My father in law, who is 58, recently went to the doctors with a tingling/numbness on one side of his body. the Dr.s did a brain scan and have told him he has parkinsons disease. I've looked all over the web at parkinsons sites and they all seem to agree that there should be a tremor, stiffness, or slowness of movement. none of which he has. it seems more like he might have had a silent stroke or mini stroke. my husband is looking into trying to get him to get a second opinion since we both feel the doctors are wrong but we aren't entirely sure. So what does this sound like? does my father in law have a really early case of parkinsons or could it have been a stroke?
While tingling/numbness could be an early sign of Parkinson's Disease , no doctor can diagnose PD from a brain scan. almost always the only way to diagnose is to give the patient PD medications and see if they relieve the symptoms. Symptoms are often vague in the beginning but I would not trust this diagnosis. please encourage him to get a second opinion .
I personally would say a mini stroke. however i am no doctor just a lowly nurse what do i know
Numbness and tingling are a sign that there is a nerve issue. they are a symptom which can indicate a spinal injury or stroke but they are also a precursor to tremor or other neurodegenerative conditions. I know this personally because I have Parkinson's disease.
There are no lab diagnostic tests in place to diagnose Parkinson's disease yet although they are in the works. Brain scans such as a CT scan is, however, used to diagnose strokes – looking for blood flow interruption. One of the reasons for using various scans is to rule out other conditions which can be diagnosed with these lab tests.
nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/…
The tingling and numbness on one side does indeed sound like a stroke and that is one reason your father-in-law was tested. Apparently the tests ruled out stroke.
Please understand that the neurologist – at least I assume that your father-in-law was referred to neurology because it is best to have that PD diagnosis made by a motion specialist – also did other testing.
The most common test used is both verbal and observational. the doctor will use the UPDRS or the revised version to assess body function. Specifically: non-motor aspects of daily living; motor experiences of daily living; motor exam of the entire body and complications:
parkinsonsfocustoday.blogspot.com…
It never hurts to get a second opinion because these sensations did occur throughout one side of his body as opposed to just a hand, leg or foot which is more common. the symptoms which sent me to the doctor for (referral to neuro) a diagnosis was the numbness and tingling in my thumb. I was hoping for a carpal tunnel diagnosis but I already knew that I had other early symptoms (precursors) of the disease. I also felt that I had balance issues and was no longer comfortable on a ladder – which was serious for me because I needed to be able to make both home repairs and to use a ladder while at work on occasion.
Have you or your husband talked to your father-in-law about what the full exam and lab testing involved? you may find that your father-in-law has other early symptoms such as depression, change in handwriting or voice, sleep issues, loss of sense of smell, leg drag, loss of arm swing (on one side) and a few more which begin before the extreme dopamine neuron loss.
What medication did the doctor prescribe? When I was diagnosed, Azilect was not available although I did switch from Selegiline and Mirapex to Azilect once it was available because it is supposed to slow progression of PD. I was very insistent that I was not ready to take levodopa/carbidopa (Sinemet) because I didn't want to rush the time when the drug would begin to wear off.
You may find that a second opinion appointment might not be covered under his health insurance so be prepared for that. Nonetheless, it is a good idea in order to be sure that he is being properly treated and I join the others in encouraging you to do so. even if the diagnosis is the same, there may be some benefit. When you are looking, please try to find a physician with whom ideas can be shared. it the long run, this will be very important to your father-in-law and the family.