drink a lot of water, take a hot bath if u can, stretch often as u can, in any way that u can..im looking into a backbrace personally.. also two helpful things ive done, lift that arm that goes numb up above ur head and stretch it high as u can( u might need help w this) for a few sec at a time then let it down and do this at least 15 times, also the trap muscle(the one between where ur neck ends and ur shoulder cap begins) needs to be rubbed out, that will cause a lot of the other probs to occur w tension, knots and pain& numbness...
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#180426 - 02/14/10 09:09 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Ellen_Esposito]
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Rory W
Junior Member
Registered: 02/14/10
Posts: 1
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I'm an incomplete c5/c6 quad, from massive blunt trauma 19yrs ago (point-blank .357 Mag gsw). My syrinx at c5 diag. in 2000. When it enlarged up to to c3 (late 2000), I had a decompression surgery (shunt). I've been going through periods of the same, if not exact symptoms. It's been known if you've had a shut implant, they can clog, dislodge, of fail to help at all. Currently, I'm trying to find a better doctor. However, One very important discovery I realized last year. Along with almost annual periods of 2-3 weeks of weakness & extreme pain, I'd have daily, and multiple episodes of dizziness, weakness in both arms, as well as vision turning white. Now, my BP is usually 80/50, so it's not a far trip from feeling good--to not. But, yes if I laid down, it would get better.
Anyway, after a decade of these unexplained episodes, I finally made a connection (two months ago) between my Neurontin medication. We cut the dosage in half, and my daily episodes vanished, but ultimately stopped it.
My syrinx is still growing, and currently it feels like the pressure in the syrinx raises for awhile, till more nerves die. My symptoms should subside in a few weeks.
If it's not your husbands medications, or other ailments not yet diagnosed, it seems fairly straight his syrinx is likely increasing in pressure and growing. The only blessing I see, is your husband doesn't suffer the extreme pain associated with incompletes like me.
So, other than addressing the actual syrinx, maybe consider review his meds. The only way I found my issue was through selective medication modification.
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#187415 - 05/30/10 05:22 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Ellen_Esposito]
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Ellen_Esposito
Junior Member
Registered: 10/16/09
Posts: 2
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Belatedly, thank you all for your responses. FYI, he slowly improved so that he is rarely affected now. Yes, the syrinx is growing, no it is not blood pressure related. We continue to try and find local care and have found some better docs. Thanks for the references.
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#187441 - 05/31/10 05:57 PM
Re: dizziness & arm numbness
[Re: Ellen_Esposito]
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Paul I
Member
Registered: 02/24/00
Posts: 7913
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Thanks for the update- good luck.
When I had my syrinx diagnosed I had to go the Craig in Denver from
Rhode Island. The best of Providence and Boston had not a clue.
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"...only the shadow knows"
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