Update: Working and New Numbness

[Ilsensine69]

Hi all,

Firstly, sorry for being quieter than I intended to be around here... I have been lurking a lot but not so forthcoming on the advice cos I usually find others post good advice before I get there!

(Quick backstory... burst ((surprise!)) aneurysm and quite heavy bleed in May, successfully coiled the next day and then 4 weeks in hospital with vasospam complications, took 8 weeks or so to recover and then went back to work... mostly back to "normal")

I've been back at work for a couple of months now, and aside from tiredness in early weeks and a general need for more sleep I'd been recovering really well. I'd started off working fewer hours but have been back up to full time (45ish hours in a physically active job, so I figured I was doing well!) My headaches had gone from pretty severe to almost non-existent and I had stopped taking painkillers aside from occasional paracetamol... until Friday last week!

Since Friday I've had quite nasty headaches - nothing like the severity of the "big burst headache" (which was pain unlike any other) - but strong enough that I've had to go back on max dosages of dihydrocodeine and paracetamol to make them bearable. Also, and for me more worryingly, I've been having numbness and tingling sensations down my right hand side which varies in severity but never becomes a paralysis or a true weakness (everything still moves and functions, just feels like I've been given anaesthetic shots!)

Now... if this were the first time I'd had these issues, I'd be way more freaked out and would be in hospital right now, but I had a few bouts of this numbness while resting at home before I returned to work. The first time it happened I went to hospital and was told after scans and some observation that it was just a side effect of everything I'd been through and that I shouldn't worry. Of course, it does seem weird and worrying that these symptoms would return, along with headaches after weeks of feeling way better... but I've been trying not to panic. I have called my neurosurgeon and am waiting on his returning my call... hopefully will hear from him tomorrow. Despite my attempts at calm, I am getting a bit more jittery as the days go by without the numbness and headaches passing... do any of you have experience with these sorts of numbness symptoms? Any information/experiences shared would be very welcome.

Thanks,

Bruce.

[TropicalTrish]

Hey Bruce

Lurking is just fine ~ sometimes we only have time to read not to participate!

I had a family member experience what sounds like your symptoms - out of the blue -and after aweek or so - they did xrays etc - and he had a very deteriorated vertabrae
in his neck.

Your numbness could have nothing to do with your noggin - sure hope not - so try and remaim chill until you find out more.

I know I know - easier said than done but it could just be something that can be easily treated and I wish you the best!

[Ilsensine69]

Thanks Trish,

You're right, I hadn't considered the thought of it being related to something else... I'm really hoping my neurosurgeon phones me back today anyway!!

Hope you're doing well.

Bruce.

[snowy]

bruce we havn't met and I'm glad you had such an amazing good recovery. Good that you called the NS they are the best to figure it out. They should return your call the day you call them if not call MD again . if headachs are that bad another ER vivit might be needed.

[Ilsensine69]

Hi Snowy - nice to meet you and thanks for the kind words.

Update on these new symptoms - my NS hadn't returned my call by Thursday and I felt dizzy at work in addition to the headache and some numbness, so my boss made me go to the A&E (ER for you US types.)

They gave me a CT scan which came back negative but they kept me in overnight for observation and planned to do a lumbar puncture. However, in the morning, the NS team decided that a LP wasn't needed and that they were certain from the scans that there was no bleed given their knowledge of the layout of my brain. So a relief, obviously! But also a frustration because they don't really seem to know what is causing the problems or why they'd start up again after having gone away for a while. The best guess they could give me was that it was probably migraine symptoms (numbness/dizziness can be caused by migraine also, apparently) caused by all the disturbances in my brain over the past few months and stress from overworking and not relaxing enough. Anyway... they've given me a new drug, which is supposed to help with migraine prevention... Diclofenac - not a drug I'm familiar with, but I'll give it a whirl. Also, I have to take the weekend to rest up, so no work til Monday. No work is ok... but of course, it means no income, which sucks!

