Hey everyone, thank you for taking time to read my post.. it's my first on this board. I'm a 26 year old mom, with a 16 month old son. I am breastfeeding. I've been having some concerning symptoms for about the last 10 months or so. The symptoms seem like they started when my son was starting to wean from nursing full time to only a few times per day. He is currently nursing twice a day.
It started with tingling fingers and right foot. I went to a doctor right away, and he told me it was due to nursing positions and hormones. He told me "I'm not concerned that it's MS". And that sent me into an anxiety spiral like one I've never experienced. I became semi-certain that I had MS and long story short, I ended up getting an MRI.. all normal. The symptoms continued, so I sought a second opinion who decided that my stress level and lack of sleep was causing the tingling and other symptoms. I don't feel overly stressed, although my symptoms stress me out. (Chicken/egg?) She told me to check back in three months. Three months passed. Still experiencing symptoms. Returned to the doctor, she again diagnosed that it was due to stress, hormones and an average of 5 to 6 interrupted hours of sleep a night. This time she referred me to a neurologist.
Symptoms include:
Pressure around right eye in sinus areas (CT scan of sinuses was normal).
Persistent head cold symptoms (feel like I've been "stuffy" and sore throat off and on for the last 5 months+)
Tingling right foot, and occasionally pinky and ring finger areas)
Random pin point tingling around body (an area will tingle for a few hours then stop, this migrates around my body, but usually on my hands, legs, or face)
Occasional facial tingling (even my eye has tingled - what a gross feeling).
Occasional visual disturbances (floaters, blue sparkles, "starburst" type things that show up when I blink and then fade)
Unable to wear contacts longer than 4 hours or so due to dryness and discomfort, vision often seems blurry
Dizziness (often feel like I am off balance despite not moving)
Ear ringing (I hear frequencies that last a few seconds then stop)
Some deep ear pain
Joint pain in hips, shoulders, wrists, fingers..
Muscle twitching, (migrates around body)
And my latest.. a lump in my throat that comes and goes... really stays if I obsess over it.
I have a referral to a neurologist and haven't made the appointment yet.
I've seen a ENT NP who had me take augmentin (safe with nursing) to take care of a sinus infection if I had one, then had me get the sinus CT scan, which was normal.
I've had blood tests, all normal. Thyroid tests (all three levels), normal. Blood pressure and weight are healthy. Vitamins levels tested, all normal (although Vit D was at 31.. pretty low but not deficient).. Normal MRI.. Lyme test normal.
I did start taking a 5000 iu Vit D supplement as I live in MN and rarely see the sun, nor do I eat foods that would help with this. I also started taking some calcium chews daily. Those are my only supplements. As I've said (probably beating a dead horse at this point), there aren't a ton of options that I feel safe taking while nursing.
I am starting to feel a little crazy and I'm not sure what I can do to get over these feelings. My husband and I would like to start trying for another baby in about 6 months, and I'm terrified that if having one child made me feel like this, what will happen with the second? My son is amazing, and I love being a mom, I just want to be able to enjoy it without being distracted by my symptoms.
I have gone to a physical therapist for the foot tingling and he gave me some exercises that have helped. I've also started going to a chiropractor that seems to find a lot of tight muscles and things out of place, but that's kind of the goal to keep me coming back (right?). I am also going to set up an appointment with a counselor to see if she has any coping ideas for me. I know sleep should be my biggest priority.. I would love to go to bed when my son does, but on top of my full time day job, I take on freelance projects, I'm taking pre-reqs for nursing school, and my husband travels often for work. I've always loved to use every minute of my day and thought that I thrived on stress.. which is why it would puzzle me if these symptoms were anxiety.
If anyone has any insight on having gone through something similar or any idea on where I should go from here I would very much appreciate your help.
Thank you!
