after birth of child, started having pain, swelling and stiffness in spine

I am a 35 year old female. After the birth of my 4th child (10/99), I started having pain, swelling and stiffness in my spine. I also have burning, tingling and some numbness in my left shoulder (shoulder blade area), as well as in my left breast. I have also experienced pain in my umbilicus area due to a small hernia. Also constipation and cramping I'm assuming as a result of that. I have been checked for lupus and arthritis, as well as hypothyrodism. The only test that has come back questionable is my blood sugar. It was very low (71) in the late afternoon. (no fasting). The only trauma I can think of was during my labor, my epidural was extremely painful. The pain was not upon injection, but in another area. It was as if a nerve approximately 3 or 4 inches higher (left side of my spine) was being severed. I should have had the anest. stop, but was delivering a 10lb baby and after weighing the situation, the epidural pain seemed mild to delivering this child with no medication! Of course, I didn't know I would have such difficulties afterwards. Could this pain be a breast tumor? or just nerve damage. I've also read about epidural abscesses??? I am breast feeding and wondering if that could cause some of the heaviness and pain affecting the nerves. Wouldn't if affect both sides of my back? I had a 6 week post-partum exam with no complications. Sorry to ramble - THANKS for any help. Cindy F

Jan 24, 2000

What about Autoimmune Hypothalamus? *

What about locked bowel? an autoimmune issue butyl or glycol ether could cause

Diarrhea then Constipation?

Dear Cindy, it is nice that you have started this forum

Regarding your questions here
medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/Tingling--burning--fasciculations/show/293284

What is thought of as a common cold, is many times exposure to one of the glycol butyl ethers, and it can cause many autoimmune issues at once.
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/health/flu.htm FLU? *

Abnormal blood sugar (high or low), abnormal body temp (high or low) abnormal blood pressure, too
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/health/temp_bp_bsugar.htm

The chemical I know best that would cause these and the symptoms you've listed in this thread is 2-butoxyethanol or ethylene glycol monobutyl ether
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/msn/renalliver/notwithout.htm

I suspect it causes CFIDS< CFS, FM ... and that the fatigue is Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia or IMHA ... however, so many things start going wrong at once that the fatigue is not easily found by doctors.

I suspect doctors would have to LOOK at the red blood cells and find out about kidneys / liver
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/health/find.htm

The ringing in ears on a thread I looked at just now (yours or another) could also be something this chemical exposure would cause : an autoimmune issue that leads to deafness.
http://www.valdezlink.com/pages/autoimmune.htm#hearing

I think for many of the CFIDS type symptoms that start up after or around childbirth, can be something in the anesthesia that is given ... & then it is called HELLP syndrome
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/hellpsyndrome2.htm

I write these web pages to express my thoughts, as my son was harmed by this chemical when he worked on the Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup.

An interesting thing I noticed (for very advanced fatigue that this butyl/or glycol ether causes), is that an anemia sign is very high white blood cell counts and in an autoimmune system, these WBCs seem to attack the body more .... So, degenerative disc disease can be an autoimmune issue in this setting.
http://www.valdezlink.com/re/discussdegenerativediscs.htm

Body temperature control issues can be autoimmune hypothalamus. Tingling in hands, etc can also be an autoimmune issue of one of the nervous system/s. Ringing in ears that was talked about earlier on a related thread can be a sign of autoimmune issue that leads to deafness. (Menier's Disease)

Hearing Loss can be an Autoimmune issue

Loss of vision is also high on the list along with loss of sense of taste and smell.

The stiffness and pain in spine that cindyf spoke about after birth of 4th child in 1999 could be, as she suspected, related to something in the anesthesia (butylated inert ingredient?) could cause the symptoms of HELLP Syndrome. * Constipation may instead be an autoimmune issue: locked bowel.

All of these autoimmune issues with resultant CFIDS, CFS, FM odd assortment of ailments should suspect exposure to 2-butoxyethanol or one of the glycol butyl ethers. Avoid this chemical at all costs. However, you can also be exposed in home cleaning products, and how would you know? It does not have to be disclosed to housewives, or to anyone, unless a company voluntarily decides to do so.

If you have a lot of direct exposure the doctor should be able to find the anemia, if the doctor looks at the red blood cells and finds out everything about them, and if the doctor will look closely at hormones of kidney; liver and kidney function.

They are inter-related somehow