“Nerve damage?”
I was getting a back massage from my boyfriend at home. There is a spot on back (few inches down from my right shoulder blade in the middle of my back) that has always been ticklish and sensitive when applied pressure or massaged. He told me to relax and tried to massage the area. When he did, I started to feel extremely uncomfortable and became nauseous. After about 2 minutes I started to become light headed and super pale. I then passed out for about 30 seconds and I became tense, squeezing my fist, and my eyes rolling back.
I woke up in straight fear and confusion. I was exhausted when I woke up and had a weird feeling throughout my chest and my body. I believe I also have Lhermittes sign. If I tilt my head back or upside down, an electric shock runs through my entire body. This has happened since I was a child. Is this a nerve problem? I'm 25
I woke up in straight fear and confusion. I was exhausted when I woke up and had a weird feeling throughout my chest and my body. I believe I also have Lhermittes sign. If I tilt my head back or upside down, an electric shock runs through my entire body. This has happened since I was a child. Is this a nerve problem? I'm 25
Female | 25 years old
Complaint duration: Years
Medications: Sertraline
1 Answer
This is a very unusual scenario.
I believe there are two problems, one of which sounds like it's a true constellatiion of neurologic symptoms; and the other a psychophysiological respopnse to those symptoms.
What I refer to as "true...neurologic symptoms" includes the discomfort and hypersensitivity in the mid-back; and the longstanding (since childhood) shock-like sensation felt through the entire body with certain head or neck movements, and which may indeed be a Lhermitte sign (or symptom" though it's extraordinarily rare to experience that on a decades-long basis. A Lhermitte sign is often an indicator of some sort of intraspinal parthology, and has been described in MS affecting the spinal cord, but also in many other types of problems involving the spinal cord inside the spinal canal. All of that requires a thorough workup including a very careful clinical exam, and imaging (preferably MRI) of the spine. Neither MS nor a tumor are likely answers here -- MS doesn't usually begin at such an early age and produce only a single persisting symptom; and spinal tumors also are rare so early in life, and get larger and symptoms worsen oiver months-years as they grow. So something, perhaps congenital and structural involving the spine and/or spinal cord, but not likely MS nor a tumor. Something else --- to be determined.
What I refer to as a "psychophysiologic response" is the group of events set off by the massage, including first a general feeling of discomfort and uneaase; then nausea, lightheadedness, pallor, and fainting, succeeded by fear, confusion, and exhaustion. This is the onset and evolution of an episode of so-called "vaso-vagal syncope" which is a physiologic response to pain, fear, etc, and which is not a specific disease but a reaction -- both psychological and physical -- to pain and/or fear of almost any sort. It can be as straightforward as a normal but anxious person fainting at the sight of blood or an injection of medication or a minor but painful injury. It's basically a fainting spell. It's not a stroke, nor an epileptic seizure, or anything truly serious.
The possibly and potentially serious aspect of this case is the first group of symptoms described above, which warrant a search for a real problem of some sort affecting the spine and/or spinal cord.
I believe there are two problems, one of which sounds like it's a true constellatiion of neurologic symptoms; and the other a psychophysiological respopnse to those symptoms.
What I refer to as "true...neurologic symptoms" includes the discomfort and hypersensitivity in the mid-back; and the longstanding (since childhood) shock-like sensation felt through the entire body with certain head or neck movements, and which may indeed be a Lhermitte sign (or symptom" though it's extraordinarily rare to experience that on a decades-long basis. A Lhermitte sign is often an indicator of some sort of intraspinal parthology, and has been described in MS affecting the spinal cord, but also in many other types of problems involving the spinal cord inside the spinal canal. All of that requires a thorough workup including a very careful clinical exam, and imaging (preferably MRI) of the spine. Neither MS nor a tumor are likely answers here -- MS doesn't usually begin at such an early age and produce only a single persisting symptom; and spinal tumors also are rare so early in life, and get larger and symptoms worsen oiver months-years as they grow. So something, perhaps congenital and structural involving the spine and/or spinal cord, but not likely MS nor a tumor. Something else --- to be determined.
What I refer to as a "psychophysiologic response" is the group of events set off by the massage, including first a general feeling of discomfort and uneaase; then nausea, lightheadedness, pallor, and fainting, succeeded by fear, confusion, and exhaustion. This is the onset and evolution of an episode of so-called "vaso-vagal syncope" which is a physiologic response to pain, fear, etc, and which is not a specific disease but a reaction -- both psychological and physical -- to pain and/or fear of almost any sort. It can be as straightforward as a normal but anxious person fainting at the sight of blood or an injection of medication or a minor but painful injury. It's basically a fainting spell. It's not a stroke, nor an epileptic seizure, or anything truly serious.
The possibly and potentially serious aspect of this case is the first group of symptoms described above, which warrant a search for a real problem of some sort affecting the spine and/or spinal cord.
