Nerve problems

[Worried]

Hi,

About two and a half months ago my partner (27yo/m) started getting quite a strange sensation. Only when placing his chin on his chest, he would get tingling in his feet. We both thought this was quite strange, so we booked him into the doctor. The doctor thought that perhaps it may be a pinched nerve, and ordered full x-rays of his back to be done along with a cervical CT scan. All of these results came back normal, so the doctor referred my partner to a neurologist (for which we are still on the waiting list for may I add).

Approximately three weeks after we had seen the doctor, the tingling in his feet had disappeared but he now had numbness only on the top part of his left thigh. Within a week this numbness had spread back down the leg and into his foot, and the right leg and foot followed suit. He had numbness, tingling and pins and needles sensations. He also had quite a bit of pain in his feet. We then went back into the hospital, and they ordered for a lumbar CT scan. This came back normal, and the condition has only been getting worse.

About two-three weeks ago we returned to the hospital. My partner was now experiencing complete numbness from the waist down, tingling, pins and needles and his calve muscles refused to relax. He was also experiencing cramping in the toes and his legs. This was affecting his ability to walk and work, and occasionally his legs would just give out for no apparent reason causing him to fall over. He could still feel when he needed to go to the toilet, but cannot feel what is happening when he goes. As his family has a history of diabetes, the doctors then ordered full fasting blood tests (CBP, CRP, ESR, MBA 20, Folate, B12). He went back to the doctors and they prescribed him diazepam to help with the cramping, and they told him that he did not have diabetes nor did he have a vitamin deficiency. They also did an exam, for which the doctor determined no weakness of limbs, hypersensitivity to pain in the feet, no feeling of vibration, but can feel pressure. The doctor put a second referral through to the neurologist, and the earliest appointment available is in September as they only consider his condition to be semi-urgent.

Three days ago he begun to loose feeling in the tips of three fingers in both hands. This is now affecting the whole of these three fingers, and the tips of the index fingers. As a result of this we rang the doctor to book an appointment, we also asked if we would be able to get a copy of the blood test. The receptionist informed us that there was some abnormality with the test, but we were not told about this in the last appointment as it takes several days for them to determine the results of some of these tests. They could not tell us the results over the phone, but they do not have any available appointments until next week. What exactly are the above blood tests for?

My partner has had no recent trauma to any part of his body, he has not been ill, and is not experiencing headaches. When he was 12-13yo he had pins put in his hips (both sides) due to a slipped epifisis. His family has a history of diabetes. His mother has diagnosed fibromyalgia, and his father has Crohn's disease. It may also be worth mentioning that my mother recently had shingles.

I am really getting worried, and am at a loss of what to do. It looks as though my partner will not be able to see a neurologist for months, and in the meantime his condition continues to get worse and there is nothing that I can do about it. What tests do you think that we should be asking the doctor's to perform? and What do you think that we should do?

[Worried]

Don't worry about the question in relation to the blood tests. We managed to get a cancellation to get the results. All tests came back clear apart from a slight elevation in his white blood cell count. Lymphocytes were 3.72 (normal range 1.00-3.50).

04/08/09 I should also mention that his hands, all fingers and his wrists are all numb now also.