I'm asking for medical advice on the Intarweb

[Antibubba]

I'm not sure what direction to take now.

Let me start yesterday off:  I went to the chiropractor, because my body and my neck in particular have been stiff and sore the last few days.  I've been going to the same office for years, and I always feel better walking out than I did walking in.  Not yesterday, not in my neck.  My doctor said he couldn't get it to go and he didn't want to force it--another reason I go to him. 

About 2 hours later I notice a headache starting.  It feels like a "haven't had my coffee yet", so I finish drinking my coffee, but it doesn't go away.  Later, I went to lunch, got back to work around 3:30 pm, no cessation of headache.  At 338 pm (I'll never forget it) the hearing in my right ear changed--it was like listening to sounds underwater, even though the clarity of the words didn't change.  It's hard to describe.  I got up to get a breath of air outside, and after a few minutes the right side of my face started to go numb--just the right side.  Since that sounded like a stroke to me I had my boss call an ambulance.  My boss thought the right side of my face was a little less responsive than my right, but the paramedics didn't notice it.  I got transported to the hospital and put into an ER bay.  Another weird thing is that I've had tinnitis in both ears for about 2 yrs.  For a while it stopped completely, then came back at a much lower pitch.

I talked to various people including the doctor, over several hours.  The numbness increased and decreased, as did the headache.  The numbness was like novacaine, in that most of the numbness seemed part of the upper jaw and not the lower at all.  The doctor inquired about migraines; I've had them before, and they run in the family, but there were no auras or nausea or dizziness-this was definitely no migraine.

Eventually I got into CT for a scan.  It showed nothing.  The doctor said that in the case of microstrokes that CTs will show them a cause 70--90% of the time.  The other method is to check for blood in the spinal fluid, which the doctor also wanted to look at to check for meningitis.  This meant a spinal tap.  At first I was "fine let's do it and get it over with, but after the first try I needed sedation and pain relief.  They opened a vein and gave me the happy drugs, and it was lights out for 3 hours.

The results?  No blood in the fluid, no meningitis, and the doctor is worried but has no other answers.  I took a cab home (car still being at work) and threw up on myself and the cab on the ride home (an apparent side effect to the happy drugs).

Today I still have the headache, although it is stronger on the right an less on the left.  I'm still experiencing some of the numbness.  I've managed to eat a little and take some tea.  What should I do next?

[Scout26]

Can I have your guns

I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.
Sounds like maybe a pinched nerve.  My 82 year old mom has similiar symptons.  She's been getting some kind of steriod shots in the neck (we expect her hit 40 home runs and bat at least .300 this year). 

Maybe a oesteopath (bone doc) is what you need.

The medical advice I provide is worth every cent you paid for it.

[Perd Hapley]

Colloidal silver.  It's woo!!

[The Rabbi]

Stop going to chiropractors.

Go see a neurologist. It is probably a virus or something.  Ask your primary doc what to do.

[Iain]

Colloidal silver.  It's woo!!

Aside from this excellent and universal advice (you'll never have any issues that really matter when you look like a smurf, how could you?) I'd suggest you take the Rabbi's advice. Get a follow-up, and another one if the first doesn't do it.

[GeoJAP]

Have you tried Scientology?  Seriously, go to a real doctor.

[crawdaddyjim]

My Grandmother had the same symptoms you describe. It was being caused by crystalin type grains in her inner ear. She had all the tests you described with out relief. The tinnitis you speak of was really debilitating for her. She found a E.N.T. specialist and he had her inverted on a special bed and after a couple of treatments she had no more issues.

[Antibubba]

Have you tried Scientology?  Seriously, go to a real doctor.

A lot of the pain I'm not suffering I can attribute to that chiropractor, and it still is the only relief my back gets.  I'm not one of those folks who believe chiropractic (or colloidal silver) is the cure to everything--but for joint pain, I go there first.  And I'm not a big follower of moonbat therapies, despite my geographical location--so there's no need for the wisecracks.  The guy at the ER was a real doctor, eh?

The headache was more or less gone when I woke up about 9 pm.  My brother picked me up, we got a bite to eat and he ran me to work so I could get my car.  He mentioned the pinched nerve thing too.  I'm going into my regular doctors office first thing Monday morning to set up an appointment for, what?  More tests?  What?

I mean, I'm relieved it isn't a stroke or meningitis, but now I'm left wondering what the hell is wrong.

[Werewolf]

Stop going to chiropractors.

Go see a neurologist. It is probably a virus or something.  Ask your primary doc what to do.

