Hello forum, my name is Paul and i am 47 years of age, 17 stone 5 foot 11, this post may be a little sketchy in places as my brain is a bit fuzzy today so please bare with me, i will try my best to be concise. I have added a little history that may or may not be relevant but it is here nonetheless so that a full picture of events/contributing factors can be understood.
My history;
I have suffered for over twenty years with sleep apnea and avoided a diagnosis until 2010, i did not comply with therapy straight away but have been complying now since march last year. Treatment: CPAP therapy
About 15 years ago i went to my GP, i felt as though my brain had been steadily slowing down, it was at this point that i believed that something wasnt right… over a long period of time i found it was harder to find my words, my short term memory was not what it used to be and my vision was impaired slightly, it felt as though i was looking at the world through a camera - like when you use a camcorder to take a video of a tv programme off the telly and i had some numbness in the fingers of my left hand - Treatment:: Prescribed sleeping tablets and told to change diet and lose weight.
Other diagnosed medical conditions (in the last five years)
Slightly high blood pressure - no treatment yet
Psoriasis on palms of hands - no treatment as v mild atm
Pustular psoriasis on soles of feet - no treatment as v mild atm
Small hernia around navel - wont treat because of OSD (because of risk of general anaesthetic)
Present day
I have had the fuzziness in my head now for decades it is constant but i do have periods where it is not as bad, it has slowly got worse to the point that now i feel i need to do something about it, my eyesight and my ability to construct a sentence has deteriated further, the numbness has progressed to include both arms and legs from hands and feet right up to elbows and knees, my tongue is also numb and my ability to taste is impaired… where i have numbness it feels very similar to the feeling you get when you have played in the snow and then run your hands under warm water, it isnt really numbness but more of an abnormal sensation.
I am not one who goes to the doctors - i have to be REALLY ill before i actually do anything about my health, but recently, after becoming increasingly worried i visited my GP for an emergency appointment. I told him about the fuzziness in my brain, my impaired judgement/vision and the numbness, he did some cognitive tests to rule out a stroke ( i told the receptionist i was worried about stroke to get an early appointment) and diagnosed labyrithitis, he prescribed a 5 day course of amoxil 500mg and prochlorperazine 30mg a day to help with the disorientation. i didnt feel as though i had an inner ear infection, i didnt feel it was a balance issue but more of an issue with motor skills and co-ordination.
I am able to talk and move my limbs but it is now starting to feel as though i have to make a concerted and conscious effort to do this.
It has been a month since i finshed my course of tablets from the GP, i am still the same, this is the worst i have been with these symptoms and they have been constant at this level for nearly two months now.
I have managed my health for years, i had always attributed the numbness, head fuzziness and disorientation down to the lack of oxygen in my blood due to the OSD but now that it has been successfully treated for over a year i am trying to find a reason for it.
Tonight i took the night off of work and went to A and E, i was feeling very wobbly and numb, they took a heart reading, bloods, did some cognitive tests and checked motor skills. Bloods came back normal so they have sent some more for other tests, results should take a couple of days. No sign of stroke (but i knew that anyway) was advised by the doctor in A and E to visit GP and request neurology referal.
Any advice would be appreciated, kind reagrds Paul