Let me start with a History of what's going on:

Oct. 21, 2009 I had lapband surgery. I have lost to date 134lbs. I am at 350lbs right now. I know I am morbidly obese, and I am trying to work on that issue. I was enjoying life when losing the weight, and walking and exercising enjoying my new founded mobility. I was trying to eat right, but with lapband my diet consisted of mostly Protein. I was doing great and was happy with life...Then in March 2010 I went to the Beach for Spring Break and had a great time.

In the beginning of April I noticed a redness on my cheeks that felt tight. I thought it was a sunburn left over from spring break. It never went away, and it started tingling. I went to my PCP and she said it was Rosacea. I used the metrogel, and it didn't go away. I went to two other doctors and they said maybe allergies. One gave me nasonex and the other just said use topical ointment like neosporin. I did everything nothing happened.

In the middle end of April 2010 It started tingling and the numbness/tingling started going down my face. My mouth, cheeks, and jaw felt numb and tight. the numbness/tingling progress to the scalp, forehead, and extremeties arms, legs, fingers, feet, toes. It spread to the middle of my upper shoulders in where it is tight. My chest seemed to get tight also.

I went to a neurologist due to having these weird sensations in my head and the rest of my body. occassionally feeling burning sensations on my toes and scalp. They did the general neuro test. Then they did an MRI of my Brain and Cervical Spine. They stated that it came out normal. THey stated they believed it was not MS. They did other blood work, and tested me for ANA which came out negative, and then B-12 was 174. I was even tested for diabetes and the glucose test came out negative. My first neurologist stated that the neuropathy was due to B-12 deficiency. I had the series of 7 shots. then I was advised to go back to my Primary Care Physician to get b-12 injections once a month. During the time I had to wait for the first shot I advised my neurologist I was still having the systems and they did not alleviate. I took it upon myself to take sublingual B-12 5000mg daily to try to get rid of the numbness and tingling throughout my body.

I finaly went to my PCP for the first shot. I gave her a list of all my symptoms still. She did a whole blood work also and said everything was fine. She even did another ANA which came out negative again. The only thing that was off was my Vit. D which was at a level of 23-24. So I am taking megadose of vit. D for four weeks. I tried to tell my PCP what was going on and she just said go back to your neurologist. By this time I am dealing with anxiety and deprssion of what is happening to me. I have never been sick like this. I have had Hypothyroidism for six years, and then asthma all my life. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea prior to the weight loss surgery but I stopped using the cpap because after the weight loss i was able to sleep better. All doctors believed noone of this was what was causing the numbness/tingling throughout the body.

So at this point I decided to go to another neurologist Dr. Sara Austin in Austin, Texas I told her what was happening, and gave her all the results. SHe did another neurological exam, and even did the EMG test where she poked needles into the peripheral nerves to see if there was damage. That test came out normal. Along with her other blood work. she did a CBC, an tested me for other vit. min. deficiencies which all came out normal according to her. She also stated I do not have MS or Guillen Barre. I asked about Lyme disease and she said I did not have that either. She just recently ordered another lab work to check for Fabry's Disease, ERS blood test, and another test called a Rheumotoid Factor. I don't have those results yet.

I am just looking for answers. I asked my Lapband team if it could be the lapband and they stated No it was not. They took out some fill out of my band so that I could get more food in, thinking that the parenthesias was caused by malnutrition etc. I still have the numbness and tingling. My b-12 levels went from 174 to 1700 when my PCP tested me again. She stated I did not need to be taking any more B-12. I told her that I was taking the oral supplements but again that seemed to fall on death ears.

My Endocronologist recently said I had switched to hypo to hyperthyroidism. which is weird so she lowered my synthroid level to .150mcg two pills a day. it was at .175mcg two pills a day

So I am confused on what is going on with me. I will list my symptoms below, Maybe you could help or Guide me in a direction I need to be guided in. I would really appreciate your help. I know this was long but its been a long five months. I need answers and I need resolutions.

Symptoms:</SPAN>

Head - burning sensation on scalp occassionaly. Feels like I have a cap on somedats. tingling/numby. I do have a few pimples on the scalp but not sure if itsjust due to sweat or something else.

