I'm a healthy 29 year old with no past illnesses or family history of diseases. Since January 2019, I started to have burning and/or electrical current sensations on my feet. Then about a month later, I started having odd and funny sensations on my face. Both issues come and go intermittently and randomly throughout the day with no pin-point trigger actions. I'll try my best to describe the feelings on my face:
- A hair-strand brushing on the skin giving tickling sensation
- Felt as if my face has passed through a spider web
- Felt as though mini bugs are crawling on the skin
- Tingling but only on the top of the nose
- No pain or numbness
I have no other issues besides these weird sensations that is giving me anxiety because it affects my overall quality of life. I have no history of anxiety disorder and I'm not going through a stressful period in my life. I've done blood tests, nerve tests, ECG, CT scan, Echogram, Ultrasound and everything came back normal. Diabetes, MS, Fibromyalgia, Hypothyroidism, and neuro disorders are all ruled out. No blood circulation or heart issues. No deficiencies of vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, potassium or iron. My GP can't confirm it's peripheral neuropathy or restless leg syndrome since it happens on the top (face) and bottom (feet). For further investigation, MRI of the brain, cervical spine and lumbar spine is requested.
Brain MRI: Normal with no issues.
Lumbar MRI: Mild intervertebral disc prolapsed of L4/L5 but no obvious loss of high signal of the disc on T2WI.
Cervical MRI: Mild disc prolapsed of C3/C4, C4/C5, C5/C6 and C6/C7 resulting in minimal anterior theca sac indentation. Loss of cervical lordosis (flat neck) due to muscle spasms.
With all the tests done, my GP and neurologist still haven't got a clue but stated that the closest possibility causing the symptoms could be coming from the cervical spine. They just couldn't give me a proper diagnosis because other than these issues, I'm generally well. I was only given Neurobion and Lyrica for a month but it did not help.
I then tried alternative treatments. Went for acupuncture sessions, chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy but couldn't find much relieve. My chiropractor suspected sciatica but I don't think it is. After multiple adjustments, my symptoms still remained.
I really don't know what's wrong with my body and what to do next to treat my symptoms. Can anyone here particularly those that have similar symptoms or have extensive knowledge about spinal and nerve health share some opinion on my issue?
Thanks so much in advance.
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satoshihooi
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Hello, sorry to hear you're having all these problems and extensive investigations and can't find a cause for your symptoms.
All I can say is, unless there are other symptoms you haven't described, this is NOT RLS.
It does sound like a neuropathy. If it is, if and when you eliminate all other possibilities, then you might have to consider it is functional neuropathy.
After doing some reading on FND, it appears that it’s similar to SSD (Somatic Syndrome Disorder) which is a psychopath-related issue. This was suspected by my neurologist which led me a referral to a psychiatrist. Sort of like a last ditch attempt to find some answers after all tests were negative. The psychiatrist concluded that it’s very likely not SSD and my case is idiopathic. That also explains why after a month of anxiety and anti-depressant meds didn’t help.
Hi again, I don't know if FND is akin to SSD. Both are functional disorders.
The International Classification of Diseases 10th edition (ICD-10) identifiies a disorder of "Somatisation" whereas as SSD is identiifed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version 5 (DSM-5).
It is possible that you have SSD rather than FDN. IN this case be assured, although whilst it appears that people suffering Antisocial personality disorder, (not entirely synonymous with psychopathy), are at risk of developing SSD, it doesn't mean that if you suffer SSD then you have a personality disorder.
However, historically FND, as a disorder appears to have evolved from the concept of "psychsomatic" disorder or "conversion" disorder.
The DSM-5 defines conversion disorder as "One or more symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory function. The symptom or deficit causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning or warrants medical evaluation."
For your reassurance, it does appear that yoiur symptoms have been recognised as significant and are being taken seriously and not simply dismissed by the ignorant as "all in the mind".
