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Undiagnosed Autoimmune Disease
Autoimmune Diseases | Last Active: Sep 18 5:43pm | Replies (44)Comment receiving replies
Yes, on Covid shots up through last fall. I may had had the covid infection in March 2023, it was too late to test for it when I went to Urgent care. I did have skin punch "SYN-One" through Life Data Science. The Neurologist staff sent the skin samples in an expired fixative solution; the lab voided it. Took almost a year to get the repeat test, received results on May 27, Neurologist had sat on the report since April 29. I asked an admin assistant to place it in the portal. The Neurologist never has contacted me to review the results, everything appeared normal though.
Unrelated I had Cervical spine surgery in November 2024, the Orthopedic surgeon prior to the surgery noted I had a paralyzed left vocal cord. Recovery has not gone well.
I have seen two specialized ENTs referred to as Neurotologist, neither made any attempt, I had a pain doctor do right medial branch ablation, it did not help either. I also saw a Rheumatologist, she was a NP with limited experience.
In 2023, I had an elevated ANA 1:320 and FGFR3 7,500 (normal value 3,000). Repeat test nearly a year later ANA turned negative and FGFR3 decreased to 3,300.
Replies to "Yes, on Covid shots up through last fall. I may had had the covid infection in..."
@dstone501957
Your elevated blood levels in 2023 may be tied to the infection (Covid?) since the levels normalized.
How did your orthopedic doctor determine a damaged vocal cord before surgery? That is usually tested by an ENT through specialized testing. Did the orthopedic surgeon see something about the vocal cord on an MRI (severed or inflamed vocal cord)?
Where is your pain primarily an issue? Is it in your spine/joints? When did your pain symptoms start and did your cervical spine surgery help alleviate any of your pre-surgery symptoms?
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@dstone501957
If your skin punch biopsy came back negative, you may not have small fiber neuropathy. That is the gold standard test. Mine came back with severe small fiber damage.
I also had cervical spine surgery in 2022 (ACDF C5-C6) and 2025 (ACDF C6-C7) which caused daily headaches, contributed to hearing loss/tinnitus, facial/lip burning, and many symptoms below my neck. Did you have any vocal cord issues before your cervical spine surgery or did they injure your vocal cords during surgery? My surgeon sent me to an ENT to get a vocal cord baseline before surgery for my second ACDF surgery since I also had thyroid surgery (2 neck surgeries prior). I have a follow-up with the ENT next month but it doesn’t seem like I have any changes.
What was the purpose of the nerve ablation and what was expected in helping to reduce symptoms? Have you had your thyroid checked with bloodwork panel (TSH, T3, T4, TPO) and neck ultrasound? Do you have any nodules in your thyroid or swollen lymph nodes pressing on nerves? Thyroid issues can affect sensitivity to temperatures.