The whole month of March has been very strange.
I started noticing a flashing or blinking type light in my peripheral vision in my left eye. My head has a dull ache most of the time in the back where my head and neck meet. My head and neck are very sore and my neck feels like a rope is being pulled inside. I went to Urgent Care and they sent me to an ophthalmologist and she dilated my eyes and did a thorough exam. She told me since I am severely near-sighted that I am high risk for detached retina. I was told to go home and keep a close watch on it and if I have a ton of floaters suddenly or a curtain type feeling coming over my vision to go to the ER immediately.
A few days later, I noticed my vision was even more blurry in my left eye and the blinking now moved to the front of my vision. I would get nauseated when the blinking was frequent throughout the day. I have had insomnia for years and years but now I am hardly sleeping. One night when I finally fell asleep, I was awakened with a headache. I have had tingling in my left hand and foot. I noticed ringing in my right ear. I went to the ER and was sent back to the ophthalmologist again and she dilated and did another thorough exam. Again, I was told the same thing to go home and keep a watch on it.
During Spring break, I noticed that I would look at some common ordinary object and could not think of what it was called. I would try to say it and nothing would come out. Or, I would say it and call it something else. I also noticed that I could not remember what I did just a couple days prior.
Warning; TMI: Other things that may or may not be related: my last cycle was January 20. I took a pregnancy test and it was negative. I have had blood when I urinate. Just a few drops in the toilet and some when I wipe.
On March 25, I went to my PCP. He ordered tons of tests and I had four vials of blood drawn. He wants me to have a MRI done of my brain. He said I had a UTI and prescribed an antibiotic.
I am waiting for the appointment to be mailed to me for the MRI. I have to wait until there is an opening since it is a county hospital.
I am wondering what is going on since this all pretty much happened so suddenly.
I agree with the others. You need a brain scan. Don't wait for appointments to be mailed -- get on the phone and insist, today, that they get you in.
It might be something minimal, but they are symptoms that should be diagnosed as soon as possible.
I would highly recommend that you go see a chiropractor. They have been able to help me with similar symptoms when no one else could.
Look up "optical migraine" . I get them on occasion. Harmless, but annoying.
Or just maybe a regular migraine, too?
see a neurologist ASAP.
In my opinion, it is irresponsible of your pcp to not order a STAT (right now) MRI. County hospital or not you are experiencing emergency symptoms.
Call the neurologist today and if they won't see u today tell them your symptoms
Gosh, it could be anything.
Might be serious or not.
Might be something easily fixable or not.
Keep a diary of symptoms - when you experience them and for how long, what you were eating/drinking at the time, did you sleep well, did you exercise, what the weather was doing (barometric pressure, temp, precipitation, etc), did you change any makeup, soap, lotions, deoderant, laundry products, any supplements, vitamins, etc you take - in short - everything.
Take it with you to your Dr visits.
When they draw blood and take tests, note it in the diary, and what the results were when they came back and what the results/numbers were (and their normal ranges they are looking for) and the medication(s) and dosages, if any, that were prescribed.
Not everyone will agree with this but when I'M feeling out of control, it helps me to collect the data and lay it all out in front of me (and the doctors).
I hope they find out what it is quickly and that it's easily fixable.
I see flashes of light and then 20 minutes later, I'll get a migraine. My migraines aren't as severe as normal migraines (dull ache that lasts for 3 days or so). The neurologist called mine, "eye migraines". I always get them before I get my period, so they are caused by hormone fluctuations.
But, the ringing in the ears and mental issues are something different. I'd be talking to the doctor again and explain all your issues. Can they expedite the MRI?
Good luck.
Chatty:
Your PCP needs to run an MRI or a CAT scan of your head. NOW. He needs to make it "urgent" rather than "normal".
The blood tests revealed a UTI - have they done an ultrasound on your kidneys to make sure that your kidneys are not infected? When your kidneys are not operating or functioning properly - it can throw your WHOLE body off. The medication they give you for your UTI should make your urine a different color - I don't know it's been a long time since I've had a bladder/UTI infection.
