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This all started when I had what appeared to be spider bites on my ankles. One day I was at work, and in the afternoon, I had this bug bite-looking mark on my leg, that was not a welt, did not protrude from the skin, did not itch; it just made my entire foot go numb around the area. This indicated to me that I was bit by a spider with some type of neurotoxin in the bite. Then, when I was driving home, I felt this sudden numbness in a different portion of the same leg involved, on my ankle. As I was driving, I looked down, and saw that I hadf two additional bright red marks, but no bugs could be seen. After calling the poison control people, they said it wasn't a bug bite. It was at this time that I noticed a consistency among these bites; they were all on top of a vein, and I have big ones that protrude.
Since the foot and toe and ankle numbness was still there the next day, I went to the doctor as I was worried about the numbness. Instead, they treated me for anxiety, did some blood tests, and called me the next day to say it wasn't a spider bite and that my blood results showed hyperthyroidism. This hyperthyroidism was confirmed the next day through another round of blood tests, and they explained that once my thyroid was under control, that that would make the numbness go away. This hyperthyroidism was diagnosed as being caused by graves disease, which runs on my mom's side of the family. At the time, they also prescribed atenolol for my fast beating heart. After a month or so of taking that, they took me off the atenolol because it was giving me bad sensations of my heart rate suddenly increasing and me getting incredibly hot and sweaty. I have taken nothing for the heart since then, and the only medicine I do take is methimazole.
It seems that right after I started taking the thyroid med, that's when I started getting problems in my neck. Before I get into my neck, I must note that I am 25 years old, 95 pounds (4'10"), generally healthy, was a premature baby by 3 months, have asthma, bad back (herniated l4/l5 disc), now have hyperthyroidism, and to compound this, I smoked for 7 years. I use the past tense because I quit smoking on December 23, in the hopes that something in me will feel better. Now that I have that out of the way, when I started taking the thyroid med, it was almost three days later that I felt something was sitting on top of my thyroid, like a light weight. After that, it felt like something is clinging onto the left side of my throat, onto my thyroid. The endocrinologist noted that my thyroid felt hard, and that that was interesting, but nothing to worry about. So, I feel this thing sitting in my throat, that feels very similar to a "frog" in the throat, and then my neck went stiff and numb at the same time. Since then, that feeling has not gone away, and instead, has started to make portions of my head go numb. The most discomforting numbness, other than the neck which is very painful,is in my nose.
The foot numbness never went away on my right leg, and now my left leg is experiencing sever numbness.
One other thing to note in all of this is is that I lost my sense of taste and smell, and every now and again I can get a glimpse of what something tastes like or smells like, and that's it. I have had an increase in food intake as a result of this inability to taste and smell, and still haven't gained any weight, not that it's crucial, but I thought gaining weight would make something inside me feel better, because at this point, my anxiety levels increased with the onset of pain and numbness throughout my body.
I went to the doctor's multiple times, especially to my endocrinologist because I felt that this was all thyroid related. It seemed to me that this started when I took those meds, so I went to the endocrinologist multiple times for numbness and this feeling of something stuck in my throat that was causing me discomfort and numbness. Throughout the course of going in and out of the doctor's, I had a bout of bronchitis, that was corrected with antibiotics. I constantly feel this pressure in my head ever since this all started, and when I bend over, it take a milisecond to make me feel like my eyes are going to pop out. Instantaneously with seeing my endocrinologist, I saw my regular doctor, who equated this all to my lower back being out of whack. I doubted this theory the whole time, and one last time when I saw my endocrinologist, she put an order for me to see my regular doctor, about things I had been complaining about for four months. She included many many notes about what I complained about for my doctor to consider, which was something that my regular doctor never really did, because I frequently came in with too many things happening all at once.
Not only what I have addressed thus far, but as this is all happening, my eyes are getting bad, when they use to be good. My left eye has amblyopia, and that has gotten worse since this all started, leaving me with my one good eye, but that good eye is starting to see things in a very dim light, and it's making me feel like I'm seeing things that aren't really there. My eyes feel numb also, but I have no problems opening or closing them.
When I saw my regular doctor about this problem again, with the notes she had from my endocrinologist, she referred me to a neurologist. Before my doctor did that, she did a test for lyme disease and told me that my symptoms seem very much like MS. When she said that, I again explained to her the stress I went through, and said that couldn't it be possible this is all due to stress? She said she wanted to rule out other things before she made that diagnosis. At this time, MS and stress seem to be the possible culprits. Lyme test came back negative, though I am not sure which Lyme test they did. When I met with the neurologist, he did the normal nerve tests, and they came out fine, and he then referred me to get an EEG done and a brain MRI. So, one day I was deprived of sleep and went through with an EEG, and then shortly thereafter, I had a brain MRI. The images from the brain MRI have been posted to the below IMG link.
At this point, I will not know the results of the MRI or EEG until the 18th of this month. However, my neck is hurting worse despite my exercises, and my body is getting number. Now this is starting to affect the right side of my nose as well, so now my entire nose feels numb, in addition to the left sided body numbness I still have. Still can't taste or smell anything. At this point, I was going to wait until the 18th. However, that frog in the back of my throat is back, and every time I laugh, a snort comes out, so it's like whatever causes people to snore is severely inflamed.
With the information provided above, three doctors have led me to worry about possible MS and seizures, and my theory is still stress. So that I can be better prepared with the proper questions when I see the neurologist next, can someone look at the MRI pics I posted onto the hosting website and tell me a general impression of any slightest abnormal findings that could possibly contribute to the sensations I am experiencing? I have a few questions about the bright spots and black holes, because I don't know what they area and after doing my own research on the matter, it is inconclusive, hence I have gone to this forum for help.
This body and head numbness is beginning to adversely affect my performance at work, and when parts of my body aren't numb, they ache with pain, and if that's not the case, I have a feeling of a burning sensation throughout my body. It's quite uncomfortable.
I am just seeking a little comfort to know that my brain looks fine, or whether there's something there that seems like it might lead to the feelings I have been having for six months. Any information offered in response to this inquiry would be greatly appreciated. I fully understand that for whomever responds to this post, if I am so lucky, then I Know that it is for informational purposes only, and in no way constitutes the advise of a doctor, and will certainly in no way supercede the information that will be provided by the neurologist when I seem him next on the 18th. I am just in need of some input into this matter, as I can't keep going to the doctor every time something gets worse. I already went past my limits last year, so I am trying to avoid that by doing whatever research I can, so I can be better informed.
I hope I haven't been too all over the place, and I will be happy to answer any questions anyone might have regarding this issue. One final note, the brain MRI that's posted below is without contrast.
P.S.: Could anxiety cause this as well?
P.S.S.: Any information by regular users is also wanted and appreciated. At this point, any comments from anyone will help me through this ordeal because it's making me have anxiety that I didn't have before.