Hell has frozen over and I can see pigs flying out of my bedroom window. Rabbi and I actually agree on something. (breathe Rabbi, breathe! that's it... deep breath - the world's not coming to an end... at least not yet anyway - maybe the next time we agree on something)

That's great advice from Rabbi, especially the part about stop going to chiropractors.

[roo_ster]

Rabbi nailed it.  Get thee to a neuro or an ENT.

Here is another non-MD internet diagnosis worth what you paid for it:
Sinusitis.  When my right  frontal sinus gets plugged up, I get the headache and have had wacky neuro symptoms as well, due to the pressure.

So, any discharge, sore throat, runny nose, hoarseness, etc?

[Antibubba]

Sinusitis.  When my right  frontal sinus gets plugged up, I get the headache and have had wacky neuro symptoms as well, due to the pressure.

So, any discharge, sore throat, runny nose, hoarseness, etc?

I have a running cold from October through March, when allergy season takes over.  It's possible, but I've had sinus headaches before, and this wasn't one of those.  When its the sinuses my face hurts.  I had no pain, just numbness.

The neurologist is probably a good idea though.  I'm going to see my primary first thing Monday, but I'll be lucky if I get to see him this week.

[Perd Hapley]

Why all the hate for chiros? 

[Werewolf]

Why all the hate for chiros? 

My personal experience with them? They fix one thing and break another.

[Manedwolf]

Stop going to chiropractors.

Go see a neurologist. It is probably a virus or something.  Ask your primary doc what to do.

Hell has frozen over and I can see pigs flying out of my bedroom window. Rabbi and I actually agree on something. (breathe Rabbi, breathe! that's it... deep breath - the world's not coming to an end... at least not yet anyway - maybe the next time we agree on something)

That's great advice from Rabbi, especially the part about stop going to chiropractors.

Third.

Chiropractors do not need to be MDs. Most aren't, even. It's sheer quackery.

One, everyone who goes to one keeps needing to go back for "adjustments", and never needed that earlier. Wow!

Two, they're not MDs, and they're doing rough things to the place where all the nerves that let you move around go through. Think about it.

[Tallpine]

Two, they're not MDs, and they're doing rough things to the place where all the nerves that let you move around go through. Think about it.

DOs do that too

[K Frame]

It's funny, but chiropractors take a LOT of heat for some of the things that they do.

Which are often the exact same things that an Osteopathic Physician (D.O.) will do.

Which are often the exact same things that a Physical Therapist will do.


I had a chiropractor save my wedding day for me many years ago. My back and hip were so bad that I could barely stand.

One quick adjustment and I not only had a total cessation of pain, I could stand, dance, and went hiking in the Great Smokies on my honeymoon.

I don't for a moment buy the blanket statement that chiropractors are quacks.

No, chiropractors don't need to be MDs. But neither do podiatrists, physical therapists, optometrists (some of whom CAN prescribe restricted medications), etc. There are many health professionals whose MO does not require them to be an MD.

[grampster]

Bell's Palsy???

[Antibubba]

Can I have your guns?

No--I might need them if someone thinks I'm looking at him funny.

[Iain]

Bell's Palsy???

"Bell's palsy is a diagnosis of exclusion; by elimination of other reasonable possibilities." (wikipedia)

I think medical professionals have some work to do before we diagnose Bell's Palsy.

[CNYCacher]

I wrote about my chiropractor experience here:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=3341197&highlight=chiropractor#post3341197

[K Frame]

And for every bad chiropractor out there there's a bad doctor, a bad dentist, a bad auto mechanic, etc.

Visiting ONE bad practitioner does NOT provide the substance to condemn the entire field of practice.

[Antibubba]

As I've said, my chiropractic experiences have been good.  Additionally, there's a woman in his office who does myofascial massage, and she's probably one of the only massage therapists I've ever met who is strong enough to give me an effective massage.  I've worked with her for a few years now and she knows my pain level (everyone else is afraid they're "hurting me", when I can barely feel any relief).  I'm sorry if you've had bad chiro; I've had bad dental, psychological, and psychiatric, but I simply found someone else in each field.

If you're in need of good chiro in Sacramento, I'll give you the hookup! 

[Brad Johnson]

Have you been tested for Lyme disease?

Brad

[Werewolf]

Have you been tested for Lyme disease?

Brad

Or - seriously - syphillis? Tertiary syphillis can attack just about any of the body's systems seemingly at random.

[Iain]

You should also get tested for 'exploding side of head disease'. No cure, but you do get a cool countdown timer.

Seriously, these threads get silly. I understand the intent of the thread, people get worried about weird stuff, but the advice received ranges from the inevitable, and sensible, 'go see a doctor' to the equally inevitable 'you need to make a will'.