Blood tests
Blood tests are commonly employed to check for vitamin deficiencies, toxic elements and evidence of an abnormal immune response.
Depending on your individual situation, your doctor may request certain laboratory tests to identify potentially treatable causes for neuropathy. These include tests for:
Vitamin B12 and folate levels
Thyroid, liver and kidney functions
Vasculitis evaluation
Oral glucose tolerance test
Antibodies to nerve components (e.g., anti-MAG antibody)
Antibodies related to celiac disease
Lyme disease
HIV/AIDS
Hepatitis C and B
Jimmy, are they caused by me not eating well? Because I have not been able to eat properly for the last year and half and definitley not enough.
As far as nutrients... most likely am under the marks. I always have a below reading for magnesium for the last year and a half with every test. Is this an indicator?
Am always also mildly dehydrated, and a lot of other levels that are always at the low end of normal... perhaps these are indicators that the Dr is missing?
Is this something that a neurologist would pick up that an internal or gastro dr might miss?
Lorielynnjackson wrote:Oh my goodness, thank you for the detailed feedback. Had not realized deficiencies are like that.. Jimmy, are they caused by me not eating well? Because I have not been able to eat properly for the last year and half and definitley not enough. As far as nutrients... most likely am under the marks. I always have a below reading for magnesium for the last year and a half with every test. Is this an indicator? Am always also mildly dehydrated, and a lot of other levels that are always at the low end of normal... perhaps these are indicators that the Dr is missing? Is this something that a neurologist would pick up that an internal or gastro dr might miss? The twitching and hiccups wouldn't be so bad except they happen all the time... and the twitching, started with my nose and then lower eye lid... these all get worse with stress, and when i am sick. I have noticed that when i feel ill, my back hurts, im nauseous, its always more than one symptom at once... the it calms down for a day or so and starts back up again... then am sick for a few days at a time... what causes deficiencies? is it diet only? Jimmy, your bet on magnesium for hiccups and twitches might well correllate... i find that vitamins irritate my stomach so i haven't taken any.... Bartman, I will look into something like Lyme disease, but I have never had a rash like the website, but maybe i Just dont' remember... but you are right, it hasn't even been mentioned... Lyndacarol, thank you for the mention of pancreas... i had 2 sphincterotomies, so my body is dumping pancreatic juice and bile into my duodenum and it never occured to the drs that maybe there was an issue? I will definitely ask for that test and see what they say.. are these tests for the neurologist or is it better to start with my internal dr? I do not believe i have been tested for gluten intolerance, but have been eating minimal amounts lately as they are harder to digest anyway, and the symptoms stayed the same if not gotten a bit worse... hiccups, nausea, occasional dizziniess, diarhea, tachycardia, palpatations, ..etc. Maybe cysts or chonic pancreatitis or something like that is my gremlin... i however fear that with so many problems in such a short period of time, that there was something laying dormant, which was awakened by surgery... starting the whole snowball... which is why i have come to this forum. My boyfriend said one time i looked away from him and my left eye moved slower than my right... my birth mother had epilepsy, but i have had no signs of that... so not sure about family history... back pain feels like pancreas, it is the same part that hurt after the sphincterotomies, but it is only intermittent, but when it happens, sometimes my armpit burns too... boy am i a mess of symptoms. the drs are having a hard time sorting out what goes where...
Thank you for your support. I have been in and out of drs for the last year and half and now the drs are baffled. I would like to research it myself (with the help of you or information on the internet, to spot something maybe they have missed. sometimes it is the objective opinion looking at the picture that spots the problem... over the next month or two i have to see the drs for my followups and to see the neurologist, but perhaps with help, i can make informed decisions and requests from my drs...
thank you again for all your input and support, it really means alot. Lorie
SO NOT A FAN of treating deficiencies with drugs. irresponsible to the nines.... found this genius piece of work .. would be hilarious if it wasn't so pathetic.
Gabapentin for intractable hiccups in a patient undergoing peritoneal dialysis
http://pdiconnect.com/content/28/6/667.full.pdf
"Hiccups are involuntary, rhythmic, spasmodic contractions of the diaphragm. ... hiccups became frequent and severe enough to produce insomnia, anorexia, and weight loss. His other medical problems included hypertension, ischemic heart disease, gout and anemia secondary to ESRF. ... Laboratory investigations were as follows: .... magnesium 0.66 mmol/L ... gabapentin was further increased to 600 mg nightly, leading to the hiccups disappearing over a 3 month follow up period"
I hate this report, on so many levels! negligence negligence negligence!
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