I have had personal experience of people suffering a conversion disorder and although I wouldn't want to imply that your symptoms are trivial, since they are causing you such distress, but they will hopefully be more manageable than such cases where people have been rendered blind or paralysed by this horrendous condition.
Hey, thanks for the informative reply. I have visited the link you recommended and concluded that my case could be FND. However, the site and others that I've visited stated that there are not many treatment options and often doctors do not know what to do. Physical therapy (which I've tried to no avail) and CBT are the 2 best options but only yield 13% success rate.
Interestingly, I also found this on the site which accurately describes my feet sensation:
"Electric Sensation is symptom that is difficult to describe, but is very common. Many have given it various names such as: vibration feeling like tuning forks,creepy-crawling, zinging, or most common is an electric current. It is felt all over the body and/or only specific parts of the body such as the head, arm(s), etc. It can be felt also in varying degrees. Some have a mild version and find it annoying, but not painful. In some cases the sensation is felt so intensely it has been described as feeling electrocuted. This sensation is also often referred to as Restless Leg throughout the entire body and some do find relief from medications typically used for Restless Leg."
So, I guess RLS can't be ruled out entirely?
Anyway, I'll further discuss (FND and RLS) with my neurologist during my next appointment.
You found a good description of the sensations experienced by RLS sufferers. This also is similar of the sensations I have as part of the neuropathy I have due to nerve compression.
The diagnosis of RLS is confirmed by the presence of ALL the symptoms. Depending on the source, there are 4 or 5. Whatever the source, they're actually the same. They are -
The wierd sensations
The irresistable urge to move.
The symptoms occur when at rest/staying still.
They are relieved by moving.
They happen in the evening or when sleepy.
Some sources add another criteria, i.e. than all other possible causes are e!iminated.
It can be anywhere in the body, but typically starts in the legs, hence the name.
The urge to move really cannot be ignored. I think a lot of RLS sufferers might identify with my own experience. When I have an RLS episode I have movements I describe as "twitching". I describe them as "involuntary", I cannot stop them.
In addition 80% of RLS sufferers also have PLMS = Periodic Limb Movement when Sleeping. Often described as "kicking". These only occur when asleep and don't wake you up. You won't know you have them unless someone else observes them.
RLS is essentially a circadian rhythm disorder related to the fluctuation of biochemicals over a daily cycle and is sonetimes identified as a sleep disorder.
I hope that helps. If you don't have ALL the s symptoms, it's not RLS.
I'm sorry you've found there are few treatment options for FND, I'm not that knowledgeable about it.
It sounds to me that FND has features in common with other chronic conditions which can't be "cured" or entirely controlled. That is that it is largely a matter of learning to "cope" with the symptoms.
CBT is what I would call a modern "traditional" therapy, it's been around a few decades now. There are variations of it and a more recent one us Mindfulness CBT. This has been found to be quite successful with anxiety, depression, neuropathy and chronic pain. It is accepted as an effective treatment by the NHS but isn't as yet widely available. I have personal experience of mindfulness CBT, it really is good.
I have only very recently come across another "new" therapy called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Some of the principles of this, intuitively sounds feasible to me. The main principle is to stop struggling with symptoms and accept them. This relieves the distress caused by the symptoms and is not aimed at treating them. However, a side effect if this is that the symptoms are reduced.
It seems to me that the basic tenet of both these is, how much attention you give to your symptoms.
E.g. at this moment as I'm writing, if I do a "body scan" I notice the following -
Pain in my right upper arm and shouder. Pain down my right thigh and waves of electric current like sensations sweeping down my left leg from thigh to ankle. Both feet feel like I have socks on, but I haven't. I have lower back pain. However when I focus my attention on typing, i'm not aware of any of these sensations.
I agree with Manerva that it doesn't sound like RLS. After all the tests you have been through this may sound a bit silly, but I get similar sensations to the first two you mention but that's due to hay fever. Has this been mentioned to you at all?
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