My story. Strange symptoms, need suggestions.
 

My situation is interesting, concerning and uncomfortable and I'd like some input, as my doctor has been useless...

Male: 31 years old.

Medication: None

Situation:

- 7 years ago: injured my neck in a car accident and have bulged discs, arthritis and disc degeneration. I have constant pain.

- 5 years ago: work injury and blew out lumbar discs L4/L5 and L5/L6 (Yes, I have an extra) and have significant degenerative disc disease and have constant pain.

- 1 year ago: car accident and injured my thoracic spine (T7), pain believed to be from interspinous ligament. Car accident aggravated my lumbar back injury as well.


Symptoms:

- Tingling: Groin, testicles, between buttocks. Periodic for 10-30 seconds but happens many times a day.
- Tingling/Numbness: Both feet. Random, does not happen every day. Have also had numbness on hamstring area.
- Excessive Sweating: Buttocks, back, forehead. Sweating triggered by heat, activity, stress. Sometimes so bad that my clothes will be completely drenched.
- Hot Flashes: Random hot flashes that produce full body excessive sweating.


Tests:

- Thyroid and urine test for pituitary tumour. Negative.
- General blood tests that were fine.
- MRI of low back shows degeneration at L4/5 and L5/L6.
- CT of neck shows degeneration at C5/6 and C6/7.


Time Line:

- The symptoms listed above started RIGHT after the most recent car accident (May 23, 2017) and aggravation of injuries, I think it is too coincidental to think they are unrelated. These symptoms were NEVER an issue prior to this car accident.

- I have been otherwise healthy aside from back/neck pain prior to these symptoms appearing.


Thoughts:

- Has anyone ever had or heard of something like this happen after an injury?
- I have heard of people having excessive sweating issues in random and strange areas with spine injuries or after surgery. Is this possibly the problem for me and could it be resolved with disc replacement??
- Any other thoughts or suggestions on how to stop this or deal with it, especially the sweating issue?


Dr.Clavel Suggestion

- Replacement at L4/5, L5/6
- Replacement at C5/6, C6/7

Have your doctor (or new doctor) order and EMG.

Thank you LHerm.
My doctor has ordered an EMG but I do not have an appointment date yet. Until then....trying to figure out a way to deal with these symptoms, especially the sweating.

withoit losting films its hard to tell bro even us internet drs need mris lmao i hope you find recover if i were u i would send my mri to bertagnoli n he will diagnose u for free also he is recognized as the best thru spinesurgury associations couldnt hurt

Thanks GKTM300.

I am scheduled for MRI's on Saturday and will then post the images.

The sweating and hot flashes can be reaction to pain and inflammation. If you're in chronic pain, you can have systemic reactions to it that manifests like that.

With the caveat that I'm an engineer and not a medical professional, I'd suggest that if a thorough set of blood tests doesn't show up with anything odd, concentrate on the spinal problems and see if everything else resolves after you get those addressed. I don't know where in BC you are but there's a ND that Laura and I see in Seattle that's pointed us towards an online company for the blood tests and then was willing to help interpret the results by phone. That might be a way to put your concerns to rest even if you're struggling with your local docs. PM me if you'd like the ND's contact info.

Annapurna:

Thank you for the response. I too believe that these symptoms are a systemic result of pain and nerve related issues...temperature regulation, sweating, tingling, numbness...all these things are controlled by the nervous system, so it makes sense to me.

My symptoms are strange and not typical back symptoms, so my doctor has been a bit dumbfounded. He did say yesterday that although he has not seen this before, he does believe that all this is spine related and is eagerly awaiting MRI's.

I will send you a PM for the info on the ND you have been seeing.

Thank you

MRI Update- July 23, 2018
 

Hello- So I went and had MRI's done today of my neck and back...

I can't say I'm a doctor and don't know a whole lot about MRI's, but here are a couple screen shots that I took...

Let me know your thoughts, if you are so inclined.

Thanks!

MRI done and new diagnosis
 

I got a MRI of my neck and back on June 23, 2018.

The most recent surgical recommendation is as follows:

Diagnosis:

1. Severe cervical disc protrusion at level C5/6 left and C6/7 media/right with narrowing and compression of the left nerve root C5/6 and C6/7 right
2. Severe disc degeneration L3/4 and L4/5 in lumbar spine.

Surgical Recommendation:

1. Nerve Decompression and Artificial Disc Replacement at level C5/6 and C6/7
2. Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement at level L3/4 and L4/5

Alright, progress is being made!

I've got all my imaging, reports and questionnaires done and sent off for consultation to a handful of the European surgeons.

Will update further when additional opinions come in.

As far as discs are concerned:

#1 choice is are the ESP discs for both my neck and back
#2 choice is the M6
#3 choice is the Activ-L

My first consultation has been done with Bierstedt. His opinion on my symptoms is that they are atypical and cannot be directly related to the structural and nerve related issues in my spine.

ADR cervical and lumbar is required and he would be pleasantly surprised if the symptoms improve but he skeptical, as he cannot directly relate them to the spine damage.

I was hoping for definitive answer, but am hopeful I will be blessed with full recovery in all areas.

Unusual symptoms
 

Marcus,

If you still hunting for a diagnosis, consider getting a good Lyme doctor -- no easy feet. The better ones use this company for blood testing:

https://igenex.com/ticktalk/category...ic-approaches/

I had similar symptoms to you back in 2005. My illness turned out to be from hospital-acquired infection, which somehow alluded over 20 different doctors. It turned out to be mycoplasma pneumonia. I was dying for two years, slowly, and I had to figure it out myself. If I didn't, I'd be dead.

Please see my research and documentary site:

https://www.whyamistillsick.com/

I'd be happy to help if I can!

No kidding?! I have never considered Lyme disease...I have never been in the hospital for any kind of duration.

Is there any other way to contract Lyme aside from infection and tick bites?

I'll take a read of those links shortly.

Thanks for the reply....I may PM you for more details.

Lyme disease transmission continues to be taboo. Or ignored by the media. And the CDC.

But the reality is that that there are many forms of the bacteria that Borrelia can take (known as phenotypes). In my film at the UNH lab, David shows us the many forms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJqTDnbL7Yo

Syphilis is a STD, right? The Treponema pallidum microbe is very similar to Borrelia. Yet the CDC states that Lyme cannot be transmitted by saliva or sex, but they never explained how or why this can be possible. Nor does Consumer Reports, who provides the worst and most unreliable information on Lyme (and vaccinations) of any national publication.

Desai
 

Well...I finally heard back from Dr.Desai suggesting replacement at:

- C4/5, C5/6, C6/7
- L4/5, L5/S1

There are herniations with nerve impingement at all levels noted above. I have to wait until August for a further consultation with him, as he is currently on holidays.

After that, I will make the decision and book the flights! 5 level replacement is a huge deal and far bigger than I wanted or expected.

Please let me know is anyone one has done this with the ESP discs.

Severe on MRI diagnosis is a sure sign for surgery. Looking for ADR myself.
Any follow up?
PS Canadian so going through similar conundrums

I would advise not to go with Clavel. He botched up my surgery and they will not respond or give run you arounds when you contact them afterwards. I will be posting story here shortly.