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Having Shiver Like Sensations And Feeling Like Hair Is Pulled From Skull. Diabetic. Should I Be Worried?
Question: I have been having "shiver" like sensations or the feeling that my hair is being pulled in the middle of the left side of my skull. These symptoms started approx three weeks ago - initially they were happening three or four times a day for approx 4 days, they then stopped for almost two weeks but restarted two days ago. I am a diabetic and thought they might be related to highs or lows but no consistency is seen in my bloodwork. Would appreciate any help you can give me as I am unable to see my FGP until Sept 6th and feeling worried about this.
Thanks XXXXXXX
Thanks XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Peripheral neuropathy
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for your query. You have been a diabetic for over 3 decades, and one of the complications of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy, or damage of the nerves by chronic high glucose levels; it can manifest in many ways, the most typical is sensory distal polyneuropathy of the hands and feet as pains and needles, but other types of abnormal sensations are possible, not necesarily symmetric since it can affect nerves in a patchy way. I would be suspicious of such complication in your case. If this is the case, there are medications such as gabapentin and pregabalin that can help, along with other older medications such as tricyclics.
An electromyography could be obtained if there is clinical suspicion of this diagnosis.
Yours truly,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic MN
Peripheral neuropathy
Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXXXXX
Thanks for your query. You have been a diabetic for over 3 decades, and one of the complications of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy, or damage of the nerves by chronic high glucose levels; it can manifest in many ways, the most typical is sensory distal polyneuropathy of the hands and feet as pains and needles, but other types of abnormal sensations are possible, not necesarily symmetric since it can affect nerves in a patchy way. I would be suspicious of such complication in your case. If this is the case, there are medications such as gabapentin and pregabalin that can help, along with other older medications such as tricyclics.
An electromyography could be obtained if there is clinical suspicion of this diagnosis.
Yours truly,
Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic MN
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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