Forehead - Tight the numbness seems to travel down my face underneath my eyes. Like a pulling sensation to.

Face - cheeks numb/tight. around the mouth is tight and numb. I don't have any lost sensation it just feels numb and tight.

Lips - Tight/numb sometimes burning tingling sensation

Mouth - an ulcer on right cheek that has a clear bubble doesn't hurt. Upper Teeth numb.

Vision - blurred vision occassionaly. Went to Optamologist and said she didn't see anything like pseudo tumors that could cause this.

Neck/shoulders - tight and numb/tingling

Chest - tight and red. Feels numb also.

breast - feel tingling/had a recent mammo it came out fine

Arms- Right side feels more numb/tingling than left side. sometimes get burning sensations. Small red dots on upper arms not sure if they have always been there or if its just started.

Arms - Forearms feel tingling/pull. Burning sensation on wrists occassionally.

Elbow Joints - when squeezing touching very tender and slight pain

Fingers - Pointer fingers seem number than the rest, but again no sensation loss just feel numb. Joints feel stiff

Stomach area - Feel tingling around lapband and on the right side feel burning sensation/tingling down right side of stomach to abdomen frequently.

Kidneys - I think I feel an ache in them. I seem to feel sore, and feel tingling in that area. Burning pulling sensation sometimes in the front.

Abdomen - again burning/tingling sensation across belly button area and ovary area.

Legs - right let feels heavy and numb. Its had edema for a couple years now. but never has been numb or heavy. Left leg tingling numb frmo buttocks down. Right leg the same. Even my genital areas get tingling numb.

Toes/Feet - burning sensation on toes. stiff. but no sensation loss on toes or legs. no weakness or balance problems that have been found.

recently felt I was dealing with some mild vertigo but did not know if it was the Neurotin Dr. Austin prescribed me. 800mg three times a day, but only taking it at night due to having to work.

My prescriptons include:

synthroid .150 two pills once a day

Neurotin 800mg I only take at night

Hydroxzine 25MG...as needed for anxiety given to me by my old PCP

I was not depressed or suffering from anxiety prior to all of this happening. I was on top of the world. I was enjoying losing weight and doing things I had not been able to do. Then I hit this brick wall, and I feel like crap. I don't feel fatigued just tired off all the tingling, numbing burning sensations. I'm tired of my body feeling foreign. Has anyone had this occure with their lapband. I'm scared and tired. Everyone tells me not to take the band out. ....I'm so confused on what's causing this. I don't know what other options to persue.

Reminds me of watching mystery diagnosis on TV the other day. Have they checked out your copper levels/ One woman had what appeared to be unconnected sympttoms and weird rashes and it turned out to be an excess of copper in the system.

Hope you get an answer soon. It must be very frustrating.

Wow, I hope you find answers soon! Hang in there, sometimes medicine requires a whole lot of ruling things out.

my sister has MS and had a lot of the symptoms you are discribing. It is really hard to get an MS diagnosis, don't lose hope be persistant and eventually you will find out what is wrong with you. Best of Luck....

Question? Have you been to see a Orthopedist or Neurosurgeon?

I read all of you post, since you were at such a high weight and have lost so much (Huge Congratulations by the way), you may be suffering from a slipped or buldging disc or discs... Women carry weight primarily by our spine, it is very easy to pull/strain/damage discs, without knowing it. If you were walking on the beach or doing something more active than you are used to you may have done something to disks in your lower Cervical or upper Thorasic are...

Just a thought but you might see if you can get an MRI or X-rays of your spine. Slipped or damaged disc can pinch or wear on your spinal cord and cause a lot of the symptoms you are experiencing.

Hope this helps. Good Luck.

Leah

Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia: Symptoms - MayoClinic.com

Whatever it is, I wish you good health very, very soon.

I don't think that these problems are being caused by your band. Have you been tested for fibromyalgia? I understand your confusion and worry. I could not take neurotin because it gave me similar symptoms to what you are experiencing. May God help you thru your ordeal.

Very Unlikely, but possible silicon poisoning. Your body might be absorbing the Band. Do a search on google. It would be the same from breast implants because I do believe they are made of the same material.

