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Headache, pain, and freezing hands only on right side of body

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I wasn't sure where to put this question so I figured the general symptoms area was best. Lately I have been having headaches with pressure on only the right side of my head. I also have pain on the right side of my neck. And my hands (while both are cold) are freezing on the right side and left hand not nearly as cold. Is it possible that the blood is not circulating correctly to the right side of my body?

In other areas, things are equal, like both of my feet are always equally freezing, or if I have pain in my calves it is usually both legs, and bruises on my legs are on both legs, etc.

One confounding factor is that when I severely injured my right arm from Levaquin in 2010, it never re-gained it's full strength and I am right handed. So when I overuse my right arm (for typing or basically anything) my right shoulder compensates and then I get pain in right side of my shoulder, neck and head (pre ME/CFS.)

But having just my right hand be freezing is new for me! Does anyone else have this issue?
 

JAM

Jill
Messages
421
I get that sometimes. My migraines only "hurt" on one side and usually come with neck stiffness on the same side. I haven't had it with temperature though. It seems like a nerve thing to me, just a feeling. Like one nerve cluster is being attacked. I think it is a symptom of the HHV-6, but also just a feeling. Someone posted about this a few weeks or so ago.
 

ahimsa

ahimsa_pdx on twitter
Messages
1,921
I wasn't sure where to put this question so I figured the general symptoms area was best. Lately I have been having headaches with pressure on only the right side of my head. I also have pain on the right side of my neck. And my hands (while both are cold) are freezing on the right side and left hand not nearly as cold. Is it possible that the blood is not circulating correctly to the right side of my body?

In other areas, things are equal, like both of my feet are always equally freezing, or if I have pain in my calves it is usually both legs, and bruises on my legs are on both legs, etc.

One confounding factor is that when I severely injured my right arm from Levaquin in 2010, it never re-gained it's full strength and I am right handed. So when I overuse my right arm (for typing or basically anything) my right shoulder compensates and then I get pain in right side of my shoulder, neck and head (pre ME/CFS.)

But having just my right hand be freezing is new for me! Does anyone else have this issue?
I don't have any comments about the headache since it doesn't sound like any of the types of headaches that I get.

However I have had the problem with various parts of my body (hands, feet, knees) feeling quite cold to the touch.

Just as you mentioned, usually when I have some part of my body feel cold it is symmetrical. For example, very often when I'm in bed the fronts of my knees fell really cold while, at the same time, the backs of my knees feel too hot. But it's always both legs, not just one. I attribute this to poor circulation since this tends to happen when I'm lying down, not so much when I'm moving about.

I mostly just ignore these problems because they are so minor compared to the big problems (dizziness, headaches, nausea, lack of energy, short of breath, and on and on....).

Also, my other symptoms are always better when I'm feeling slightly cold. So I've kind of learned to associate feeling slightly chilly as being a good thing (how messed up is that? can't ever feel comfortable so I've learned to like feeling cold).

My guess has always been that less blood in my extremeties means more blood in my heart/lungs where it's actually needed. So that's why feeling cold (whether it's cold air in the winter or drinking iced drinks in the summer) is always so much better for me. And why I keep the thermostat so low. :rolleyes:

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that feeling cold is one side effect of midodrine. I don't know how it would manifest only on one side, though.

At any rate, over the last few months my left arm has been feeling really cold at times. Not both arms, only the left arm. I have no idea why that is. It's new. I am right-handed so maybe it has something to do with that? (more usage of my right arm) But I don't remember this happening before (I've been sick since 1990, taking midodrine sine 2003).

Anyway, I have no answer (not even a guess) on why these things would be one-sided but thought I'd share.
 

JAM

Jill
Messages
421
Wow. Reading my post made me realize it is time for bed. I will try to make more sense tomorrow.
 

PennyIA

Senior Member
Messages
728
Location
Iowa
I went through a period of nerve related issues due to b6 toxicity and during that time my right side was slightly numb and tingly and the right side of my body was a great deal colder than my left. But it wasn't just my right arm or leg... it was the entire right side.

