LindyNEvan

I am desperately trying to find out if ANYONE who has had a compressed ulnar nerve has my symptoms. I have been through the ringer the past 4 months trying to get dx’ed with SOMETHING so I can have relief. I have been to 2 orthopaedic docs and a neurologist. SO far, no relief.

My symptoms started as tingling in my 4th and 5th fingers of my left hand. Namely when I was holding my arm up, say to talk on the phone. Let me add I am left handed as well. Which just adds to the problems. Within the next week or 2, I noticed tingling and numbess which radiated intermittently up to my elbow. If I propped my elbow up on a table (like bad table manners, ha) I could feel the shooting, searing, ,tingling “pain” from the elbow to my last two fingers. I googled this, and found cubital tunnel syndrome. Be it said that I DID break my left elbow about 4.5 years ago. So with that in mind, I went and saw the ortho who set my arm then. He dx’ed me with the ulnar nerve entrapment, and said he “doubted” it would be from my fall and subsequent break 4 years earlier. He told me to (basically) eat Aleve for the next few weeks to see if it helped. It did NOT help.

About 2 weeks after that, I went at had an EMG and NCV testing done. Things just progressively got worse. I had normal results, according to the neurologist.(well I had mildly abnormal NCV results in my Guyon’s canal). He asked if I ever had neck pain, which I have, and he recommended at some point getting a cervical MRI to rule out cervical neuropathy. I brushed this off, until about 2 or 3 weeks later, the awful tingling/numbness/searing pain moved up into my triceps and underarm area. Then, it proceeded to go up into the base of my neck (say, in between the shoulder blade area). Tingling, all the time, just about, in one place or another along that path.

A few weeks later, I followed up with the ortho, and told him I believed it was my NECK causing the problem. I had an MRI a week after that appointment, then another appointment with a second orthopedic doc who specialized in necks/backs. He said my MRI was FINE. My neck was FINE. I was speechless, b/c I almost hoped it WAS my neck. At least then, I’d have an answer, and frankly… probably an easier recovery. Let’s face it. So he put me on Elavil to help the ulnar nerve pain (that’s what it’s been dx’ed as) and after 4 days of that, I couldn’t keep my eyes open at work. I just got off it 2 nights ago, and tonight I’m taking my first dose of Lyrica.

Let me add I’m only 30 years old,, and a church pianist as a second job. I NEED my hands, they are my livelihood. I am the mom of a 5 yr old and a 3 yr old. I am suffering, and I’m scared to have surgery on my elbow, because… I’m still not convinced that’s all that’s going on. Has anyone else with CTS/ulnar nerve entrapment had tingling ALL the way up the arm, into the armpit, and in the base of the neck? It’s like I can feel the whole nerve from top to bottom.

I’m looking for ANY input at all. Thanks for reading this long entry.