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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Worried I have ALS or Lyme!
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Worried I have ALS or Lyme!
by greg 38, Jun 05, 2006 12:00AM
Im a 38yr old male. My problems started in the spring of 2005. I experienced floaters, pain in the right knuckle of my pinkie finger and numbness in some fingers of both hands while lying down.
In late August, I had blurred vision lasting one day. I went to an Opthamologist and my family physician ordered a stress test, MRI of brain, Carotid test and Sono of heart. All came back OK.
In Oct, I experienced back pain for no reason in the thorasic area. My doctor sent me to a physical thyrapist for my upper back problem. After a couple of sessions with a PT I started experiencing lower back pain and tightness in hamstrings and calves of both legs when standing. The pain was felt in either leg but never both at same time. I also started having muscle twitches in both legs while sitting. I was sent for MRIs of Thorasic and Lumbar. There was no evidence of pinched nerve. The Neurologist contributes my problems to peripheral nerves. I have an appointment for an EMG next week.
For the last month and a half, the pain in my upper legs has now moved to my feet. I have experienced buzzing in my heels, problems with plantar fascia and achilles. I have left heel pain when I wake up and start walking but after about an hour the pain goes away. The pain I have been experiencing since Jan comes and goes throughout the day.
Other symptoms that have experienced are fatigue, night sweats, ringing in my ear, pressure in my ear when weight trainng, nausea, the floaters have increased, filmy vision, heat sensation and itchiness in both legs (from feet to shin) and headaches.
In late August, I had blurred vision lasting one day. I went to an Opthamologist and my family physician ordered a stress test, MRI of brain, Carotid test and Sono of heart. All came back OK.
In Oct, I experienced back pain for no reason in the thorasic area. My doctor sent me to a physical thyrapist for my upper back problem. After a couple of sessions with a PT I started experiencing lower back pain and tightness in hamstrings and calves of both legs when standing. The pain was felt in either leg but never both at same time. I also started having muscle twitches in both legs while sitting. I was sent for MRIs of Thorasic and Lumbar. There was no evidence of pinched nerve. The Neurologist contributes my problems to peripheral nerves. I have an appointment for an EMG next week.
For the last month and a half, the pain in my upper legs has now moved to my feet. I have experienced buzzing in my heels, problems with plantar fascia and achilles. I have left heel pain when I wake up and start walking but after about an hour the pain goes away. The pain I have been experiencing since Jan comes and goes throughout the day.
Other symptoms that have experienced are fatigue, night sweats, ringing in my ear, pressure in my ear when weight trainng, nausea, the floaters have increased, filmy vision, heat sensation and itchiness in both legs (from feet to shin) and headaches.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-PW, Jun 11, 2006 12:00AM
I cannot give you a formal medical opinion over the internet unfortunately as this site is purely educational
A normal neurological examination and MRI goes a long way to exclude serious neurological disease, and I would be encouraged by this. ALS is a rare disorder, and a diagnosis can be made if there is signs of upper and lower motor neuron disease in more than 1-2 limbs by the clinical examination and EMG. Signs include objective muscle weakness or wasting with evidence of increased reflexes. It does not afect eyesight. Muscle twitching in the absence of muscle weakness or wasting is unlikely to be ALS.
Good luck
A normal neurological examination and MRI goes a long way to exclude serious neurological disease, and I would be encouraged by this. ALS is a rare disorder, and a diagnosis can be made if there is signs of upper and lower motor neuron disease in more than 1-2 limbs by the clinical examination and EMG. Signs include objective muscle weakness or wasting with evidence of increased reflexes. It does not afect eyesight. Muscle twitching in the absence of muscle weakness or wasting is unlikely to be ALS.
Good luck
You have to be sure that you are not having a "delayed" reaction to such drugs, before looking for lyme or als.
All the symptoms that you mention fit a 100% in a reaction to an antimalarial, or a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, but also match perfectly with quite a few other syndromes.
Other very serious lesions show up as well long after the treatment with fluoroquinolones, one of them is intractable tinnitus.
Taking fluoroquinolones with corticoids increase the risks of suffering some limitating disorders, like those related to tendons.
Hopefully you are not having a reaction to cipro because it is not common to have just a single symptom of toxicity, like tinnitus, although it has been recorded too.
Some people start with several symptoms and tinnitus is the most annoying and disturbing, and the longest lasting.
In special cases, and in all severe cases, fluoroquinolones cause permanent damages. The new texts including in the package inserts of quinolones state that quinolones may cause irreversible neurological damage, and tinnitus is one of the most frequent neurological abnormalities caused by quinolones.
The most reliable source of information about quinolones is provided by a site created by some victims. I do not have any relationship at all with it. It is:
www.fqresearch.org
You may visit it to rule out that you are not suffering a reaction to cipro. Less than 2% of all side effects of cipro are reported as side effects, so the manufacturers want us to believe that is a very safe antibiotic.
Thanks!
Tanks!
Thanks!