I'm thinking it's possible that you might have a pinched nerve that's causing pain and the temperature sense being different. I'm not sure if you believe in them but chiropractors can be immense help if it is a pinched nerve.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I get that sometimes. My migraines only "hurt" on one side and usually come with neck stiffness on the same side. I haven't had it with temperature though. It seems like a nerve thing to me, just a feeling. Like one nerve cluster is being attacked. I think it is a symptom of the HHV-6, but also just a feeling. Someone posted about this a few weeks or so ago.

@JAM I've never had migraines and the headaches are not severe and the headache itself is my entire head but I feel like there is extra pressure on the right side, behind my eye. I am negative on HHV-6 (except the IgG) so I don't think it is from that. But I am positive on EBV and VZV and not sure if those can can headaches?

could be something with blood flow/circulation.

@Martial That is what I am thinking but not sure how to assess that or what to do?

I went through a period of nerve related issues due to b6 toxicity and during that time my right side was slightly numb and tingly and the right side of my body was a great deal colder than my left. But it wasn't just my right arm or leg... it was the entire right side.

I'm thinking it's possible that you might have a pinched nerve that's causing pain and the temperature sense being different. I'm not sure if you believe in them but chiropractors can be immense help if it is a pinched nerve.

@PennyIA I only take a small amount of B6 in my B complex so I don't think there is a toxicity issue. I don't have any numbness or tingling (but I had all of this plus more during the year and half I was recovering from Levaquin toxicity.) I have a great chiropractor and need to see him due to back pain but it's been so hard to get anywhere lately that it fell to the bottom of my priority list! But thank you for reminding me.
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA

[USER=13018]
That is what I am thinking but not sure how to assess that or what to do?[/USER]


Well unless you get a very expensive MRI scan or the like there is not much to be able to test it for yourself, as far as I know at least. Reduced blood flow can also correlate with tendonitis issues, among many other things. Treatments would probably be things to target whats aggravating it but that can be very complex. It could be anything from say blood thinners, to nitroglycerin for the heart. Do you have any infections that you are treating right now, could this be a herx reaction to something?
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
Have you tried numbing your shoulder / back and neck area with ice ? You'll need to make sure the area is numb not just cold. You may have to play with the ice pack to find the right nerve unless you have an ice pack big enough to cover the whole shoulder / back and neck area.

I was taught that it's important that you ONLY leave it on for 15-20 minutes. Mine always melted after that length of time anyway. I've found that big bags of frozen corn niblets work best. They aren't hard like peas and they stay frozen longer than those soft ice packs sold for pain relief.

This should at least help you determine if it's a pinched nerve. From my experience, if it is doing this a few times during the day like every couple of hours should stop this pain.

GENTLY stretching the area or getting a massage may help too. Using heat on the area prior to stretching helps. But you have to be very very careful not to overdo this.

This is just my experience based on info given to me by physical therapists multiple times. I "think" I covered it but you may want to google this.

Hth.. x
 
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Revel

Senior Member
Messages
641
@Gingergrrl, I get this also. Hoping it's nothing to worry about and, since there seems to be a few of us, that there's 'safety in numbers'.

Usually, the one hand noticeably colder than the other scenario happens when I have been particularly sedentary.

Sometimes I have the headache and behind the eye pain, but not always. It may progress to a migraine, but more often it is a 'coat hanger' type headache, leaving my neck and back of the shoulders feeling sore to the touch.

I don't get calf pain, but do occasionally lose all sensation between the back of the knee to my heel, right side only.

My GP chalks such weird symptoms up to "just CFS" and as long as they are relatively transient, he does not seem too concerned. He does investigate certain symptoms , eg lymph node swellings, if they appear to be lingering for more than a few weeks, but most issues come and go at random, making a proper diagnosis nigh on impossible.

To be honest, if I woke up tomorrow sporting a pair of pointy elf ears I'd probably shrug it off as CFS and make the most of them over the festive season . . . but, of course, if they weren't gone by Twelfth Night, then I'd see my GP ;).
 

