Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Re: Dysautonomia in a child?
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.
Re: Dysautonomia in a child?
by Julia__0__0, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By Julia on July 06, 1999 at 09:06:01
My 12-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy. She has had additional problems the last 20 months which have puzzled her doctors. These symptoms include, at various times and in various combinations:
Crying spells--sometimes pitiful, sometimes agitated, often sounding confused; nausea; vomiting; pallor; flushing of face and/or legs; purple hands after eating; glassy eyes; purple around eyes; dilated pupils, sometimes responding slowly to light; fatigue; quietness (normally very talkative); low-grade fever; slightly lower temperature; reduced muscle tone; sudden and profound drowsiness.
Seizures have been ruled out by 24-hour EEG (multiple day), but during hospitalization tachycardia with some sudden brief drops in heart rate (recorded by Holter monitor) and periods of low blood pressure were noted. A few checks of blood glucose ranged from 60's to 140's. However, her symptoms and the findings do not line up consistently. She is currently taking Robinul, Klonopin, and Baclofen for her cerebral palsy (EEG was done both with and without Klonopin).
Her local doctor thought she had acute confusional migraines (without headaches), but the neurologist who hospitalized her suspects the autonomic nervous system. Would you have any thoughts on her symptoms and any ideas on doctors/centers specializing in dysautonomia testing and treatment, specifically in children? I would also like to know if the crying spells would fit with dysautonomia. The crying spells started abruptly in a very even-tempered child exactly two weeks before the onset of the other symptoms. Any thoughts on standard treament choices in children would be great, too.
Thank you kindly.
My 12-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy. She has had additional problems the last 20 months which have puzzled her doctors. These symptoms include, at various times and in various combinations:
Crying spells--sometimes pitiful, sometimes agitated, often sounding confused; nausea; vomiting; pallor; flushing of face and/or legs; purple hands after eating; glassy eyes; purple around eyes; dilated pupils, sometimes responding slowly to light; fatigue; quietness (normally very talkative); low-grade fever; slightly lower temperature; reduced muscle tone; sudden and profound drowsiness.
Seizures have been ruled out by 24-hour EEG (multiple day), but during hospitalization tachycardia with some sudden brief drops in heart rate (recorded by Holter monitor) and periods of low blood pressure were noted. A few checks of blood glucose ranged from 60's to 140's. However, her symptoms and the findings do not line up consistently. She is currently taking Robinul, Klonopin, and Baclofen for her cerebral palsy (EEG was done both with and without Klonopin).
Her local doctor thought she had acute confusional migraines (without headaches), but the neurologist who hospitalized her suspects the autonomic nervous system. Would you have any thoughts on her symptoms and any ideas on doctors/centers specializing in dysautonomia testing and treatment, specifically in children? I would also like to know if the crying spells would fit with dysautonomia. The crying spells started abruptly in a very even-tempered child exactly two weeks before the onset of the other symptoms. Any thoughts on standard treament choices in children would be great, too.
Thank you kindly.
A few other options should be considered in addition to the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. One possibility is that she may have a metabolic disorder, such as a mitochondrial encephalopathy , these genertic disordes can manifest with both cardiac abnormailities, abnormalities of muscle tone and neurological problems. This group of inherited diesasew has only been recognized relatively recently and frequently tie together puzzling constellations of symptoms as you describe.
I would suggest that you seek an evaluation in a large university pedicatic neurology clinic , where you will be most likely to find some one with this sort of expertise. Yopu do not mention what part of the country you live in, the number of these specialists is relatively rare so you may need to travel. Our own expert in this area is Dr Bruce Cohen, ( 216 ) 444 5559 who deals with many of these cases, if you are prepared to travel to the Cleveland area.
Follow Ups:
Dysautonomia in a child? Julia 7/07/1999
(7)
Re: Dysautonomia in a child? CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 7/07/1999
(6)
Dysautonomia in a child? Julia 7/07/1999
(5)
Re: Dysautonomia in a child? CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 7/08/1999
(4)
Dysautonomia in a child? Julia 7/09/1999
(3)
Re: Dysautonomia in a child? CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 7/09/1999
(2)
Dysautonomia in a child? Julia 7/11/1999
(1)
Re: Dysautonomia in a child? CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS 7/11/1999
(0)