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What Causes Chronic Body Pains, Speech Impairment And Numbness In Arms And Legs?
Question: Hello. For almost 3 years now I have chronic pain all over my body, I have problems with coordination, at times I have difficulty with my speech, from time to time I will have numbness in arms and legs, and chronic fatigue (the word fatigue doesnt feel like it describes how exhausted I am though) I also have double vision (but only if both eyes are open) and when I only look out of my left eye it is blurry and wavy. The eye problems came on suddenly and only a year ago. I have seen several eye specialist and they have done numerous test and said there is nothing wrong with my eye but the signal between brain and eye. I have been told numerous times that I show signs of Multiple Sclerosis but I have had a brain and spinal MRI and a spinal tap that all came back normal. I have seen 2 different Neurologist who both said I do show signs of MS but since I didnt have lesions, probably wasnt MS. I have taken Lyrica but did not help at all. I feel as though I am at my breaking point. Im only getting worse but no doctor seems to know what is the problem. I have been told about fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome but it doesnt explain the problem with my eye. Any suggestions? I would very much appreciate it
Also wanted to add that when the vision problem started, in a 2 week time frame I had what was diagnosed as 3 TIA's but they were never able to locate a blood clot. The right side of my face went numb, my speech was slurred and my vision messed up on the 3rd one. I kinda thought Bells Palsy but they still diagnosed as TIA's with unknown cause. I have been doing some more research and I was wondering about Lyme disease?
Also wanted to add that when the vision problem started, in a 2 week time frame I had what was diagnosed as 3 TIA's but they were never able to locate a blood clot. The right side of my face went numb, my speech was slurred and my vision messed up on the 3rd one. I kinda thought Bells Palsy but they still diagnosed as TIA's with unknown cause. I have been doing some more research and I was wondering about Lyme disease?
Also wanted to add that when the vision problem started, in a 2 week time frame I had what was diagnosed as 3 TIA's but they were never able to locate a blood clot. The right side of my face went numb, my speech was slurred and my vision messed up on the 3rd one. I kinda thought Bells Palsy but they still diagnosed as TIA's with unknown cause. I have been doing some more research and I was wondering about Lyme disease?
Also wanted to add that when the vision problem started, in a 2 week time frame I had what was diagnosed as 3 TIA's but they were never able to locate a blood clot. The right side of my face went numb, my speech was slurred and my vision messed up on the 3rd one. I kinda thought Bells Palsy but they still diagnosed as TIA's with unknown cause. I have been doing some more research and I was wondering about Lyme disease?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the issues you are experiencing.
I must say that yours is a complex problem as illustrated by the fact that you have seen different specialists. Personally I would have thought of MS as well but a normal MRI almost excludes that possibility.
Other options would be either infectious or inflammatory conditions which can also affect cranial nerves causing your double vision issues and alsoaffect peripheral nervous systems or other organs causing those symptoms of fatigue and sensory abnormalities.
Among these conditions Lyme disease is to be considered. It could justify your symptoms, however there should be other data such as exposure to tick bite, other manifestations such as skin and joints symptoms. Cranial nerve involvement is usually in the setting of chronic meningitis which in addition to affecting nerve roots would also cause some neck stiffness, headache, low grade fever. It can cause isolated nerve palsy, but usually it's the facial nerve, not one of the oculomotor nerves like in your case. So to conclude it is a possibility but an unlikely one. However since yours is an unlikely case if you haven't been tested you should be tested for Lyme antibodies positivity, after all it's a pretty routine test.
Other infections to be considered might be tuberculosis, syphilis. There are many other bacteria, viruses and parasites but rarer. However again in all these conditions there should be some fever and other signs of infection. Often some changes are seen on MRI as well.
Among other inflammatory disorders to consider would be sarcoidosis, connective tissue diseases such as lupus, sjogren's, rheumatoid arthritis etc, vasculitis. Again other symptoms from involvement of other systems should be present, as well as changes on MRI, but however some common screening lab tests for inflammation, autoimmune antibodies, ACE levels should be conducted
(if not already done).
As I said it is a difficult case and hard to give some more precise answers without being able to personally make a physical exam and review full documentation, but I hope to have given you a couple of directions to discuss with your doctors.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I am sorry about the issues you are experiencing.
I must say that yours is a complex problem as illustrated by the fact that you have seen different specialists. Personally I would have thought of MS as well but a normal MRI almost excludes that possibility.
Other options would be either infectious or inflammatory conditions which can also affect cranial nerves causing your double vision issues and alsoaffect peripheral nervous systems or other organs causing those symptoms of fatigue and sensory abnormalities.
Among these conditions Lyme disease is to be considered. It could justify your symptoms, however there should be other data such as exposure to tick bite, other manifestations such as skin and joints symptoms. Cranial nerve involvement is usually in the setting of chronic meningitis which in addition to affecting nerve roots would also cause some neck stiffness, headache, low grade fever. It can cause isolated nerve palsy, but usually it's the facial nerve, not one of the oculomotor nerves like in your case. So to conclude it is a possibility but an unlikely one. However since yours is an unlikely case if you haven't been tested you should be tested for Lyme antibodies positivity, after all it's a pretty routine test.
Other infections to be considered might be tuberculosis, syphilis. There are many other bacteria, viruses and parasites but rarer. However again in all these conditions there should be some fever and other signs of infection. Often some changes are seen on MRI as well.
Among other inflammatory disorders to consider would be sarcoidosis, connective tissue diseases such as lupus, sjogren's, rheumatoid arthritis etc, vasculitis. Again other symptoms from involvement of other systems should be present, as well as changes on MRI, but however some common screening lab tests for inflammation, autoimmune antibodies, ACE levels should be conducted
(if not already done).
As I said it is a difficult case and hard to give some more precise answers without being able to personally make a physical exam and review full documentation, but I hope to have given you a couple of directions to discuss with your doctors.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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