[Junebug]

Hi Bruce,

I'm Junebug. Do you all have Junebugs in the UK. Well they are rather large beatles with long legs and found mostly in the southern part of the US. When I was a small girl, we would catch them and tie strings around their legs and off they would fly. My mom named me June and later on the family called me Junebug. WOW!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure you must have enjoyed all that noise.

From time to time I do get numbness down my arms, but they are normally caused by stress . I am thinking, now that you have talked with your NS and had the scan, you may be just over worked, stressed out, and just tired of keeping up the schedule you probably had before the "burst," as you call it.

Glad you have been lurking, and hopefully we can help in some small way.

[Taffy]

Bruce, I'm no doctor (and Im from UK btw) but it sounds like you went back to work too early and didnt give your head enough time to fully recover. I had my clipping on 24th Aug and I couldnt go back to work now even if I wanted to, Im still fighting the tiredness daily. Maybe you should ease up on yourself and maybe the docs are right about the stress causing the migraines. Hope you feel better soon. Regards. Taffy

[Ilsensine69]

Thanks June and Taffy, the support is appreciated.

Despite missing out on my favourite party night of the year (Halloween, of course!) I'm glad of the past few days of rest and feel quite a lot better. My head still hurts on and off, but less than a few days ago. Hopefully this is a sign that my new pills are having some effect. After some thought, I think I'm going to try and cut down my working hours to about 36hrs or so as we should have a new member of staff starting soon and I think I can just about afford it. It's depressing to be taking a wage cut at 27, though! I'm supposed to be in my prime, damnit :p

B

[Beachgirl]

Bruce, yes, it does sound as though you may have pushed your body too far too fast. Try easing up a bit and see if that eases the symptoms at all. I can understand though, I'm like a bull at the gate and want to be better NOW, but unfortunately that often is counterproductive and makes things worse!! Bugger - if only it weren't so!! Hang in there - your body will dictate it's own healing pace.

June - I had no idea that there was a beatle called a Junebug, so thanks for the little impromptu lesson!! Hehehe. I don't think we have Junebugs over here in Australia...

Nat xx

[ditchqueen]

WOW! I feel like a hypochondriac because I seem to relate to everyone :) I used to have numbness and tingling on the right side of my chin, it wasn't bad and it woould come and go. I was always told it was due to my migraines. My doc did an MRI to check for MS (because that is a sign) and that's how they found my annie. The doc said the numbness and tingling had nothing to do with the annie.
I had my annie coiled and the next day my lip on my left side was tingly and numb. Sometimes my upper lip would twitch too (barely noticeable) . As time went on my left arm and fingers would get tingling, just as you discribed. I was told the lip could be related to my coiling and would probably stop after a year. The arm he said wasn't related. I also had CAT scan's , MRI's etc to no avail. No one seems to know what any of this is. I'm just worried because these are signs of a stroke and if Im having them now and are ok, how will I know if I am actually having a stroke someday??? I had some massage done and it hasn't helped, though she says my neck is really tight. I see another neuro in Feb, so I will keep you updated.

[Beachgirl]

Hi ditchqueen, good to see you! I can sooooo relate to the worry of how would I know if I was having a stroke if these symtoms aren't related! 10 years ago at the time of my breakdown I developed numbness and tingling in my left hand and foot with patches of it down my left leg. Like you I've had various CT's and MRI's looking for either MS (my Dad has it) or a brain tumour ( family history there too), also to no avail!!! I also had nerve conduction tests twice which were inconclusive????? I too tried massage and also acupuncture. The only thing is that my annie didn't appear until 5 years ago in 2004, when I developed more neurological problems with balance, pupils dilating differently to each other, spatial problems, etc. (The docs missed the annie though!!!) My aneurysm wasn't actually diagnosed until January 2008 when I developed atypical neuralgia, and was sent for yet ANOTHER MRI as they were worried that it was a tumour.

Let us know if you DO find an answer, it may help a few of us!!! :)

Hugs,

Nat xx