Hoping for some direction regarding atypical symptoms

[tridacna]

Thanks all, I have seen my Dr, and been tested for pretty much everything it could be, that can be tested for. All the tests of course were normal. So, they don't know what caused the nerve damage, or why the symptoms tend to correlate with diving, but on the theory that my nervous system is aggravated, they put me on a low dose of gabapentin to try to settle things down in my extremities... They think my head thing might by sinus related, so I'm doing Flonase there.

Things do seem to generally feel better, not sure if that is the medication, or just time passing...

Thanks all for taking the time to reply, greatly appreciated!

Neurologists’ mantra. When unsure prescribe Gabapentin. Or Lyrica.

 

[Diver With Altitude]

Hopefully, your doctor covered this with you, but you’re not taking any herbal remedies, are you? St. John’s Wort springs to mind. It can cause a peripheral neuropathy.

 

[MtnDiverColorado]

Hopefully, your doctor covered this with you, but you’re not taking any herbal remedies, are you? St. John’s Wort springs to mind. It can cause a peripheral neuropathy.

Hello, I am not utilizing St John Wort, though I appreciate the heads up. I am curious, Googling around, I couldn't find any articles suggesting that St John wort contributed to peripheral neuropathy either with or without Gabapentin, most of what I found seemed to indicate that alone, St John's wort reduced the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Wondering if you have a link you could point me to on this.

Thanks!

 

[Diver With Altitude]

Hello, I am not utilizing St John Wort, though I appreciate the heads up. I am curious, Googling around, I couldn't find any articles suggesting that St John wort contributed to peripheral neuropathy either with or without Gabapentin, most of what I found seemed to indicate that alone, St John's wort reduced the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Wondering if you have a link you could point me to on this.

Thanks!

Here’s a case report, which also references another case report. If you look up adverse reactions on medical apps, they all list paresthesias, which are abnormal sensations. I have personal knowledge of someone who initially took St. John’s Wort for depression and developed burning sensations in the extremities. The symptoms resolved after stopping the treatment.

Photodynamic Sensory Neuropathy in a Patient Treated With St John’s Wort - PMC

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I'm glad you you're trying Flonase. I had 6 months of headaches so bad I was getting vertigo. Finally a doc recommended Flonase (after brain scans, antibiotics for sinus infections, etc., etc.). Did the trick for me.
(Didn't help that I swim regularly and react badly to chlorine in the pools....)

I'm with the folks wondering if this is some kind of neurological condition exacerbated by some aspect of diving.

Also, I'm a Seaweed Doc, so my scope of practice does not allow advising the photosynthetically-challenged. Don't take medical advice from me....
a

 

[JayG57]

Neurologists’ mantra. When unsure prescribe Gabapentin. Or Lyrica.

Almost ALWAYS Lyrica ... from personal experience.

 

[sea_ledford]

I'm throwing my hat in with ciguatera. I have a close friend that got it badly on a trip to South Padre Texas, to the extent she was hospitalized. They had no idea what was going on. She ultimately self diagnosed, and got madical confirmation, but it has been years and she still has some neuropathy.

Eating any fish or fish by-products will cause a flare up. You wouldn't believe the number of things that get fed fish meal.

Not sure if there is an exam that can be run looking for cig in particular, but if there is, I would ask for one!

 

[tridacna]

Almost ALWAYS Lyrica ... from personal experience.

Only if they're getting a little "something" from Pfizer.

 

[Dannybot]

Have you had a cervical and lumbar spine MRI? Your symptoms could be caused by a number of things that would improve with the hyperbaric treatments like spinal stenosis a a variety of levels, bulging or herniated discs Lieu-Barre syndrome, MS….

I would not take the word of a physical therapist to tell me I don’t have a spine problem.

 

[MtnDiverColorado]

Have you had a cervical and lumbar spine MRI? Your symptoms could be caused by a number of things that would improve with the hyperbaric treatments like spinal stenosis a a variety of levels, bulging or herniated discs Lieu-Barre syndrome, MS….

I would not take the word of a physical therapist to tell me I don’t have a spine problem.

Hi Dannybot, thanks for your reply

I have had MRIs of my head, and lower back done. My lower back is sort of a mess, but I am told there is nothing there for which changes in pressure should have an impact, or cause the symptoms I have had.

No sign of MS, or anything else like that.