Tingling In Spine And Numbness. Why Is It Happening Continuously Now?

Posted on Mon, 9 Jul 2012

Question: 6 years ago i got this weird feeling up my spine it was tingling sensations and numbness and it entered my head and it came with a passing out feeling heart was fast went to the emergency room and told me i was fine and as all this happen'd i got this sick feeling with it that i still get from time to time that back thing kept happening over and over about 5 to 6 times a day for about a year i stopped going to work and school all this happen'd when i was 18 am 26 now and is just very hard for me to live day to day i have many many more symptoms that came with this all this happen'd on a saturday out of now where??? any ideas

Answered by Dr. Ashish Mittal (1 hour later)

Hello,
Thanks for your query.

I appreciate your efforts for medical consultation in so much distress.

Your all investigations are normal & no abnormality found. From your description it appear that you are having Panic disorder. Severity of symptoms may vary time to time, in your case it is associated with tingling sensations and numbness in spine and head with rapid heart rate.

Usually panic attacks are abrupt in onset and symptoms become very severe within few minutes. Usually each attack last 30-60 minute. Later person used to have fear of having such attacks in future and they start avoiding places or situations in which they had attack in past.

Please let me know if you have following symptoms to help you better: Anxiety, fear of dying or heart failure during attacks, nervousness, restlessness, mild irritability, excessive worry regarding own health, tremor, muscle spasm, heaviness in body, easy fatigability, headache, sleep disturbance, palpitation and dry mouth.

Waiting for your reply,
Wish you good health.
Regards,

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ashish Mittal (13 hours later)

hi thanks for your reply,
you say panic last about 30 to 60 min well mine is an all day event ever since the first time it happen'd it just gets worse during the day, i can always feel my heart beat and i always feel short breath i us to get really bad hot flashes that lasted for days and also cold flashes mist heart beats and many many more things, my energy levels are very low i us to be a very active guy now i just want to sleep cause i just feel so bad, my hobby is working on trucks and engines i notice ever since i got sick that every time i work on trucks i start getting weird sensations a'lot of my symptoms come with this to and it stays for the whole day some time it last days, this past 2 days i have been in my garage working on my motor and i start feeling very weird i cant explain how but it feels bad i shower and lay down and i feel so out of it like if i was poison or having a reaction to something i don't now it last all night i XXXXXXX sleep and when i wake up my chest feels tight and i kind of still feel out of it there is many more things i just don't really be live is anxiety??? sorry for the life story am just looking to feel better been to every doctor and now answer or nothing that has brought be back to being my self

Answered by Dr. Ashish Mittal (9 hours later)

Hello again,

Thanks for follow up,

You mentioned in primary query that you have 5-6 episodes per day. You concurrently having several other symptoms continuously.

Panic disorder frequently associated with generalized anxiety disorder (more than 50% cases) and may present with same clinical picture like yours. As your most of the test reports are normal, so you do not worry about other illness pertinent to these tests.

Chest tightness is frequent symptom of anxiety and occur because of muscle spasm. Your other symptoms also occur frequently in anxiety. We have several patient who presented with similar history like you and improved with treatment. Although it may difficult to understand for you.

Anxiety occur due to neurotransmitters imbalance in brain most commonly involving serotonin neurotransmitter. You may need treatment with psychiatrist to treat your anxiety otherwise it may lead to depression later. It is not clear if you received any treatment in past, but believe me people life changes after treatment.

In drug treatment two types of medicine used. For immediate relief of anxiety benzodiazepines group of medicines are used and for long term relief most commonly SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are used. SSRI takes around 3-4 weeks to show its effect. Non drug treatment like cognitive behaviour therapy (form of psychotherapy) also takes weeks to show its effect.

All these process is complex. I have just simplified it to make you understand it. Apart from above advice following simple measures will help you:
-Decrease worrying about symptoms as they will cure after treatment.
-Healthy diet: Milk and fruits in diet.
-Daily morning walk and breathing exercise.
-Stop alcohol or other substance use (if present)

Wish you good health.
Regards,

Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar