Unanswered Questions, sickness and neurological symptoms

[Curmudgeon76]

Greetings all,

This is a a bit long so bear with me.
I'm a 25 year old male. I contracted mono in November and got a very bad case of it and didn't take adequate time to rest. I was only out of work for 2 weeks and during that time was somewhat out and about.

Symptoms of a new illness presented in March, starting with a canker sore, and progressing to flu like symptoms. I noticed greenish/brown mucus and tooth pain and went to doctor for an anti-biotic (I think Bactrim). I took the antibiotic which seemed to clear up what I thought was a sinus infection but I still wasn't feeling better and my glands were very swollen (they still are too a degree). The doctor prescribed Augmentin due to the remaining swollen glands and remaining flu like symptoms.

On April 16th, I had tingling in my hands and feelings of pure exhaustion. My blood pressure was lower than normal (for me) and I felt somewhat light headed. I had my girlfriend bring me to the ER where I had labs, urine and chest x-ray, all of which were normal.

A few days later, I was working in art class (still feeling very sick) with an x-acto knife that wasn't especially clean and jabbed myself in the thumb. It'd been 11 years since my last tetanus booster. I didn't get one right away, and the next day, experienced a muscle twitch under the skin while I was at work. I immediately panicked and went first thing the next day for a tetanus shot.

Over the course of the neck few weeks, I noticed muscle weakness, twitching in the jaw and neck stiffness, and an increase in heart rate (especially with light exertion and going from sitting to standing position) and general feelings of exhaustion. I went to my primary care and expressed my concern about Tetanus, but Dr. said due to my proper vaccination history and treatment within 48 hours of wound was a near impossibility. My doctor suspected Lyme disease when I mentioned I had noticed a few red bumps on my neck upon waking a month or so earlier, and prescribed me a 3 week course of Doxycycline but symptoms did not improve.

I found that I had no temperature even though I was certain I must have a fever (hot flash feelings) and it was often subnormal (sometimes as low as 96.9) The highest I ever had was 99F. The weakness has since progressed to twitching all over my body and tenderness in muscles. I have some swelling or slightly increased muscle tone in the jaw and pain in the lower jaw and teeth (having two horizontally impacted bottom wisdom teeth that never got removed probably doesn't help) I was experiencing (and still am) jaw and throat tightness, neck stiffness, and what the doctor referred to as "trigger points" in my back. I've had some spasticity and my muscles feel heavy and I have burning sensations throughout my body that seem to come and go and affect different areas at different times. I was diagnosed with PAC's (benign heart palpitations) in 05' and they have since gotten worse, and I sometimes have feelings of shortness of breath or labored breathing and palm sweating. The symptoms seem to be getting progressively worse slowly. I'd been having some constipation as well as weight loss (a lot of which is due to poor eating habits from the severe anxiety that's been accompanying this). Dr.also put me back on Augmentin again for 2 weeks, and when I expressed further concern about the tetanus, a one week course of Keflex (I am basically a walking anti-biotic: could this be killing good bacteria and causing more harm than good?)

I'd have every test in the book (just about) including: multiple labs, CBC with differential, c reactive protein, sed rate, two lyme disease tiders, a comprehensive western blot lyme test, two HIV tests, multiple blood tests for muscle enzymes and functions, EMG muscle testing, MRI of brain (which revealed slight abnormality which neuro said was consistent with CFS or lyme), test for Lupus, rheumatoid panel, allergy test (blood test), CT scan of everything from base of lungs down (due to constipation and tenderness above groin area), and echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), two EKG's, and all results (except for the MRI) have been NORMAL. My white and red blood cell counts however were on the low end of the normal spectrum, my sed rate was very low (1) which I was told was good. I've been taking Lexapro and Xanax to try and manage the symptoms but I've been on the Xanax for several months and my body is building up a tolerance to the dose I'm on. I'm been taking tylenol like it's candy. The muscle symptoms range from painless twitching, to stabbing pain and tightness which can be quite painful at times.

I've seen two neurologists, both of which feel my symptoms are not a result of a neurological disease (though the second doctor had a much better bed side manner and is ordering a spinal tap to rule out anything potentially serious such as MS or ALS), and I'm having a soft tissue MRI of jaw and neck.  I've seen two infectious disease doctors who assured me Tetanus is impossible considering how long it's been since my injury.

I'm very confused, scared and am convinced I'm dying. Am I alone in this? Has/dose anyone else experienced these type of deabilitating symptoms here?  Do these symptoms sound like they could be a form of some type of toxicity?  I feel like I'm getting progressively worse.  Any advice on where to go next would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks so much in advance.

[ggreg]

Dear Patsy,
Honestly, Patsy, sometimes I think if I say white, you say black.  That's okay, Cur is smart enuff to take what he wants and leave the rest.  But Patsy, I want you to think real hard about Cur's history.  Go back to some of his earlier posts when he complained about his jaw and a wild-looking throat.  He has NOT been to a dentist since this thread began.  HE brought up his own wisdom teeth.  All the docs agree he has an infection and don't know why.  Bingo!  He needs to go to the dentist.  Why disagree with my advice, Patsy?  It wouldn't HURT for him to go.  I mean, absess is a terrible thing, and he doesn't need a heart specialist to find out what's wrong with his teeth!  All I know is, if my advice will give him some relief, what point is there in telling him to cross it off his list?  GG

[patsy10]

Sorry, I spelled a couple words wrong.  It's early and I'm not awake yet.