Chuck

I have been seeing a naturopathic doctor for years now. She has been to medical school, done a residency and can write scripts. I cannot believe the knowledge she has she has helped me as well as friends and family who have seen her. I would see if you can find one in your area.

I have fibromyalgia, but your symptoms do not sound like that is it. I'm not a doc, but have had symptoms for many years before someone would listen and finally figured out that I had fibro. They tested me many times for lupus. In all these tests they have done have they ever tested you for lupus? I've known several people over the years who have lupus and the symptoms can be very widespread and strange.

I always get yelled at for trying to self diagnose and use of the web, so please take the thoughts of us here at LBT as not being that of real docs.

Jessica...

Are you still on this forum? I am having the same symptoms (numbness in various parts of my body, aching, disorientation, stiff/aching joints) and have been through EVERY TEST known to the medical world and they can't seem to find out why this is happening to me. I did have an EMG and the results showed some nerve damage but no diagnosis as to WHY? My doctor put me on Lyrica for Perepheral Nueropathy. I was hospitalized for 2 days and MRI, CAT Scan and blood tests all came back normal. I am really starting to think I may have silicone poisoning from this band. I was having problems a few months ago with throwing up everything - including liquids - and they took all of the saline out. A month later, after healing the stomach (the smaller stomach above the band was somewhat stretched), I got a small fill of 2 cc's. Since all of this happened, I have put on 30 pounds after struggling for 2 years to take off 80 lbs. I'm really scared about what is happening to me. I am numb all over and not functioning well and although I don;'t want to lose the band, I am really starting to think it may be making me sick. I am calling Univ. of Penn today to talk with the bariatric team and try to figure this out.

Please let me know what is going on with you. Did you ever find out what was making you sick? When I read your thread, I was astonished over the similarties of symptoms.

Would love to hear how you are doing and if you have to remove the band.

Thank you,

Lori

Let me start with a History of what's going on:

Oct. 21, 2009 I had lapband surgery. I have lost to date 134lbs. I am at 350lbs right now. I know I am morbidly obese, and I am trying to work on that issue. I was enjoying life when losing the weight, and walking and exercising enjoying my new founded mobility. I was trying to eat right, but with lapband my diet consisted of mostly Protein. I was doing great and was happy with life...Then in March 2010 I went to the Beach for Spring Break and had a great time.

In the beginning of April I noticed a redness on my cheeks that felt tight. I thought it was a sunburn left over from spring break. It never went away, and it started tingling. I went to my PCP and she said it was Rosacea. I used the metrogel, and it didn't go away. I went to two other doctors and they said maybe allergies. One gave me nasonex and the other just said use topical ointment like neosporin. I did everything nothing happened.

In the middle end of April 2010 It started tingling and the numbness/tingling started going down my face. My mouth, cheeks, and jaw felt numb and tight. the numbness/tingling progress to the scalp, forehead, and extremeties arms, legs, fingers, feet, toes. It spread to the middle of my upper shoulders in where it is tight. My chest seemed to get tight also.

I went to a neurologist due to having these weird sensations in my head and the rest of my body. occassionally feeling burning sensations on my toes and scalp. They did the general neuro test. Then they did an MRI of my Brain and Cervical Spine. They stated that it came out normal. THey stated they believed it was not MS. They did other blood work, and tested me for ANA which came out negative, and then B-12 was 174. I was even tested for diabetes and the glucose test came out negative. My first neurologist stated that the neuropathy was due to B-12 deficiency. I had the series of 7 shots. then I was advised to go back to my Primary Care Physician to get b-12 injections once a month. During the time I had to wait for the first shot I advised my neurologist I was still having the systems and they did not alleviate. I took it upon myself to take sublingual B-12 5000mg daily to try to get rid of the numbness and tingling throughout my body.

I finaly went to my PCP for the first shot. I gave her a list of all my symptoms still. She did a whole blood work also and said everything was fine. She even did another ANA which came out negative again. The only thing that was off was my Vit. D which was at a level of 23-24. So I am taking megadose of vit. D for four weeks. I tried to tell my PCP what was going on and she just said go back to your neurologist. By this time I am dealing with anxiety and deprssion of what is happening to me. I have never been sick like this. I have had Hypothyroidism for six years, and then asthma all my life. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea prior to the weight loss surgery but I stopped using the cpap because after the weight loss i was able to sleep better. All doctors believed noone of this was what was causing the numbness/tingling throughout the body.

