Worse Than An IA

Update: Was given an "urgent" referral to Neurology. Apparently that means I'll wait a few weeks rather than months... I had to see a different doctor because mine is out of town. She told me that I should still make an appointment with him for next week, because he may be able to get me in quicker. Overall quite happy with my care, even though I am extremely worried.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes and for listening to my panicking. I guarantee there will be more to come...

Hope your appointment comes soon and you get some answers. Hope you start feeling better.

One thing you may want to consider is a B12 deficiency.  I had a friend with similar symptoms and that is what it turned out to be.  THe problem is that it looks neurological so they don't look at vitamins as a cause, instead focusing on MRIs, etc.  She self-diagnosed in the beginning because the doctors were baffled.  Good thing too because the long term effects would have been significant.

Hm, is there any way to self-treat that? Certain foods I should eat? I won't be seeing the doctor again until Thursday, but will bring it up then.

Hope your appointment comes soon and you get some answers. Hope you start feeling better.

Thanks Jewlz 

Hm, is there any way to self-treat that? Certain foods I should eat? I won't be seeing the doctor again until Thursday, but will bring it up then.

If you have a deficiency, you are beyond treating with food.  You would need oral or shot supplements.  You can read up on it on wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

Like I said, my friend had almost exactly what you are describing with the numbness.  She didn't have many other symptoms as I recall.

If you have a deficiency, you are beyond treating with food.  You would need oral or shot supplements.  You can read up on it on wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_B12_deficiency

Like I said, my friend had almost exactly what you are describing with the numbness.  She didn't have many other symptoms as I recall.

I just looked it up on the NHS website and OMG i have so many of these symptoms.

The poor resistance to infections - I have had a ton of skin infections in the past year. I have one on my hand right now, have had one under the lip, in my nose (that one just came back last week)
Pale skin with a Lemon color tint - I told my mom that one on the phone and she gasped. I have had Yellowish skin for a long time, and I'm the only one in my family who does. Vincent's family always jokes about it.
Tiredness and Muscle Weakness are two recurrent problems with me. Then add in the numbness.

From wiki: 4. (I have this now) Sores at the corners of the mouth, sometimes extending along the edge of the lip. These are raw spots, not blisters, and they tend to come and go.
6. Shortness of breath, but without chest pain. This can occur when walking just a few yards.
8. Facial pain, usually on only one side of the face at a time.

There are more, but I won't bore you... I am feeling very hopeful. You may be my guardian angel.

Will buying B12 vitamins be sufficient? I want to speak to my doctor about it next week, but for now I'm wondering if I should go pick some up.

MIL had B12 deficiency because she was unable to absorb it -- I think that is common with older people.  If I remember correctly she had injections.
Hope it turns out to be that or something even less dire.  I'm sure they're just being careful.

Given that you have most of the symptoms listed I'd pick some up and take them just in case. If your body doesn't need it, it will just flush it from your system and if it doesn't help you might have the problem that BD's MIL had and then your doctor will have to address it.

I just tried to pick up some vitamins, but the pharmacy is shut! So I have to wait until Vincent gets home.

I looked into the B12 deficiency further, and read all the symptoms to my mother on the phone, and it is essentially a "List of Maria" as my mother put it. It is everything that I've felt in the past couple years... I also looked up what foods B12 is found in: Meat, Eggs, and Dairy products. I don't eat meat very much, I'm a veggie fan (but I was eating more while living with my parents, which explains why it went away for about a year), I rarely eat eggs because I don't like them much (maybe once a month, probably less), and I only put milk in my coffee. So hopefully I am capable of absorbing it, I just don't get it in my diet...

Thank you so much Sara Smile... Even if it doesn't turn out to be the reason, for now it has taken a huge weight off my shoulders. Not knowing what could be causing this has been the hardest thing on me...

All of those symptoms apart from the facial numbness are also some of what I experienced in having generally low white cells and low Hb counts, and I also had severely numb fingers and toes that would go yellow/White and "dead" looking on a regular basis. So it's not necessarily helpful to jump to specific conclusions and self-medicate without a doctor. But definitely mention to the neurologist that you feel it might also be a haematological problem.

(a huge shot of B12 in the bum in the early days of my diagnosis did nothing for me whatsoever, despite what madonna may claim in the tabloids, which makes for some hilarious google searches if you need a giggle. According to her, B12 might as well be some magical fountain of youth and pixie dust..,)

Will buying B12 vitamins be sufficient? I want to speak to my doctor about it next week, but for now I'm wondering if I should go pick some up.

Not if you have pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia is caused by an autoimmune process- basically your bodies destroys the things in your body that help you absorb the B12 from your gut-  so if you take it orally, it still won't absorb, you can only get it through shots.  It can't hurt to get a B12 and Complete Blood Counts and other things done.  
In fact, B12 deficiency can lead to the same symptoms as alzheimers- and it appears that many folks with alzheimers may actually have some kind of B12 deficiency, even minor.
It used to be called pernicious anemia because it killed you, but these days its happily treated with injectable B12.  

it's not necessarily helpful to jump to specific conclusions and self-medicate without a doctor.

Defintiely true! Sometimes, it can do more harm then good to self medicate. But still good to mention these things to a doctor

Good luck and keep us posted.      

Sometimes, it can do more harm then good to self medicate. But still good to mention these things to a doctor   

Even if it is just vitamins?

Don't worry, I'm not planning on cancelling my doctors appointments or throwing out my referral for neurology!  I'm going to speak to my doctor about it next week, but I am feeling very hopeful at this information.

Too much Vitamin C can cause DNA issues and too much Vit E can cause heart problems.   

Don't over do it, just add some normally in.

http://www.usingvitaminswisely.com/vitamin-b12-overdose.html

Too much Vitamin C can cause DNA issues and too much Vit E can cause heart problems.   

Don't over do it, just add some normally in.

http://www.usingvitaminswisely.com/vitamin-b12-overdose.html

Thank you very much for the link Bookgrl. I will be sure to only take normal doses.

I know a lot about vit overdoses because my friend at Uni gave herself scurvy.

She was taking mega Vit C, like massive amounts, and then stopped suddenly.  Not a good idea.     I was attempting to get her a piratey nickname, but it only stuck for a while. 

Also, her hands starting turning orange.  HA!  College.  She is fine now though. 

I know a lot about vit overdoses because my friend at Uni gave herself scurvy.

She was taking mega Vit C, like massive amounts, and then stopped suddenly.  Not a good idea.     I was attempting to get her a piratey nickname, but it only stuck for a while. 

Also, her hands starting turning orange.  HA!  College.  She is fine now though. 

Lol @ "HA! College." Because orange hands are so typical of college. I would have helped you a long with the piratey nickname though.

I've heard a lot about vitamin overdoses a lot in the past. I'm not about to do that to myself!