Dear Doctor,
The doctors are baffled as to what has happened. I would be grateful if you have any views as to what it may be. I am a 5 year old women, am very worried and would love to get t the bottom of it as a lot of the symptoms persist. Below are a list of the symptoms experienced and what exactly happened.Just to note all bad things have been ruled out and are just presuming it is a virus that may have attcked my nervous system?
Symptoms Experienced over the last 9 months
1. Abnormal Fatigue- sleeping 18- 20 hours a day
2. Chills & fever like symptoms
3. Joint aches in ankles, wrists, shoulder and shoulder blade
4. Low Blood Pressure
5. Feeling of pressure and swelling of brain
6. Muscle Paralysis in arm and both legs
7. Weakness in limbs
8. Wriggling sensation through body
9. Severe headaches and neck stiffness
10. Sensitivity to light
11. Shooting pains up the spine
12. Heart palpitations and irregular heart rhythm
13. Numbness and tingling in the arm hands and feet
14. Hot flushes and Hot Sweats
15. Lack of Concentration/ Memory
16. At present sleep disturbance if sleeping tablet is not taken
17. Changes in mood
About 10 years ago a doctor told me that I had virus in my joints as I found it difficult walking for a week.
6 years later I attended a specialist as I was vomiting up blood for a constant year. All tess were conducted but never found what was wrong, The doctos were baffled.
Over the last 2/3 years I have had hot flushes and hot sweats constantly. I used to have this unusual sensation at the bottom of my head, now and again but thought nothing of it.
I first really noticed myself becoming unwell in November 2007. I was experiencing abnormal fatigue when sleeping 18-20 hours a day. When I would wake up, I would feel unfreshed. I also had a pain, like a sore knot under my left shoulder blade for months.
During the Christmas Holidays 2007 I got my Blood tests taken at my local G.P. On January 10th 2008 I was driving in my car, when I felt I had no power in my left foot to clutch the pedal in the car. That night I felt very sick and faint. My legs became very weak and fell. I then lay on the bed for two hours and my legs came back to normal.
The following day, I experienced a lot of pain in a muscle at the top of both legs. This pain was affecting my walk where it caused me to drag both legs.
The following day, the pain was in one leg only (left) and in my left arm. I began to get pins and needles, tingling and numbness in my left arm and leg. The pain under my shoulder blade began to get worse. I was also experiencing a wriggling sensation through out my body.
A few days later I went to my Doctor for my blood test results that were taken at Christmas. The results were normal. I told the doctor about what happened a few days prior and he sent me to hospital for further tests and scans .I was then discharged two days later. I tried to drive home when I was discharged, and only managed to get a half a mile down the road. I was experiencing huge difficulty changing the gears in the car by using my two hands on the gear stick. I had no power in my left arm and the pain in my shoulder blade was getting worse.
Two days later I was re- admitted into the hospital again. The pain in my arm was unbearable and could not move it. The Doctor then informed me that all my ultra scan results were normal, however a number of cysts were seen on the MRI Brain Scan results. I was put on Lyrica medication for the pain in my arm starting at 50mg, which was increased gradually up to 400 mg on
The MRI was repeated again, and with the contrast dye. The result appeared as normal and the cysts were not sinister. I then had a lumber puncher, a day after the scans. That night I started to shiver and felt very feverish. My right leg started to shake and spasm off the bed. This lasted for approximately 40 minutes. It then stopped and felt paralysed.
My left leg then started to do the same, and lasted for approx 20 minutes. The left leg also felt paralysed. After this I could feel this unusual sensation moving from my left leg and up to my heart and stomach. I then had palpitations and cramps in my stomach. I felt that I was out of breath and wanted oxygen. My blood pressure had dropped to 60/40.
I received a lot more scans and tests in the next week or so. I was paralysed in
both legs and arm for approx 3 / 4 weeks and was dependant on a wheelchair.
The Lyrica was increased to 400mg per day, where this kept the pain at bay. I then kept getting palpitations where it went in a cycle, which is as follows:
§ Hot Flush
§ A pulsating feeling at the bottom of my brain
§ Then fast heart rate
My heart rate had reached a reading of 160 and 170 at one stage. I was then put on beata bloc to keep my pulse rate at bay. The Cardiologist then came to assess me and thought my heart was normal. I received physiotherapy and rehailitation in the hospital. I was then walking with two walking sticks. It was noted that I was dragging my right leg and also both hips were pivoting upwards, where I had an abnormal walk and brisk reflexes.
After nearly 5 weeks been in hospital I was making a great recovery at home, I was down to 1 walking stick, until a month later I had a relapse. I was still experiencing the wriggling sensation but not as bad. I also felt very dizzy, light headed and headaches. The wriggling sensation was getting worse and worse throughout my body. My heart rate was fast even though I was still on the beata bloc and inside my head felt swollen with an unusual sensation spasming around inside. Again I experienced numbness, tingling and weakness in my legs. In the matter of minutes my legs were paralysed again and couldn’t feel anything. It felt like it was building itself up to an attack and leaving my legs numb and paralysed.
I was re-admitted again into hospital and the same MRI’s were carried out.
All bloods were sampled etc but everything seems to be normal. I was again defined to a wheelchair.
At present I get bouts of paralysis and weakness in my arm or leg. I still have this horrible wriggling sensation throughout my body, chronic fatigue, irregular heart rate and feeling of heart beat stopping occasionally for about 3-4 seconds, shooting pain up my spine, the feeling of an electric shock through my body only when in bed, joint aches and muscle weakness.
I sometimes wonder about my illness in the past.Was this the start to my present unidentified illness? Are they linked?