[patsy10]

Honestly, I don't think your teeth have anything to do with this whatsoever.  Any dentist would know right off the bat if your teeth were that bad.  X rays show impacted teeth etc.  I had bad wisdom teeth for ages and other than being sore they caused no problems at all.  Complications of infected teeth are usually heart related.  Inefection can get in the heart.  Then little pieces can break off and cause strokes when they float to the brain.  This is why people with artificial heart valves or heart murmurs have to take antibiotics prior to dental work.  I have seen people like this.  Trust me, they are sick......high fevers, sepsis etc...  The cardiologist would have picked up on this right away.  I think you had an echo????  If the heart is infected there are vegatations of the valves that can be seen.  Honestly, if it was me, I would cross this one right off my list.  I would however get the teeth out just for my own comfort.

[ggreg]

Dear Cur,
I am trying to stay out of this, but the teeth business I know something about.  Impacted wisdom teeth have to be taken out.  You can't just let them stay in there, or they'll cause an infection.  Untreated bad teeth will cause you to get an absess, which can get so bad that the pus can break through the cheek and you'll be scarred for life.  Sound scary?  I hope so.  Because I want you to please go to the dentist.

At the dentist, they know exactly what to do about your teeth.  You don't have to ask them for any particular test or anything.  They'll take one look in your mouth and be fully capable of clearing up anything and everything strange that is going on in there.  Typically they'll take X-rays of your teeth with their special machines, so they can decide what course of action to take.  They'll schedule you to have your screwed-up teeth out, they'll clean your teeth completely, they'll give you special meds just for mouth infections, and they'll schedule you to come back for a followup.  

But unless you have those teeth out, I don't care if you drink 100 quarts of antibiotic daily, they will keep festering and carrying on, all by themselves.  You can't "kill" a goofed up tooth with drugs.  You have to remove it.  A large percentage of people do remove their wisdom teeth at one time or other.  Mine were removed, and boy did that feel so much better.  A lot of times, teeth nearby will need to be attended to, gums will need to be cared for, also, which they'll know what to do.

At the age of 25, you should see a dentist regularly to have them cleaned, and also so they can be on the lookout for dental issues that come up from time to time throughout a person's life.  People have been going to the dentist for ages, just as commonly as they go to a family doctor.  The modern diet people eat causes teeth to rot, causes gum disease, and can lead to dreadful infections and pretty bad illness.  Impacted wisdom teeth, even before the era of modern diet, is perfectly normal, and it is so easy for dentists to to take those out, you'd be a fool to let that go, I don't care how much it costs to get them taken care of.  I've seen programs on TV where ancient skeletons are found that show impacted wisdom teeth and an early death on account of them, because they can date old bones and do forensics to find the cause of death.

Just call to make a dental appointment, tell them you've got impacted wisdom teeth.  They'll set you up, usually a month or two wait, and they'll look in your mouth, do some X-rays, and may attempt to go ahead and do a cleaning, depending on how long it's been since you've had a teeth cleaning.  Usually they set up a later appointment to do the teeth extractions.  Sometimes they'll send you to a specialist to look at your gums, if they're severely diseased.  If all this is too expensive for you, go to the county health clinic and they'll do it for much less, at a cost rated according to how much money you make.

Once you told us you weren't sure if mono was the problem, and I remembered the business about your wisdom teeth, and I told you dental problems can cause an infection, which would explain many of your fever and other symptoms.  You have been rolling around with these rather obscure diseases, when, once again, something fairly simple can be causing your ill-health.  The only reason I point out these simple things is because all your docs and tests say you are basically normal, except for infection.  I mean, if I had a wierd tumor in my head, I'd want to know, too.  But you don't.

It is frustrating to visit this thread and knowing stuff, and you keep obsessing and not getting anywhere, which is why I "left" for a while.  Either you want to get well or you don't.  Quit thinking you've got a fatal disease or tumor, and get thee to a dentist!  It can't hurt, that's for sure.  After that, you can reevaluate yourself.  Be prepared for a rather lengthy process of visits to the dentist to get yourself straight.  I neglected my teeth at one point in my life, and boy did I pay for it.  Took them about a year to get me straight.  But even if you wanted to keep the process short, and they did nothing else but clean your teeth and remove bad teeth, which would only take a couple visits and some medication, you'd be in much better shape than where you are surely headed if you don't do something about it now.
GG

[Curmudgeon76]

Patsy,

regarding the possibility of a dental cause.  I have two horizontally impacted wisdom teeth on the bottom, as well as receding gums and enamel wear.  What would be the best way to look for dental problems that could be causing this?  Are standard x-rays sufficient, or is there better testing?

[patsy10]

I think it's Valtrex which is a form of acyclovir, but I'm not sure.  It's controversial but it has been given to people with chronic fatigue syndrome from suspected viruses.  I know there is a virus called hhv6 (human herpes virus 6) which can cause all these weird neuro symptoms.  The CD 57 is a test for lyme.  It doesn't test for lyme but it shows  how the immune system is working.  From what I have read a low CD 57 is consistent with lyme.