Disheartened

Is it possible to survive eating food contaminated with botulism without realizing it and then experience ongoing mild effects of it for a year?  The reason I ask is that I was just referred to a neurologist for an MS check for symptoms I have been experiencing all year.  I haven't seen the neurologist yet, but my MRI looks fine.

Then, last week I was prescribed Flagyl for an unrelated problem and after three doses I had serious difficulty breathing, swallowing, holding my eyelids open, and it even felt like my knees would buckle.  When I held my arms overhead to blow-dry my hair they gave out.  I've experienced these things all year, but never all at once, so I immediately thought of the medication.

I looked back at my medical records and realized that there was a link between my symptoms and taking medication.  The last round of "exacerbation" was just after taking azithromycin, and before that dental work with novocain, and before that taking cephalexin.  I read that each of these medications can exacerbate Myasthenia Gravis, so I asked my primary care physican about it.

He said that I had no MG antibodies and suggested that I have a somataform disorder.  He also said there was probably no link between the medication, but without knowing the cause I do know that they are realated.  After the office visit, I looked again at my medical records and realized that just preceding all of these bouts with the medication and all of my symptoms was when I had been to the ER for possible food poisoning.  I never mentioned it to the doctor because it seemed to be before the neurological symptoms and unrelated.

My history went something like this:  I went to the ER vomiting, three weeks later felt I could not breathe, took cephalexin, over next 2 weeks vision problems started, had a shot of Novacain on right side of face (right side still does not feel the same as the left), could not hold eyelids open, then after weeks all seemed to pass ... then had an accident that required pain medication and numbing shot in foot, muscles and legs felt week, prescribed azithromycin for bronchitis, went to ER b/c couldn't breathe, neck hurt so bad could not hold head up, seemed better, took Flagyl, weak/couldn't breathe/see/swallow.

Do these medications aggravate botulism like MG, and is it possible to have botulism for some time and not know it?

[noops01]

Hi,
Symptoms of botulism occur usually within 12-36 hrs and some cases after 10 days but not later than that. Also botulism is a serious illness which requires immediate medical attention. Some of the symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath may take years to recover.So the possibility of you having botulism and not knowing it is not possible.
Also the possiblity that these medications can aggravate botulism does not arise since botulism is caused by nerve poison which is produced by a bacterium and these medications are antibiotic which either inhibit bacterial growth or kill the bacteria.Hope this information helps!