This was my post -- Found out that there were frogs in our water filtration system -- Had the water checked at a lab and it had e-Coli bacteria in large quantities -- Cleared the problem and my wife and I are out of the woods on this episode of bacterial poisioning -- Question everything you put in your mouth -- wb
Can you please tell a little bit more (those of you with these symptoms) about your age, and diet/use of meds, alcohol, tobacco, etc.? Also use of energy drinks? I am trying to figure out/help a friend who is experiencing these symptoms. My guess is that the cause is some nutritional deficiency or imbalance, and/or toxic poisoning which might have built up over time and keeps the body sort of close to the edge, and then occasionally you go "over the edge" when there's a bit of extra push of stress.
For instance, do you consume a very healthy diet of mostly unprocessed foods you make yourself at home, or do you consume a lot of processed or restaurant foods? Are there a lot of fruits and vegetables in your diet or not so much? Any other symptoms, like skin problems or constipation?
Thank you.
Im reading these posts as I have been experiencing tightness and heaviness in my arms now and again. I get this episodes at times of rest, like 9pm at night when watching tv or 11 , getting ready for bed, or wake up during the night with one...its never at times of exertion. I either get it in one arm or both. Its like a tightness or pulling sensation in my chest(one side or the other, or both) then pulling, heavy arms, slight numbness and feels like the blood is draining from my arm from my chest to the tip of my fingers...they last between 2 mins and 4 mins...Its very uncomfortable and I have to stop what im doing until it passes. Its a scary sensation. I have had heart checks and scans and nothing found. I have high blood pressure and take one tab a day but not sure thats related. I also get Occular migraines alot, maybe once a week at least, auras in both eyes, zig zag irredecent cresent shapes.....So when I read your post I thought I would reply but I see your post was over 2 years ago......I also get them but separately too.....This episode happened me last night and was the worst one I have ever had, and I also had a small occular migraine with no pain earlier that day but woke up from sleep at 4.45am with it. Scary and I still dont know why I get them or what they are.........
I get Occular migraines alot...in both eyes, an aura, zig zag irridecent shape, shiny, in a crescent shape, starts small and then gets bigger and moves from right side of the eye to the left side, last about 15 mins but no pain.... For the past 3 years I have been getting episodes that start in my chest, like a tightening, behind my breast, deep in my chest cavity...its scary as it feels like I would imagine someone feels having chest pain for a heart attack or a stroke or something, it moves to shoulders and then arms, its like a tightening or pulling from under my arms to the tip of fingers...like the blood is draining or you can feel the blood in the arms..last about 2-4 mins and then its like it reverses, it leaves the fingers and flows back up arms and then shoulders and back to chest. Very weird episodes and very worrying. I have to stop what Im doing and wait for it to pass. I have high blood pressure and have had ECGs and monitors etc but my heart is fine so I dont think its heart related but reading these posts are interesting and im surprised how many people are getting them...and this along with the occular migraines( not at same time though) Does anyone else get them at times of rest?? in the evening or night and never when active??? Maybe I should be calling it a spasm and not a tightening? Maybe its muscular???? Im anxious to try find out what this is and what causes it.....Im 39 and healthy, active with good diet etc......
When I have these episodes, I have to sit up , and it is very uncomfortable and I cant lift my arms as they are pulling and tight and heavy.....I have to just wait until it passes. Its like I can feel the blood moving and pulling in my arm , draining. Starts in chest and then shoulders and then down arm and then to the tip of my fingers and then 4 mins later it reverses and its gone quickly.... I agree that it feels like your having a heart attack or stroke. I get mine in either arm or both...its scary. Wonder if its muscular..like a spasm of some sort?
After having multiple tests in the past 3 months looking for the cause my doctor (s) all agree it is not cardiovascular and does not meet any of the neurologists base pathology. Tests included mental status, cranial nerves including my vision, strength, coordination, reflexes, and sensation. EEG was done to rule out epilepsy.
During the interview, several senior doctors sat in on the symptom description and none had ever heard of similar complaints. Needless to say they are now very interested but short of hospitalizing me with hopes an attack will happen while connected to monitors, they could give me no answers.
Kaz- Mine started out left arm only and within a year developed to both arms. Front chest & upper shoulders radiating to the back shoulders and down the arms is exactly what happens. I am no longer "afraid" of what is happening, only mildly annoyed that I cannot prevent it once I feel it start.
I have no intention of giving up the search for an explanation and will post anything I should discover about this in the future.