PennyIA

Senior Member
Messages
728
Location
Iowa
I only take a small amount of B6 in my B complex so I don't think there is a toxicity issue. I don't have any numbness or tingling (but I had all of this plus more during the year and half I was recovering from Levaquin toxicity.) I have a great chiropractor and need to see him due to back pain but it's been so hard to get anywhere lately that it fell to the bottom of my priority list! But thank you for reminding me.
I agree, it doesn't sound like b6 toxicity due to the lack of numbness and tingling. But nerve issues is what I was thinking it might be linked to. I hope the chiropractor can help.

FWIW? I was taking minimal doses of b6 at doctor's instruction when I became toxic. My mother and I both managed to do that which means that if you win the genetics lottery, it's possible to become toxic on tiny doses if your body just can't process it.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Also, my other symptoms are always better when I'm feeling slightly cold. So I've kind of learned to associate feeling slightly chilly as being a good thing (how messed up is that? can't ever feel comfortable so I've learned to like feeling cold).

My guess has always been that less blood in my extremeties means more blood in my heart/lungs where it's actually needed. So that's why feeling cold (whether it's cold air in the winter or drinking iced drinks in the summer) is always so much better for me. And why I keep the thermostat so low. :rolleyes:

Oh, and I'm pretty sure that feeling cold is one side effect of midodrine. I don't know how it would manifest only on one side, though.

At any rate, over the last few months my left arm has been feeling really cold at times. Not both arms, only the left arm. I have no idea why that is. It's new. I am right-handed so maybe it has something to do with that? (more usage of my right arm) But I don't remember this happening before (I've been sick since 1990, taking midodrine sine 2003).

@ahimsa That is interesting that you feel better when you feel cold extremities as if more blood is going to the heart and lungs. I am going to pay attention to that next time to see if it pertains to me. Feeling chills is definitely a side effect of Midodrine and I've noticed it plus the feeling of something crawling on your head. But I couldn't figure out why my right hand would be colder than the left hand. But this happened to me during my levaquin toxicity, too, and I think my entire right arm will just never be the same. It is so hard to know what is due to what.

It is interesting that your left arm has been more cold lately but you are right handed. Mine has been the opposite (right hand colder and also right handed) but often both hands are equally cold and it all varies. I just got concerned yesterday b/c my right hand was freezing cold and left hand fairly normal temperature. But today they are both equally cold again so who knows!
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Well unless you get a very expensive MRI scan or the like there is not much to be able to test it for yourself, as far as I know at least. Reduced blood flow can also correlate with tendonitis issues, among many other things. Treatments would probably be things to target whats aggravating it but that can be very complex. It could be anything from say blood thinners, to nitroglycerin for the heart. Do you have any infections that you are treating right now, could this be a herx reaction to something?

@Martial That's what I assumed and that without an MRI, I would not know if there was some kind of blockage. Today I am thinking that the headaches/head pressure and the arm pain/cold hands are actually two different issues vs. being tied together but again, who knows?

After I had the horrible incident on 11/6 with the IV saline (leading to flash pulmonary edema and getting rushed to the ER) I discussed with my doctors if the headaches could be related to that incident such as there also being a flash cerebral edema. My cfs doctor thought it was very possible but that the incident had passed and no danger from it now. He mentioned getting a brain scan b/c temporarily after the saline incident, in addition to the headaches, I was having cognitive issues, confusion, agitation and trouble walking in a straight line. But all of those symptoms have completely disappeared and never returned so I doubt he would want to do a brain scan now simply b/c I have been having headaches.

I keep a notebook of medications and symptoms and it's been three weeks since the saline incident and I've had about ten headaches and three with eye pressure. So it made me realize that they are not every day and if it was something very bad like increased pressure or blood clot in my head, it seems like it would be constant and today (so far) I have no headache. This whole illness is so maddening! I really do not want a brain scan or any more tests.