So at this point I decided to go to another neurologist Dr. Sara Austin in Austin, Texas I told her what was happening, and gave her all the results. SHe did another neurological exam, and even did the EMG test where she poked needles into the peripheral nerves to see if there was damage. That test came out normal. Along with her other blood work. she did a CBC, an tested me for other vit. min. deficiencies which all came out normal according to her. She also stated I do not have MS or Guillen Barre. I asked about Lyme disease and she said I did not have that either. She just recently ordered another lab work to check for Fabry's Disease, ERS blood test, and another test called a Rheumotoid Factor. I don't have those results yet.

I am just looking for answers. I asked my Lapband team if it could be the lapband and they stated No it was not. They took out some fill out of my band so that I could get more food in, thinking that the parenthesias was caused by malnutrition etc. I still have the numbness and tingling. My b-12 levels went from 174 to 1700 when my PCP tested me again. She stated I did not need to be taking any more B-12. I told her that I was taking the oral supplements but again that seemed to fall on death ears.

My Endocronologist recently said I had switched to hypo to hyperthyroidism. which is weird so she lowered my synthroid level to .150mcg two pills a day. it was at .175mcg two pills a day

So I am confused on what is going on with me. I will list my symptoms below, Maybe you could help or Guide me in a direction I need to be guided in. I would really appreciate your help. I know this was long but its been a long five months. I need answers and I need resolutions.

Symptoms:</SPAN>

Head - burning sensation on scalp occassionaly. Feels like I have a cap on somedats. tingling/numby. I do have a few pimples on the scalp but not sure if itsjust due to sweat or something else.

Forehead - Tight the numbness seems to travel down my face underneath my eyes. Like a pulling sensation to.

Face - cheeks numb/tight. around the mouth is tight and numb. I don't have any lost sensation it just feels numb and tight.

Lips - Tight/numb sometimes burning tingling sensation

Mouth - an ulcer on right cheek that has a clear bubble doesn't hurt. Upper Teeth numb.

Vision - blurred vision occassionaly. Went to Optamologist and said she didn't see anything like pseudo tumors that could cause this.

Neck/shoulders - tight and numb/tingling

Chest - tight and red. Feels numb also.

breast - feel tingling/had a recent mammo it came out fine

Arms- Right side feels more numb/tingling than left side. sometimes get burning sensations. Small red dots on upper arms not sure if they have always been there or if its just started.

Arms - Forearms feel tingling/pull. Burning sensation on wrists occassionally.

Elbow Joints - when squeezing touching very tender and slight pain

Fingers - Pointer fingers seem number than the rest, but again no sensation loss just feel numb. Joints feel stiff

Stomach area - Feel tingling around lapband and on the right side feel burning sensation/tingling down right side of stomach to abdomen frequently.

Kidneys - I think I feel an ache in them. I seem to feel sore, and feel tingling in that area. Burning pulling sensation sometimes in the front.

Abdomen - again burning/tingling sensation across belly button area and ovary area.

Legs - right let feels heavy and numb. Its had edema for a couple years now. but never has been numb or heavy. Left leg tingling numb frmo buttocks down. Right leg the same. Even my genital areas get tingling numb.

Toes/Feet - burning sensation on toes. stiff. but no sensation loss on toes or legs. no weakness or balance problems that have been found.

recently felt I was dealing with some mild vertigo but did not know if it was the Neurotin Dr. Austin prescribed me. 800mg three times a day, but only taking it at night due to having to work.

My prescriptons include:

synthroid .150 two pills once a day

Neurotin 800mg I only take at night

Hydroxzine 25MG...as needed for anxiety given to me by my old PCP

I was not depressed or suffering from anxiety prior to all of this happening. I was on top of the world. I was enjoying losing weight and doing things I had not been able to do. Then I hit this brick wall, and I feel like crap. I don't feel fatigued just tired off all the tingling, numbing burning sensations. I'm tired of my body feeling foreign. Has anyone had this occure with their lapband. I'm scared and tired. Everyone tells me not to take the band out. ....I'm so confused on what's causing this. I don't know what other options to persue.