Needles, pins, tingling, numbness and cramp in hands - follow up information for sharing as promised

[Amy_Lee]

I promised to update after my hospital visit on 24/08. Below were the possible causes of the above: -

1. RA attack blood cells?

Dr said no on this. I was not sure if it was because my blood test results were almost perfect this round? I will ask my rheumy again on my next visit in Nov 2016.

2. Is that Carpal Tunnel disease?

My rheumy ran a few tests on both of my whole hands from my finger tips until my shoulders. Since I felt the same with my eyes closed, then she said no nerve trapped at the carpal tunnel and anywhere along the whole hands until my shoulders.

3. Nerve trap around my neck?

Another possibility would be the nerve might be trapped around my neck. X-Ray was done on the same day at my neck. Since the hospital did not called me, that meant no MRI was needed because no nerve trapped was found at my neck.

4. Vitamin B12 deficiency?

Since all the above were ruled out, the most likely possibility would be vitamin B12 deficiency. My rheumy would give me VB12 on the next visit.

I still feel the numbness but less cramp these days. I am not sure if it improves somehow. I hope the above information can help those who have the same problem.

Continue to enjoy life while I can! Nature around is so beautiful.....

[Amy_Lee]

Dear Kai,

The VB12 will be given by my rheumy, I should not go out to get it at all. Thank you for the recommendation. I guess it is because of different country has different way of handling thing lol!

[Grammy3]

Vitamin b complex and bananas

[Amy_Lee in reply to Grammy3]

Dear Grammy3,

My recent blood test was almost perfect. The only shortfall was my cholesterol was 5.32 mmo/L instead of below 5.2 mmo/L. My rheumy asked if I ate bananas everyday? Apparently bananas has a lot of cholestorol hence I should not eat so much.

I believe a balance of everything that we eat is the key for our health.

[Amy_Lee]

Over here we collect the medicines from the pharmacy in the hospital. We do not go out to buy any medicine on our own. Unless we want to get some supplement, then we can get it from any pharmacy around.

As for me, I do not believe in having supplement hence I hardly get any. I believe to consume enough via food. I only take medicine when I was sick and prescribed by my doctor else no medicines or supplement for me.

[Beaches2]

Hi Amy lee

Another great picture!

Did you rheumy mention pernicious anaemia? It's another auto immune condition. It's where your body can't absorb b12 and so patients need a b12 shot every few months ( my sister has it). Apparantly it's common to have more than 1 auto immune condition.....lucky us hey ?......I've got an under active thyroid and now this.....that's more than enough for me thanks.

[Amy_Lee in reply to Beaches2]

Dear Beaches2,

Thank you for the compliment.

Well I did have my thyroid removed many years back. Now RA!! Lucky that I am now in remission. As for pernicious anaemia, my blood test results were near perfect and I do not really have the following symptoms: -

healthline.com/health/perni...

Commonly overlooked symptoms include:

weakness

headaches

chest pain

weight loss

In rare cases of pernicious anemia, you may have neurological symptoms. These can include:

an unsteady gait

spasticity, which is stiffness and tightness in the muscles

- For me, it is yes, for stiffness in joints but very light now.

peripheral neuropathy, which is numbness in the arms and legs

. - For me, numbness in my left thumb and index fingers only.

progressive lesions of the spinal cord

memory loss - For me, memory not as good as when I was younger. How to define this?

For auto immune problem, symptoms should run all over the body? Am I not right? I am not sure of this. My rheumy did not mention this auto immune problem, this gives me a good question to ask her during my next visit. I will try to find out more on this. Thank you for highlighting this auto immune problem to me. I am learning every time someone suggested something new to me.

[Beaches2 in reply to Amy_Lee]

Hi,yes I'm sure you are right in that you would have more symptoms with pernicious anaemia. Hopefully the b12 will sort things for you. Have a google of myotomes to see what different nerves supply since it sounds like your tingling and numbness is only one small area. I realise you have said specific nerve problems have been ruled out but worth a look out of interest.

[Amy_Lee in reply to Beaches2]

Yes, the doctor checked both my hands with my eyes closed and I felt the same on both side. The numbness and tingling on the left thumb and index fingers were the same too, no better or worse when she poked on my hands, so she ruled out the nerve trapped along the whole hands. X-ray on the neck would be the last that I needed to know, but then the nurse did not call me for MRI, that meant the nerve at the neck was okay too.

The numbness happens only on the left thumb and the index finger, not both hands not other part, I really not sure if vit B12 deficiency is the solution? Yet to see the rheumy to ask her on the next visit.

Thank you for the suggestion, I will Google to get more information from the links that you guys suggested here. My next appointment will be on Nov, I have sometimes to get prepare before I see my rheumy and post her the questions. I always get ready a lot of questions before I visit my rheumy.

My son will be back from overseas this weekend for a week, I will not have much time to online this weekend. He is my youngest son who is in his 4th years of medical study in Taiwan. I have not seen him for 3 years already. I believe he has a lot of things to tell me, he likes to talk a lot and we also chat a lot online. I always believe it is good to listen when our kids like to share with us. This is the way to build a good bonding with the kids. I enjoy it in fact.

[Amy_Lee]

Kai,

I just have the time to watch the video. Actually I had watched this video before sometimes ago. However, I basically forgot the sickness of Pernicious Anemia and this Vit B12 thing. Thank you for sending me the link to remind me again of this video.

[Amy_Lee]

Thank you, I will go through all these later for more knowledge. It is good to read the experience of others and learn from them.

[Amy_Lee]

Oh! Another group of healthunlocked. Thank you, I will check them out, if beneficial, I will try to join them to read more.

I have 2/3 of my thyroid removed few years back. So far I am okay and I had never been prescribed any medication too. I did not notice the thyroid issue until one day the panel doctor of the insurance company suspected that I might have the thyroid issue and sent me for the ultra sound scan to confirm that.

A year later, since it grew much bigger, the physician wanted me to remove it to avoid affecting the other part of my thyroid. He said that if I removed the 2/3 affected area, I would have the 1/3 thyroid to do similar work for my body and I would need no medication. I was not on any medication too during the 1 year under observation.

I am perfectly okay now. My rheumy has also included the regular once a year thyroid test for me since I have my thyroid removed before.

I would say over here in Malaysia, we have quite a good healthcare system to take care of the general public. I only need to spend a little money to get all these problems done in the government hospital. I cannot afford to go to any private hospital. Private hospitals here are very expensive for their services.

[Amy_Lee]

Thanks, Kai. I will go through the link for sure. The more we know, the better we can handle our disease.

Without the proper medical care for the general public, I think I would end up joints damaged for sure. As I am a single mother, I certainly would not have the extra money for the expensive medical care while I needed to look after my kids.

[Amy_Lee]

Dear Kai,

I am slowly digest what you have posted for me here, yes, Malaysia does have Marmite and we normally use it when we have plain rice porridge. May be I can use it as spread so I will use it more often then. I did not know that it contains vit B complex. Thank you for highlighting and sharing. You are indeed very knowledgeable in many ways.

[Amy_Lee]

Hi all,

I promise to update on this. I saw my rheumy this morning. My left hand problem is due to an additional small bone grew at the spine that causes the pain and the problem. I feel the sharp pain at the back of my shoulder and it goes all the way down my left hand.

My rheumy gave me some ointment to apply on at this moment. He said only when the bone grows bigger, he will order an operation. At the moment, beside the ointment, he will not do anything and I can only use the ointment and bear with the pain. Oh!!!