Last, you asked if I am treating any infections and I am taking Famvir for active EBV and VZV and Famvir can definitely cause headaches and is the #1 side effect on the bottle. The first few weeks of Famvir I had a daily headache but this went away so not sure why it would be back now b/c I have not changed the dose?
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
To be honest, if I woke up tomorrow sporting a pair of pointy elf ears I'd probably shrug it off as CFS and make the most of them over the festive season . . . but, of course, if they weren't gone by Twelfth Night, then I'd see my GP ;)

@Revel LOL :lol:

Hi @Gingergrrl One time a doctor suggested I check the blood pressure in both arms. He said a marked difference could possibly indicate a blockage. I don't know how big a difference would be significant.

@jimells Thank you and that was a great idea! I'd heard it before but forgot about it. I checked my BP in both arms this afternoon and they were very close in number (but not identical.) I assume the difference would need to be significant to mean something?

This is just my experience based on info given to me by physical therapists multiple times. I "think" I covered it but you may want to google this.

@xchocoholic Thank you for all the feedback and I often alternate ice, heat, and use a TENS unit for back pain, shoulder pain, and various other types of pain! Some day I need to get back to my chiropractor.
 

ahimsa

ahimsa_pdx on twitter
Messages
1,921
@Gingergrrl , you have had so much to deal with, just one thing after another. So sorry that it's been such a roller coaster ride.

It's easy to ignore small symptoms like feeling cold and so on but A LOT harder to ignore pain, nausea, etc. I hope you figure out what's causing the headache and can find some way to make it go away.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
@ahimsa Thank you and I think it is a massive roller coaster ride for all of us and some days I don't know how we all do it. Today I had a really bad episode of shortness of breath trying to do laundry (b/c I had thought I was better) and then realized that I am not :mad: :bang-head:.
 

JAM

Jill
Messages
421
@ahimsa Thank you and I think it is a massive roller coaster ride for all of us and some days I don't know how we all do it. Today I had a really bad episode of shortness of breath trying to do laundry (b/c I had thought I was better) and then realized that I am not :mad: :bang-head:.
Isn't it frustrating!? It is hard to stay below the activity limit sometimes. Especially hard for me when I feel good, but overdoing just a bit will make me tired for days. I'm convinced all my energy is going to healing and building muscle now that I started exercising again. Even a tiny bit makes me tired. Oh well, I will take it over all the other crap. At least this way I can work.

Hope you are feeling better today, and remembering to pace. :)
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
Isn't it frustrating!? It is hard to stay below the activity limit sometimes. Especially hard for me when I feel good, but overdoing just a bit will make me tired for days. I'm convinced all my energy is going to healing and building muscle now that I started exercising again. Even a tiny bit makes me tired. Oh well, I will take it over all the other crap. At least this way I can work.

Hope you are feeling better today, and remembering to pace. :)

Thank you and for me the activity limit is so low (right now) that it is often impossible to stay below it. I can't imagine that I will ever be well enough to exercise (which is okay and I do not have that goal) but I want to be able to walk more than a few feet or do basic tasks like laundry or preparing my own food without being completely out of breath. I actually don't mind feeling tired, if I could eliminate the shortness of breath and improve my autonomic system, stamina, and muscle strength for the most basic tasks.
 

JAM

Jill
Messages
421
Thank you and for me the activity limit is so low (right now) that it is often impossible to stay below it. I can't imagine that I will ever be well enough to exercise (which is okay and I do not have that goal) but I want to be able to walk more than a few feet or do basic tasks like laundry or preparing my own food without being completely out of breath. I actually don't mind feeling tired, if I could eliminate the shortness of breath and improve my autonomic system, stamina, and muscle strength for the most basic tasks.
I'm right there with you! By exercise I mean 4 less than body weight exercises to keep my joints from being so lax that they pop out of place when I move. Some days I can put away dishes, or get the laundry off the line, but 99% of my energy is taken up by thinking and healing. ;) It is frustrating, because I feel SO MUCH better, but not being in pain isn't enough. I want to DO ALL THE THINGS!!! :) We will get there, right?