Your ophthalmologist needs to do more than just dilate your eyes. If you are near sighted - you might need glasses. I would also ask if you are a candidate for LASIX for vision correction.
The insomnia needs to be addressed. You need to write all of your symptoms down and make a LONG appointment with your Doctor and get each and every item you have addressed.
Good luck!!
High blood pressure? Uncontrolled diabetes? Renal?
Ask for Hga1C,pt,ptt, cmp, complete thyroid panel, celiac panel, mri brain w/wo contrast, urinalysis with culture if positive. Hard to gather a path as don't have blood pressure, blood sugar, or any of many questions that need to be fielded by a physician who is engaged in finding a answer and if not a solution, a crutch by which you live your life.
It actually sounds kind of like MS to me. See a neurologist pronto.
Could be many things. I think you should look into another doctor and hospital if you are waiting a long time. Then again, you could be developing migraines which cause many of the symptoms you have. But I must emphasize that we are not physicians and cannot diagnose you! You can scare yourself to death if you spend too much time on the internet looking at symptoms rather than taking action.
Other than the blood in the urine, you are describing some very serious neurological symptoms. I highly suggest not waiting another minute and getting someone to drive you into the city to a major hospital's ER. You need to see a neurologist immediately and have scans done. Good luck!
Neurologist ASAP!! Feel better! You need a brain scan.
This could be the early warning signs of a stroke. Call your doctor and ask questions.
Please let us know.
These sound like migraines or strokes. I would guess migraines though. With a migraine they can start with optic migraines or auras. Then the migraine hits where the head hurts. Some people get tingling on one side and/or numbness with their migraines. Sounds like what you are experiencing.
For a stroke check your
smile - does one side of your mouth droop
Arms- try to lift both at one time and note if one does not match the other
Talk - can you make words that make sense.
Either case I would see a neurologist to make sure and get treatment options.
I was going to recommend an MRI, too. I think that is going to be the test to show your doctor/s what is going on up there.
It could be so many things.
The tingling in the arm, headaches and eye issues make me think TIA (trans ischemic attacks) but only your doc will know for sure.
This definitely sounds like a brain issue and I am truly sorry. Please keep us updated and all my best wishes are yours.
what others have suggested is more likely, but i'm wondering if you have some sort of infections hence the blood in your urine, and your body is trying to fight it and part of that is the swelling of the lylmphnodes in your neck and head and that swelling is causing the headaches and eye probs.
If you end up in the ER, don't mention your eyes, the head ache and the blood and the insommnia mention those but i don't understand what an opthamologist has anything to do with it so it seems like they are focusing on the eye and down playign the other symptons and it's the other ones that are more important.
why do u not sleep??
Please get your kidneys and get checked for UTI or kidney function. I don't get why they are focusing only on your eyes. This sounds like a whole body reaction to infection or organ stress/failure. Insomnia, migraines, etc. These will progress until you have more and more symptoms.
I've had food allergies and when my organs were stressed I had a lot of these symptoms. (I usually have liver/gall bladder issues so I have some additional symptoms.) I have more floaters in my eyes for a week or two after being glutened.
My sister was Type 1 diabetic and she had most of these symptoms when her kidneys were failing. She later had body and joint aches which she ignored until they became acute enough to make her cry. Headaches and vision issues were first though.
Good luck.
I have suffered with Migraines since I was 10 years old. I have experienced many of the same symptoms, the vision changes, the numbness and tingling on one side. I have been in my car and cannot remember how to open my windows! Cannot recall names of objects etc. sudden onset is not unusual however you do need to confirm the diagnosis with a Neurologist. There are also things called TIA's that are like mini strokes. These are treatable but need to be diagnosed. I would insist to be referred to a neurologist as soon as possible and get the brain MRI or a brain MRA timely. Good luck and feel better soon.
