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Entire left of body goes numb inside: not stroke, it’s not TIA, MS

Posted by pakeemer @pakeemer, Feb 15, 2023

I’ve been discussing this a bit in the hemiplegic migraine area. But I want to take a different approach and just put this out there and see what others may have to offer. The doctors in my area didn’t seem to be of any help, which seems to be very common with what I’m reading here.

So here’s my situation in a nutshell. I am not going to go into all the other various symptoms right now. So what takes place is the entire left side of my bod ,can go numb from the top of my head right down the centerline of my body All the way down to my toes. It’s not a stroke, it’s not a TIA, it’s not MS. Hemiplegic migraine is the only other thing that I’ve come across so far that can cause this. But the doctors in my area give me a blank stare when I even say that word. What I’m wondering is if anyone reading this knows of any other sort of thing that can cause Numbing on one side of the body. I’m somewhat operating as if it’s hemiplegic, although I get no paralysis. I get a lot of other stuff and it’s a frequent daily thing and it just knocks me right down. So aside from all of the other symptoms, is there anything else out there that you are aware of that can cause numbing on one side of the body, deep numbing. I don’t lose the sensation of feel or touch, so it’s not like numbing on the outside.
I am eagerly waiting for responses!

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dinawashere | @dinawashere | May 15 6:31pm

I have the same numbing on the left side as well. I don’t suffer from any headaches and I don’t have ms. I do have small fiber neuropathy as well as nutcracker syndrome (left flank) , osteoporosis , herniated disc in my neck and thoracic spine however I am convinced mine is strictly from the small fiber neuropathy. While I have numbness in both my feet and hands occasionally other places the left side is from my neck down to my toes. I also have trigeminal neuralgia in the left side of my face only when it flares up. I understand what you mean, it’s completely numb inside I still can feel things. It wakes me up every single night. I have so many health issues I could be wrong. When I see my neurologist and discuss the numbing it’s just a part of the disease so there’s nothing they ever say. It’s just like the constant throbbing inside the body that many small fiber patients feel. Just wanted to share my experience I hope you find some relief!

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insaneinthebrain23 | @insaneinthebrain23 | Jun 2 9:25pm
In reply to @pakeemer "It’s not spinal that’s been already ruled out because as I mentioned, the numbness is all..." + (show)
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It’s not spinal that’s been already ruled out because as I mentioned, the numbness is all the way to the tip of my head. In the very top of your head is not affected by spinal. So the doctors in my area say so anyway.

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@pakeemer

I’ve been searching what I’m going through and came across your post. I have numbness/tingling on my left side, ( face, head, arm, leg) for 2 months now. It feels heavy, no true loss of strength. Left side dull headache or pressure feeling. I’m so fatigued all the time. I get intermittent dizziness. I do have migraines, and my migraine neurologist does not know what to do other than change my preventative and refer me to general neurology. My MRI of brain, spine, CTA, CT venogram, lumbar puncture are all normal.
Have you found any answers?

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luzinele | @luzinele | Jun 21 10:24am

Hi, I came across your post and I have a very similar picture — recurring numbness and pressure down my left side. I've been trying to make sense of it too. Did you ever get further after posting? Any diagnosis, or anything that turned out to help? It would mean a lot to hear how it went for you.

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colebb | @colebb | Jul 20 6:15pm
In reply to @dextraterrestrial "I am almost the same, but I don't get migraines and my left sided numbness from..." + (show)
Profile picture for dextraterrestrial @dextraterrestrial

I am almost the same, but I don't get migraines and my left sided numbness from head to toe for about 10 years has been constant. 2 normal emgs, a few MRIs that show the start of some disc disease. supposedly the slight herniation is not compressing spinal cord and is not causing my symptoms. I've had some vitamin deficiencies, b12 and D, but doctors say that they have never seen that present like this. Rheumatologist at my hospital won't see me, says bloodwork is fine.
I am hypermobile, unsure if it could be hEDS.
My joints have a deep ache. Constant restless leg feeling on the whole L side. My hip, knee, and calf areas twitch every single night.

No muscle loss or weakening.
Always tired.

Gonna beg my neurologist again to do all the tests even if she doesn't think they are necessary. Then I'm making appointments at different doctors. I get so depressed and angry that I stop trying to figure it out and "just live with it" like the doctors have said I have to do. Every couple of years I have the mental and physical energy to try some more investigating.

My best guess is some sort of compression that happened during any one of my falls when bouldering at the gym 10 years ago.
Started with my arm and face, then eventually whole L side. Has gotten a little worse overall but slowly, so the docs aren't worried. Constantly get flares if I do too much.

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@dextraterrestrial I'm starting with the left side numbness over the last couple of years. For 20 years I've had the nighttime twitching leg thing. For years nobody had answers and I tried all kinds of stuff. I found I could manage it most times by drinking 6-16 oz glasses of water after dinner. I had to urinate all night but it usually worked. Finally, when I had a new doctor, they said, "Take an iron pill." For 8 years or so, I eat supper and drink water then eat nothing for 2 hours. At that point I take now, (2) 60mg iron pills with some orange juice and I eat nothing for another hour. Food, especially dairy, prevents absorption. It does make me somewhat constipated so I drink some prune juice everyday. It works. I sleep like a baby. No more leg twitching and uncomfortable feeling. I never tested low on iron, but it works for me. Perhaps I just need extra.

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anabellaboo | @anabellaboo | Jul 23 10:20am
In reply to @californiazebra "@pakeemer I'm just sharing something similar my mother had in 1970 at 37 years old. She's..." + (show)
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@pakeemer I'm just sharing something similar my mother had in 1970 at 37 years old. She's gone and I was only 11 so I can't provide more detail than this. She had one side of her body go numb and had a headache at the same time. Both lasted for 8 months non-stop. She spent a week in the hospital undergoing every type of test looking for a brain tumor, stroke, other neurological disorder and who know what else. In the end, they determined it was caused by stress. They could not find a physical cause. She was under a lot of stress at the time. It went away after 8 months (long time), but she never had an issue with it again even during times of great stress. Was it really just stress? Who knows, but I'm hoping to at least give you hope that it may go away at some point forever. She lived to be 84, had great general health, perfect labs and never took meds. Wishing you the best.

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@californiazebra I love this thankyou as I was panicking about my exact pain she had. she is missed and loved.💕💝

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