not really sure where to start, but since January of this year I’ve been experiencing what the GP believes to be neurological symptoms. It started quite suddenly with a weakness and tremor in my right arm. It only lasted a couple of weeks and then went away, I’ve never been one for seeing the doctor unless it’s absolutely necessary so I just put it down to a trapped nerve or something similar.
Then at the end of May the weakness and tremor in my right arm came back but this time my right leg felt really weak and bottom part of my face and right side of my mouth felt numb. My balance was also affected. I booked an appointment with the GP in July as the symptoms seemed to be getting worse. He tested my reflexes which all seemed normal, looked at my eyes which where also normal and took bloods. The blood tests all came back normal apart from a slightly low level of vitamin B. He then said he wanted me to see a neurologist to rule out a number of conditions including MS.
My symptoms almost completely disappeared in August, apart from my balance I felt normal and the tremor and weakness also went away.
So it’s now November and I still haven’t seen anyone. I got a letter instructing me to book an appointment online but there was none available anywhere close to me. I was offered an appointment a few weeks ago at a hospital in my region but I don’t have transport and it was just too far to travel at such short notice. The lady on the phone said it would probably be December before I heard anything else. I wasn’t fussed at the time as I had hardly any symptoms and wasn’t in any rush.
These past 2 weeks the same symptoms have returned with a few more strange things that’ I’ve never experienced before. The weakness in right side, really bad balance, but also a twitchy eye , migraines and a sense of overwhelming tiredness that I can’t seem to shake off. I’m also struggling to write my uni assignments in a way that’s never been a problem before. It’s just getting me down and feeling like every day is really hard to get through. My balance is so bad I have to ask a friend to take my daughter to school as I almost fell last week. I’m sure the other mums must think I’m a drunk I’m behind with my uni work for the first time ever.
I don’t want my GP to think I’m being a pain in the bum but I am really struggling now. Is there anything he could do or is it a case of riding it out until the neuro appt?
Ring the hospital and ask to speak to the neurologist secretary and explain about your symptoms. It’s possible they maybe able to able to organise you an appointment, sooner rather than later.
Hi Danielle, welcome to the forum From what you’ve said it looks like you need a neuro appointment soon. See your GP, tell him all your symptoms, always best to get them recorded & explain the problem you’re having to get an appointment with the neuro. Your GP might be able to push things along too. It also won’t hurt to call the neuro’s secretary & explain your situation to her. Please don’t think you’re being a pain, your doctor is there for YOU & won’t think you’re a nuisance, he may be able to help with some of your symptoms while you’re waiting for the neuro which hopefully won’t be too long now.
If your GP thought you were being a pain in the bum, you would not have got a neurology referral in the first place, believe me. One of the GP’s jobs is to head pains in the bum off at the pass and not let them clutter up hospital specialist clinics. So please dismiss that thought from your mind.
One of the most important things to do with weird stuff that comes and goes is to keep careful notes. You think you’ll remember what happened when, and for how long, but you won’t. So if you are not already keeping notes of what symptoms happened when and for how long, please start now. It will make life easier when you do see a specialist (although see next para…) But don’t worry that ‘patient keeping notes’ is a flashing red hypochondriac weirdo light for clinicians - it really isn’t! Not unless the note is 27 pages long, that is… Brief, to-the-point notes are just plain useful.
In your shoes, I would be talking to the GP again. You haven’t seen a neurologist yet, so the GP, your primary health-care person, is your main point of contact. He/she might be able to help you to hurry things along and, in any case, it is always very useful to have all symptoms documented at the time by a healthcare professional. I am sorry to say that it is not unusual for neurologists to be reluctant to accept that this or that happened in the past unless it was documented at the time by another person of doctor-class. Awful, but true.
I hope that you soon get to the bottom of what ails.
I’m behind with my uni work for the first time ever.