Hi, Dr. Stoll,
I've looked thru your archives and don't see this condition listed. I started out the year with pressure in my chest so heart problems were ruled out first. Then an upper GI revealed GERD (I'm now on Prevacid for it). Then I developed a burning along my left collar bone and the muscle right below it and in my left shoulder. Sometimes my left arm feels weak, but I can use it just fine. This is an intermittent problem. My doc tested the strength in my arm, stuck my arm with something sharp and shrugged his shoulders. Later, his nurse practitioner ordered a SED(sp) test to check for inflammatory disease but it was negative. Then I developed problems swallowing. I had had a couple of anxiety attacks, which I felt were due to concerns about my seemingly deteriorating health, so my doc told me it was in my head and I needed a shrink. After almost 3 months of HECK, he sent me to a gastro doc who saw nothing wrong but believed I had upper esophageal sphincter spasms, stretched
my esophagus and changed me from Zantac to Prevacid. Within about 5 days, no problems swallowing. Almost immediately(4 weeks ago), I developed a tingling in my left foot which has become a "semi" numbness in the three middle toes. (I also seem to have carpel tunnel in both hands-thumb and two fingers affected-but then I've been a computer operator for 25 years. My doc threw up his hands and said it's all a conversion reaction-GET THEE TO A SHRINK. So now I'm taking Xanax and feel calmer(not so worried that I'm dying) but my toes are still numbish with some days better than others. I have no trouble walking and no weakness in my leg. I'm not diabetic, don't smoke or drink, and according to my blood work-up, my thyroid is fine. I've read that it can be a deficiency in vitamin B-12 and during the swallowing problems I lost 30 lbs (still 40 lbs overweight) because about all I could consume was Ensure so perhaps I was missing some vitamins? I have some ginger capsules for the GERD which say take 3 capsules 3X a day, but didn't take them because I couldn't swallow them til now. I do have an appt. for nerve and muscle tests but really don't want to do it. Can you give me some direction for a less medicated approach? Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks, Pam
Follow Ups:
Re: peripheral neuropathy?
Posted by d on November 04, 1998 at 16:55:21:
In Reply to: peripheral neuropathy? posted by Pam on November 04, 1998 at 10:55:09:
vitamin research products (1-800-877-2447, email: mail@vrp.com) has an article on peripheral neuropathy in the oct. issue of their newsletter. call and ask for a catalog and the oct. newsletter to go with it. they say a common cause is thiamin deficiency-or an abnormal requirement for thiamin. there's a recomendation for other nutrients as well.
Re: peripheral neuropathy?
Posted by Walt Stoll on November 05, 1998 at 10:07:23:
In Reply to: peripheral neuropathy? posted by Pam on November 04, 1998 at 10:55:09:
Hi, Pam.
How long have you been doing your effective skilled relaxation twice a day? My assumption is that you are not doing this since 6 months of THAT & you wouldn't have THIS.
This is so obviously at least related to a structural problem that I need Doc Dave to respond to this one. If he doesn't notice this in a day or so, please resubmit it with his name in the title to draw his attention.
Let us know what happens.
Isn't it interesting how quickly the conventional medical monopoly blames the patient when their condition doesn't fit into their neat little narrow paradigm? "Get thee to the shrink!" AKA "Get out of my office since I don't like to be faced with my inadequacy!"
Walt
Re: peripheral neuropathy?
Posted by David Ferguson, D.C. on November 05, 1998 at 18:53:52:
In Reply to: peripheral neuropathy? posted by Pam on November 04, 1998 at 10:55:09:
Find a chiropractor NOW. Start doing the skilled relaxation twice a day for 20 minutes each time RELIGIOUSLY. Stop worrying yourself to death because you're not NUTS.
It's likely that you have a variation of RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystropy) which traditionally leads to a diagnosis of psychological disorder by the medical profession at large. The problem is that anyone can argue against RSD because it is a poorly understood phenomenon.
You are busy looking to people who know about how to keep you from dying. You're not dying so you need to look to those who know about LIVING. That obviously consist of places like this. Figure out what makes a man live, not die, and there is the true key to health, not merely the absence of disease.
All the problems that you have described can be related to the function of your musculoskeletal system and how they relate to your neurologic system.
You have all the "emergency" bases covered so GET THEE TO A CHIROPRACTOR.
Best wishes and keep us informed. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask and if you need help finding a chiropractor in your area I will be glad to help. Just let me know where you are.
Follow Ups:
Re: peripheral neuropathy?
Posted by Walt Stoll on November 06, 1998 at 08:50:09:
In Reply to: Re: peripheral neuropathy? posted by David Ferguson, D.C. on November 05, 1998 at 18:53:52:
Bless you, once again, Doc Dave!
Namaste` Walt