Dizziness, Tremors, Twitches and Cramps

Dizziness, Tremors, Twitches and Cramps

Hi,

39 yr old male here.

I've been suffering from a bunch of symptoms for the past 2 years.
First started with a constant lightheaded sensation and dizziness upon standing.
Then started getting constant needles on hands/feet and falling asleep upon waking up.
Half a year ago, mild tremors on fingers and cheeks, weakness in knees when climbing steps and random muscle twitches all over appeared.
A month back, my knees started getting weaker, I'm feeling a constant tightness/cramp feeling in my thighs when sitting or lying down for too long.
The feeling goes away a little when I walk/excercise.

Over the span of the past 2 years, I've had the following tests done:

- Brain MRI
- Neck (cervial spine) MRI
- Ultrasound on carotids
- 24-hour holter ECG
- Videonystagmography
- B12 blood test
- Cholesterol blood test
- Thyroid blood test
- Urine cortisol test
- Sleep study twice (first over a year ago with OSA 10.9, second a few weeka back with OSA 18.7)
- Nerve conduction tests twice (first on arms, then on both arms/legs)

All were unremarkable except the sleep studies which indicates a moderate level of OSA (18.7), although the oxygen level is 89% which is mild.
I also have a BMI of 35.8 which is obese.

Does anyone else here with moderate OSA and similar oxygen levels experience similar problems?
Especially the cramp/tightness.

I have a nagging feeling my condition might be due to some other neuro issue, although my doctors have ruled out Parkinson's and Multiple Schlerosis.

Off the top, you might have low BP when waking up which makes you dizzy til you get going - Cpap does lower BP in people and if yours was low/normal to begin with, it's likely to be too low in the a.m. Has anyone even brought up anxiety (not saying you have it, but not saying it's impossible, if understandable)? You do mention a high BMI and I wonder how much of a factor that could be in some of your problems. I will say that while people can have a range of symptoms with OSA and a few glitches on starting Cpap, apart from your sleepiness there aren't a lot of OSA related ones otherwise.

Anxiety has been mentioned a couple of times by a few doctors.
Although I don't generally feel too stressed out most days.
Is there some kind of test for anxiety?

No, but experienced doctors, psychologists, etc. are able to diagnose it after knowing you for a time, especially if testing for physical problems finds nothing to treat.

Did you start cpap after your first sleep study and why did you have the second one? What events made up your AHI?
Are you using cpap now? What is your machine and settings? What is your treated AHI running?

I went to cleveland clinic for this type of thing, granted, in the midst of getting on a bipap.

1. You could be experiencing something called "periodic paralysis". They treat that with mega duty potassium.

2. Your CPAP might show good AHI, but in reality, you need a BIPAP (that was me until i self diagnosed)

3. You could be experiencing mild Dysautonomia (disregulation, nervous system) which places like cleveland clinic, maybe, vanderbilt treat "POTS"

4. You could be hypersenstive to a chemical like MSG or something environmental etc


5. It could be an undiagnosed allergy, or possibly infectious, LYME, etc.

You have to be your own advocate and google the crap out of the systems until you get a solution.

No, don't Google 'the crap' out of anything. Listen to your doctors and if you're not getting answers, find other doctors. You 'could' have a 1,000 conditions, but the random ones such as suggested in the last note (irresponsibly) are no more likely to be correct than any others. I would explore the anxiety however as you said it's come up before, and ask your doctors to follow up, if only to be sure it's not the problem. I worked with neuro. researchers for a long time and your symptoms - taken together - point less to the odd diagnoses mentioned above than they do to possible anxiety that may have come on together with your OSA and/or other diagnosed problems.

DavidCarolina wrote:I went to cleveland clinic for this type of thing, granted, in the midst of getting on a bipap.

1. You could be experiencing something called "periodic paralysis". They treat that with mega duty potassium.

2. Your CPAP might show good AHI, but in reality, you need a BIPAP (that was me until i self diagnosed)

3. You could be experiencing mild Dysautonomia (disregulation, nervous system) which places like cleveland clinic, maybe, vanderbilt treat "POTS"

4. You could be hypersenstive to a chemical like MSG or something environmental etc


5. It could be an undiagnosed allergy, or possibly infectious, LYME, etc.

You have to be your own advocate and google the crap out of the systems until you get a solution.

everybody would be much better if you'd simply never post again.

Beware of Doctors with Hammers on a chain around their necks instead of stethoscopes. They are likely to diagnose, a bad case of nails. Jim

In reality weight is killing us...... Eventually we reach a critical mass...

Julie wrote:No, don't Google 'the crap' out of anything. Listen to your doctors and if you're not getting answers, find other doctors. You 'could' have a 1,000 conditions, but the random ones such as suggested in the last note (irresponsibly) are no more likely to be correct than any others. I would explore the anxiety however as you said it's come up before, and ask your doctors to follow up, if only to be sure it's not the problem. I worked with neuro. researchers for a long time and your symptoms - taken together - point less to the odd diagnoses mentioned above than they do to possible anxiety that may have come on together with your OSA and/or other diagnosed problems.

Hi Julie,

I've seen a whole bunch of different doctors over the span of the last 2 years, including 3 neuros, 2 cardios, a neck specialist, ENT, and sleep disorder doctors.
All could not tell me what's wrong with me. The best I got was the neuro suggesting OSA as the cause, which prompted me to post here.
I'll ask my neuro about anxiety the next time I see him, but personally, I don't like stress or anxiety is causing these issues as I have a somewhat laidback lifestyle.

So where is House when you need him?

OkyDoky wrote:Did you start cpap after your first sleep study and why did you have the second one? What events made up your AHI?
Are you using cpap now? What is your machine and settings? What is your treated AHI running?

At the time the sleep study was done, OSA was in the mild range (10.9), so the sleep doc told me CPAP was optional.
Also back then, I not yet have the cramp/tight legs and tremors.
I only started on the CPAP abt 6 months later on my neuro's suggestion when my limbs and face/scalp started getting tingles and falling asleep when waking up.
Trialed the CPAP for about a month without improvement so I stopped.

I did the study again after seeing a different neuro for a 2nd opinion but he too is suggesting sleep apea as the cause of these symptoms.
I'm not on CPAP at the moment.

Some people on cpap, use them for month with them not optomized for them, doing little good.

I have many of your symptoms but I know the cause of mine, 35% heart output, and too many years on planet earth. I didn't see you being checked for diabetes, which I have , that causes nerve damage. Jim

Goofproof wrote:Some people on cpap, use them for month with them not optomized for them, doing little good.

I have many of your symptoms but I know the cause of mine, 35% heart output, and too many years on planet earth. I didn't see you being checked for diabetes, which I have , that causes nerve damage. Jim

I did see an endocrine/diabetes specialist, who ordered a blood (for thyroid) and 24-hr cortisol urine test for me.
What exactly does a diabetes test entail?

Hi HXN,

I have a rare autoimmune disorder that I saw 10 different doctors for crazy symptoms over about 18 months. I got poo pooed a lot, told, well, you're over fifty now and other helpful words. I finally got a diagnosis when a bunch of symptoms occurred simultaneously, and I went to the emergency department thinking I was having a stroke.

This pre-diagnosis stage is horrible. Keep asking the docs what it could be, and if they don't know, ask them what specialist you should next see. Hang in there. If CPAP helps you get better rest, it can't hurt, and it can take that item off their list. I also find that bodies don't alway behave consistently, and sometimes tests need to be repeated before things are ruled out. Good luck!