I agree you should not wait.... and you need an MRI understanding that all neurologists do not know everything. I have MS and my eyes have been similarly effected...my kids have Arnold Chiari Malformation 1 and my daughter's eyes were similarly effected....be sure and get your own copy of the MRI report. I suggest UTSW as they have specialists in most areas - MS for sure although I don't go there but my daughter does.....Chiari is a bit different.....feel free to contact me and I will be thinking of you....
You need to see a neurologist is what is sounds like. If you can go to any drs. I would recoment the ones that work out of Big Methodist. They are some of the BEST in the area. My mom used to work with several and she said they are the best. Good luck
my mil has this (the detatching retena). she is basically slowly going blind in that eye. they told her that if it ever looked like two walls were closing in to get to the er asap. its something to keep an eye on for sure
Do migraines run in your family? It sounds in relation
To the headaches you could potentially have migraine
Syndrome. I have had the numb tingling etc. Out of 17
Dx this is one I have had longer than some others. One
Morning a couple of years ago we thought I had possibly had a stroke. I could not feel my left side couldn't lift my limbs when I tried to move etc
The e.r dr. Said it was "just a weird migraine"
Your symptoms sound like you have experienced several types of them . especially the aural.
I don't know how close you are to Lewisville (dh drives me the hour and a half to the dr I am going to recommend. I don't like drs much but this one is worth the drives people make. I am met a lady who drove from Oklahoma! )
His name is Dr . Joseph Casaly. His clinic is the Headache Center of North Texas. It does sound like you would get some
Answers with him or another migraine neurologist
If he can't help he will find someone who can.
I really think he can help you. Good luckk (kiôjj
Definitely get an MRI. You may also want an MRA (like an MRI, but specifically looks at your arteries.) I would also try to get in sooner.
I was diagnosed with basilar migraine, which causes diminished blood flow temporarily to the brain which can cause strange symptoms. I went to the doctor with each episode.
Finally, I had very dramatic symptoms and they looked at my brain arteries. Oops. It turns out that they were strokes. It had been 9 years since they started. I had No risk factors. No, you are probably Not having strokes, but it seems pretty clear to me that Something is going on with your brain.
Do you work on a computer? If so.. how is your desk set up. are you at 90 degree angles? If not, re aling your desk to that. That would explain some of your symptoms. A friend of mine had sever headachs for over 2 months and it turnd out that he desk was not "right" and it was causing strain, causing the headachs etc.
It sounds like you have a few things going on at the same time, they might be related, they might be seperate.
Good luck and keep seeking answers.
Did you go to a RETINA SPECIALIST? I had the same thing. I have a vitrious detachment which can lead to a retina detachment, but when I went to the retina specialist he found a choroidal Nevus on the back of my eye. The dr said he could not confirm that it is a melanoma but I have to go every 3 months to make sure it is not growing. If it is, I have to have a radiation patch implanted in my eye on the spot, leave it for 3 days, then have it removed. They said it usually shrinks the tumor and I will have to watch it the rest of my life. I am also very near sighted. If it had not been for seeing the flashes of lights and floaters, I would have never discovered the vitrious detachment or the tumor, so at least now I can watch it. I still see flashes and floaters but they have gotten a bit better. It's been 6 months now. My retina dr suggested a full blood work up and liver work up for a baseline liver enzyme because sometimes these metastasize to or from the liver. So if your optimologist did not send you to an actual retina specialist , you need to go. And def get the MRI cause it can't hurt anything. Good luck and I'll say a prayer for you!
You've seen your primary care physician. Let him do his job. No need to go rushing off to specialists and definitely no need to go to the ER. You've been there once. Another trip will not give you a different result. You are getting the help you need with the pcp. He will refer you to a neurologist or what ever other specialist you need based on the result of the tests and MRI.
I would keep focused on finding out what this is. Make and keep appointments. Ask lots of questions of your doctor.
There is no way that we, nonmedical people, would know what is causing your symptoms. Guessing is just that, guessing, and you can drive yourself crazy doing that.
I do know that a UTI can negatively affect the rest of your body. Take the antibiotics.
