Hello doctor,
I suffered from traumatic myelopathy six months ago when I was hit by a car. I had severe arthritis at C6, so the whiplash contused my spinal cord. I do not have motor deficits. I have sensory deficits, mainly in the hips, legs, and feet (back of my arms). The neurologist said I could expect gradual remission over 12 to 24 months. My broken bones have healed well (arm and leg), but I do not think the tightness (spasticity) and numbness have subsided in any great length. What signs should I look for when recovering sensations and spasticity? Is there anything I can do to speed it along? Does recovery take this long? I have been taking the tablet Gabapentin, but I am tapering off so I can try the tablet Lyrica. The doctor says I have to completely stop the tablet GABA for three days before taking the tablet Lyrica. Is that true? Also, today is the first day of no tablet Gabapentin, and all my nerves have been super excitable and tight, and I feel a bit unwell. Is this typical when tapering off a drug? Please help.
Thank you.
20 Mar 2024 - 1 min read
What leads to numbness, stiffness, and pins and needles in the arm?
Hi doctor,
Three weeks back, I found my thumb to be a little stiff while texting. The movement was slow, but it got better after a few seconds. A few days later, my thumb felt a little weak while holding a cup of tea and again it got fine afterward. Since then, I have developed a lot of anxiety about MND and have been stressed and losing sleep for a couple of weeks. I visited my GP, who did a full body check, movement, balance, and strength, and concluded that everything seemed to be fine and that there was nothing to worry about. But since then, I have begun to feel tremors all over my body. My right arm sometimes feels stiff and have had pins and needles and numbness in my arm also. I have had pins and needles issues before too. Can you tell me if these are symptoms of MND? Please help.
05 Feb 2024 - 1 min read
What causes a rise in liver enzymes?
Hello doctor,
I have MS and take Gilenya (Fingolimod) to treat it for 5 years now. My liver enzymes have raised over the last year and are currently GGT: 101.98, AST: 48.8, ALT: 74.1, and ALP: 99. I live in a country where doctors do not take my concerns seriously, including neurologists. My neurologist wants me to continue taking the Gilenya, prescribed me a plant supplement (milk thistle) to take in the meantime, and said we would get internal tests and another ultrasound on my liver to see if the cause is the Gilenya. I have actually been taking milk thistle supplements for the last six months. I am concerned to continue taking Gilenya. How fast can these enzymes cause damage to my liver? I have had two liver ultrasounds in the last year that detected a little bit of fat but it was healthy otherwise. Meanwhile, my enzyme levels have been rising for more than a year now. My concern is even if they somehow deduce that Gilenya is not the problem, how dangerous is it to continue taking Gilenya with these high enzyme levels? I am stressing out. Kindly suggest.
22 Jan 2024 - 1 min read
How to manage migraine headaches that subside only after taking a Combiflam tablet?
Hello doctor,
I am a 42-year-old with two children, aged 13 and 3 years respectively. I have had migraine headaches for a long, the headache is daily or alternate days, and it will not stop until I have a tablet of Combiflam. I do not have nausea or vomiting. I have multiple triggers like too much light, too much sun, heat, too cold, incomplete sleep, loud sound, and too much talking or hearing. I do not know when my head starts aching, I took Ciplar, Flunarin, and Selibum tablets for two to three months. They do help but sometimes still it is not able to prevent headaches. I need to have a tablet of Combiflam only. Kindly suggest I am not able to live my life happily because of this.
02 Jan 2024 - 1 min read
Why do I have twitching and tingling sensation of the eyelids and nose on the left side?
Hello doctor,
I have been experiencing eyelid twitching and tingling intermittently for about six weeks. It mainly occurs on the left side, but sometimes it creeps over slightly to the right. I can also feel muscles around the bridge of my nose tensing at times. When I touch the areas that are tingling or twitching with my finger, they stop until I let go. The muscle on the left side of my head above my ear feels sore if I massage it, but rubbing it usually relieves the tingling momentarily. The left side of my jaw is also tender at the joint. Possibly related or not, I have also had a few instances of bad headaches that started behind my left eye over the last couple of months. In addition, I have been withdrawing from Ativan for about five weeks and have been experiencing muscle cramps in both calves. This seems complex, and I have trouble deciphering a proper way forward. My primary doctor thinks I am just anxious, but I am having difficulty accepting that. The sensations have been over a week. Please help.
Thank you.
22 Dec 2023 - 1 min read