I've been watching this conversation for a while - experiencing very similar fleeting - 20-30 second episodes from start to finish in both arms - strongest sensation of weakness/extreme fatigue occurring in my forearms. Maybe twice a week, maybe once a month - no pattern or trigger. Anyway, I had an MRI of both brain (clear) & cervical spine - shows 'moderate/severe bilateral C7 neural foraminal stenosis with associated 3-5mm synovial cysts immediately distal to the neural foramen which may be secondary rot the stenosis and could well cause symptoms'.
Seems to be pretty definitive for my situation.... Just thought I'd Put it up on this thread. Doctor says people any people of my age (53) would have degenerative changes that they're not yet aware of like this.
Can you believe this has just happened to me while sat at the computer! I'm 62, female, in reasonable health (but bad back and carpal tunnel).
Both arms suddenly went heavy and achy and I had to stop everything. This has happened twice before but after standing up from lying down. When it happened the first time (a few years back), I saw a doctor who straightaway gave me an aspirin and sent me for ECG tests. They couldn't find anything wrong so I'm reluctant to go again. But it's very scary and it floors me - I feel so weak.
I've just had an aspirin (just in case it's heart related) But I did some googling previously and came up with orthostatic hypotension. But this latest just happened as I was sitting ie not after getting up, so I wonder if it's a magnesium or potassium deficiency as someone mentioned - or perhaps something cervical?
SalG I'm thinking my symptoms might have a similar explanation to yours.
Were there any treatment recommendations?
Cheers
Sudden weakness in arms can be a sign of a thyroid condition. It is 8 times more common in women than in men. Pregnancy can exacerbate the problem. After my baby was born I would get sudden weakness in my arms and couldn't grip even a pencil between my fingers and then in a minute - poof - I'd be back to normal!
It is estimated that there may be as many as 200 million people in the world with thyroid disorders. Probably 50% of them are undiagnosed! I think it may be one of the most missed diagnosis' out there.
Check out this website:
Stop the Thyroid Madness - for the long list of symptoms and then take them to your doctor. Also make sure you are aware that just your TSH test alone is not always sufficient for diagnosing thyroid if you have a lot of the symptoms. AND some doctors are using old guidelines for low thyroid. Also there's a difference in medication - so learn about them before you see your doctor. Some are synthetic and some are natural. Find out the difference so you can have a good conversation with your doctor. The best result will come if you advocate for yourself and prepare before you see your doctor.
Also google Mary Sholom, she is a thyroid expert and patient advocate who has written books on thyroid disorder. She also shares tons of information on her website, her newsletter & her facebook page.
Good luck to you.
No real recommendations except with 'get on with life' unless /until it becomes a frequent occurrence - when my understanding is that surgery to decompress the nerve roots may be an option. In the meantime I've been looking at the anatomy charts & my MRI pictures and figure that looking up directly overhead might tend to pinch the nerve root, though so far couldn't relate that movement to occurrences of these weird sensations. I guess also not to compress the spine by putting heavy things on your head ... Or standing on it !!! Also my post was meant to read 'many people my age' not 'any'.
I don't think it's thyroid - though I think I might be hypothyroid but our standard (inadequate) tests say I'm not.
This is more than arm weakness - it's combined with a deep, deep ache down to the core which lasts a couple of minutes. I phoned NHS direct once - just after an episode - and they seemed to think that as I hadn't gone numb or lopsided it was all OK! ?
The first time was the left arm and the last ones have been both. I thought there was a bit of tightness in the chest last time but that might have been me in panic mode.
I did get my heart checked out once and they said it was fine. But good old Google still comes out with heart problems/attack so it's very worrying.
I think I need to go back to the doctor and not be fobbed off this time. It's an indication of something wrong. And at the very least it could have dire consequences if it happens while driving
I agree with you (guest) in how you describe it, permeating your whole core, with some tightness around the chest, but so many people have been checked out now, i really do doubt that it is the heart. The shiatsus teacher I saw seemed conconced it was a structural thing to do with posture, and my gut feeling is he is right. I spend my life slightly bent over, either on the computer or working with my hands.
I do wonder if anyone has lost their driving licence by dsiclosing it to a doctor...now that would be worrying ?
If you go back and read my posts on page 5 & 6 you might be reassured that what you are experiencing is not heart related. I have actually had a heart monitor on while one of these episodes happened.
I have posted up recently (Kaz) that I get this tightening in the arms too and I agree with other posts that its not heart related as I too had monitors and ECG done. Im 39 and have been getting this on and off for the past year. Always at times of rest in the evening or at night and never during the day when active. So dont panic too much....Anytome you google pain in the arm, it always comes out HEART ! ! I think its muscular, like a spasm or something like that....but this is only a guess. I havent figured out why I get these pains but I agree they are frightening. Im just going to record how often and when I get them and go from there.....But lately they are only happening about once every few weeks so they seem to be no so frequent......