COULD THIS BE A VIRUS????

[jvogle]

My husband 57 suddenly started to have the following symptoms:
first -- cold followed by plugged ear and numbness on left side of face and neck
a few days later he felt a little off balance and had numbness left thigh down and all of right side.
His legs felt weak and he said that his legs were not going where he wanted them to go and still don't.  He can walk  but cannot walk quickly.  He fell one time and said that he doesn't feel the floor underneath him.

Now his left eyelid is drooping.  He has had MRIs of the complete spine and his brain and many different blood tests including Lyme.  

He has been to a neurosurgeon who said it is not coming from the spine -- may have suffered a stroke.  Went to a neurologist who said it was coming from the spine.  Went to a spine specialist who said it is definitely not from the spine and that he should see a neurologist!

He has absolutely no pain just this numbness and weakness.  

He also had a carotid artery doppler -- it  was negative.  

He is scheduled to have a echocardiogram and MRA but his primary thinks it may be a virus but has no clue as to what kind of virus.  He is running the other tests just to rule our something that might have casued a small stroke but he is doubtful it was a stroke.

Has anyone ever heard or seen anything like this?  He is becoming more disabled and we are running out of options.      

[metistrapper]

In some cases of Guillain Barre syndrome the some people will have minor symptoms with no paralysis while others end up paralyzed on life support.

[patsy10]

No not really.  There is a specialized lab though.  Lyme is a clinical diagnosis when testing is negative.  The WB may have been all-around negative but did any bands show up on it?   A doctor who specializes in lyme is often the one who diagnosis it.  Less than 50% of people remember a rash.  Also, the bite could have been weeks, months, years prior.  If you are interested in learning more about it.  The health pages on the lyme forum here at MedHelp has information on it.

[jvogle]

There is no rash.  They did a Lyme Titer and also a Western Blot -- both negative.

Is there a more definitive test?  Do you know?

[jvogle]

Hi

It seems that Guillain Barre Syndrome one is paralyzed -- he is not.  Do you know if in some cases there is no paralysis?  

[patsy10]

The testing for lyme is  not very accurate and a negative test does not mean he doesn't have it.  Not saying he has this but it's a possibility and you live in a lyme endemic state.  Was the test a western blot?  I was in a similar predicament several months after bullseye rashes.  All my tests were normal too.

[metistrapper]

Have they tested him for Guillain Barre Syndrome? It sounds a lot like what happened to my step son.