Need help!!! - Neuropathy Message Board

sandi777 · 09-23-2006, 07:10 PM

My husband was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder about 7 months ago. After the diagnosis, he was going on and off meds for a period of 6 months because he would have severe side effects to the meds. The meds he was on were: Abilify, Risperdal, Geodon, Zyprexa, Depakote, Lithium,and Lorazepam. He was in a delusional state which slowly dissapated for about two months and came out of the delusions but went through extreme anxiety for about a month afterwards into physical pain, which the pain he is still having.
The pain he is currently having is daily head pain/headaches, head pressure, facial burning sensations, tingling in his hands and feet, ear pain and tingling sensations, ear popping, back pain, neck pain, eye pain and burning. He describes his head pressure like his brain is to big for his head. He also says it feels like water is trickling inside his head. Along with those symptoms he is constantly tired and unable to focus/confusion.
He had a MRI done which came back normal except for mucousal thickening. He had an EEG and EMG done which came back normal. All sorts of blood work which all came back normal. He had a CT scan on his temporal bones for bone growth in his ears and that came back normal. A CT scan on his sinuses which came back normal. His ENT doc did an ENG test which came back abnormal showing: The DIX-Hallpike revealed a slight right beating nystagmus in head left positon. The Positional testing revealed a significant right beating nystagmus in head left position and caloric testing showed 21% weakness in the right ear. He also was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea which he is awaiting to get a CPAP. This could be causing the fatigue and loss of focus as well. But, was wondering if anyone has any input on this.
The fact of not be diagosed with anything causing the pain is so confusing and unbearable. He will be seeing a new Neurologist soon in regards to the ENG test and possibility of Trigeminial Neuralgia. Also, was wondering if any neurological disorders may give an effect of a mental health disorder like BP? I was reading a book that a lot of mental health disorders are misdiagosed b/c many docs miss medical conditions that can come off as behavioral problems.

Anything thoughts or advice will be helpful. Thanks

feelbad · 09-24-2006, 08:25 AM

wow,quite the list of some pretty strong psycotropic meds.are all those actually really needed?i am just wondering as my son has bi polar III and he is only on two meds for that.there could be some sort of reactions with all of those.who Rxed all of them,one doc or more than one?i would most definitely seek out a second opinion about just whether they are all really needed.no wonder he went off of them,i am sure he felt like a flippin zomie.the thing is,with all of those he wont take them so they are of no use what so ever,so getting them down to something much more tolerable with fewer side effects would be alot better in the long run since he will at least be actually taking them,you know what i mean?

now as far as your question?that would be a big yes.people are mis diagnosed all the time with what would be called some form of a 'mood disorder' espescially when the pateint feels there is a mental health issue and doesn't seek out other possible causes.your hubbys symptoms most definitely sound neuro in nature and the tests he has has so far are good,but i wanted to ask you if he has actually had an MRA done?this is similar to an MRI and is done the exact same way,only instead of seeing the entire soft and hard structures inside of the brain,it will only highlight the actual arterial structures within the brain and absolutly nothing else.this just makes all of the arteries much more pronounced and visable without any obstructions.this would either rule in or out and possible vascular malformations such as aneurysm and other oddities like AVM(arteriovenous malformations).

in my case,my aneurysm was not picked up on MRI only because it was located at a bend in the artery and also very very close to the junction with another artery.there are other reasons as well that would make it not possible for these to show up on an MRI.considering his actual symptoms,this would be a good test to have.also,his C spine,has that ever been looked at more closely?there are a couple of actual cranial nerves that run down into the c spine,then loop back up into the head again so it is very much possible to actually have symptoms in the head that are stemming from some sort of issue that is actually in the c spine.just another suggestion.

i certainly hope you can get some sort of actual Dx besides the bi polar.depending on just what the actual problem really is,who knows,he may not even actually have bi polar.you would be really amazed at what can show up when there is a problem with neuro status caused by a spinal or nerve issue.and also with aneurysm.i would really push his neuro for that MRA tho,aneurysm cannot definitely be ruled out til you actually get a look at all the arteries within the brain,trust me,they CAN hide.good luck and please keep me posted.Marcia

sandi777 · 09-24-2006, 08:56 AM

feelbad. He was prescribed those from his psychiatrist but he isn't on antipsych meds at this point. He was on Risperdal for 2 months them developed an allergic reaction, Geodon gave him TD, Zyprexa he was on for about two months and he was taken off because he started to get a skin reaction along w/ worsening pain as the same w/ Depakote and Lithium. I forgot to mention, he was taken off them about a month and half ago and he is only on Zoloft and Clonazepam right now. He has been on and off Zoloft within a 5-6 year period for depression and OCD. He never had those other tests you mentioned, I will definitely mention those to him. Thanks for your time and good luck as well. - sandi

sandi777 · 09-25-2006, 05:06 PM

Update: He went to the Neurologist today and she believes he has Trigeminal Neuralgia which is very painful. Sleep Apnea can have painful symptoms as well. So, she prescribed him some medication for TN and hopefully this will help along with getting his CPAP.

Feelbad - he mentioned the MRA test and she is ordering that test for him. As far as the C Spine, she said that would have shown up on other tests he had. Thank you for your advice.

-Sandi

feelbad · 10-02-2006, 06:21 AM

please let me know how it all goes.good luck,marcia