Numbness / Pins & Needles like feeling

  • 9 replies
  • 38 subscribers
  • 220 views

This might sound like a strange question, and that would be understandable as it's a strange / difficult situation to describe but just wondering if anybody went through the same.

For the last 3 or 4 weeks I've been noticing a strange numb almost pins & needles like feeling every time I move my head to look down (first noticed when I was picking up water in the car). It only really lasts a few seconds but it flashes up in my back & chest as well as hands, arms, legs and sometimes even feet.

Contacted GP today (we do it via a form now rather than necessarily getting an appointment) but they said probably related to the cancer treatment and should speak to oncologist about it. Was too late to contact them today, so will try tomorrow.

Naturally it's put my anxiety through the roof, but hopefully just something trivial. Waiting on a date for the chest scope and biopsy following the findings of the PET scan so of course I'm putting 2 and 2 together and coming up with every number other than 4 !

  • Contacted GP today (we do it via a form now rather than necessarily getting an appointment) but they said probably related to the cancer treatment and should speak to oncologist about it. Was too late to contact them today, so will try tomorrow.

    It’s called Lhermitte's sign and is due to the RT.
    It’s because the top of the spinal cord gets a hit. I had it. It got better slowly over a couple of years. 
    So you can relax. 
    you can let your GP know what it’s called. 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    Community Champion badge
  • Hi  

    I was treated at Ninewells in Dundee, CNS Gemma was brilliant, always available, emailed when I had issues, and I had plenty, always resolved quickly 

    Peter 

  • Thanks Dani, really appreciate the quick reply.

    Just did a bit of reading on that and combined with your reply it's definitely helped put my mind at rest.

    I guess this instant panic reaction is something to get used to now !

  • Thanks Peter,

    Due to speak to the MacMillan nurses tomorrow about my next procedure tomorrow so I'll mention it to them. They've also been fantastic with me since Day 1.

    Did read the treatment for this is Gabapentin. Just a few weeks after I had managed to get off them too Laughing

  • I guess this instant panic reaction is something to get used to now !

    Rubbish, isn’t it? It gets less as time goes on

    Asking  here first is good then you can have a look round Google. 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    Community Champion badge
  • Did read the treatment for this is Gabapentin

    No. In our case it goes on its own. The condition when caused by RT is different. It’s transient 

    Perhaps Google wasn’t the best idea after all. 

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    Community Champion badge
  • As Dani says, it’s Lhermitte’s Sign. I noticed exactly the same thing soon after chemoradiation, like you when looking down, and it’s quite alarming when you don’t know what it is. It gradually went away of its own accord and now there is no sign of it. 

  • Hello   How are you these days?

    Your profile is a godsend. Ive toyed with transferring my blog here. Maybe something for the winter nights.

    Dani 

    Base of tongue cancer. T2N0M0 6 weeks Radiotherapy finished January 2019

    I wrote a blog about my cancer. just click on the link below 

    https://todaymycoffeetasteslikechristmasincostarica.com 

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm

    Community Champion badge
  • Hi Dani!  My diary is only on my profile cos I don’t know how to blog! Classic old fart Rofl  I’ve been trying to thin it down the last week or two but it’s still rather long! 

    I am very well thanks. This time 4 years ago I was recovering from my surgery and was about to embark on 6 weeks of chemoradiation. My, how time flies.

    I’ve got my 6 month checkup next month (postponed from September) so fingers crossed for that. That said, apart from my RT-side ear clogging up from time to time all seems to be ok.

    Keep up the good work. You, Hazel, Peter, Ray etc (plus a few new faces in here) are an absolute godsend.

    (ps - a tip for transferring your blog to your profile - if you copy the original to your tablet’s notepad you can then copy and paste it straight onto your profile. Otherwise it can be very fiddly.)