post viral syndrome

[lori]

Dear Drs.
I have seen several posts regarding post viral syndrome (which I have been diagnosed with after viral labrynthitis and viral meningitis this summer) but I have a question I don't believe has been addressed.  It has been six months and I still have poor balance, dizzy, and a host of neurological sensations that every doctor says is puzzling because all MRI's, blood work and evoked response are normal.  Burning skin, tingling, shivering, involuntary head movements like shaking head "no" and visual problems are just some of the symptoms.  Doctor has me on Clonazepam and Zoloft to try to settle the nervous system.

I understand from what I have read in this forum ( very helpful) that it will just take time to recover.  My question is, can post viral syndrome cause anything else later or permanently damage my health?  And how is it that the symptoms last so long after the acute attack.

Thank you for any insight.  You provide a great service.
Lori

[Doug Theobald]

This is a message to everyone involved on the "post-viral" threads of late - if you would be willing to give me your e-mail address and talk about things, I am interested (Lori, Joan, Amy, Tia, Maggie, Gary, Rae, Jennifer, Mr.B, Lee, and anyone else). I personally have benefitted greatly from hearing everyone's stories, and learning that I am not alone in all this.  I would really like to know how everyone is doing, now and in the future.  

Thanks and good luck,

Douglas Theobald
***@****

[Reenie]

I want to say that it is never MANDATORY that you vaccinate your child as you all might think.  Almost all states allow religious or philosophical exemptions.  I took a religious exemption for my 5th Grader and did not vaccinate him against Hep C.  I am not completely against vaccines, but I am against this practice of "vaccinitis."  The medical community has NO IDEA exactly this might be impacting the immune systems etc. of our children over the long-term.  Playing super heros, they want to eradicate every disease from the face of the planet...this is a game we will not win at -- viruses and bacteria mutate and find a way to infect.  Two of my children had the chicken pox last Winter and while no tea party, they survived just fine with rest, good nutrition, and homeopathy.  Now they have real immunity.  Of course this rationale cannot be applied to something like tetanus -- each vaccine must be looked at in terms of its risk/benefit ratio.  There are many groups out there that will help you figure out the laws in your state.  Just explore it over the net.  Good luck.

[Lady Jay]

I agree.  Vaccines aren't mandatory, but there are some that should stand.  Small Pox, Polio...

But as for having vaccines for EVERYTHING under the sun... NO NO NO.  The Flu Vaccines?  Uh... (shaking my head) no.  If they could guarantee no contamination and 100% safe for everybody and if the entire population of the world was facing Black Death, I'd probably change my mind...

...but I got slammed up and down, back and forth, sideways and upside down.  Documented.  To me?  Ha!  Good luck in trying to convince me.  There's enough anti-bacterial products gorging the marketplace now to prevent "grey death".  There should be no need for 1000 vaccines for 1000 different viruses.

They say, "The Flu can kill you!"  I say, "No it can't... it's what the virus mutates into that can kill you!  Namely the Guillain/Barre Syndrome (if not caught in time) be it acquired via personal contact or... a stinking vaccine.

I haven't had one since February 4, 1972... and haven't had any flu since.  (think I could be immune?)

[To All Suffering - to Chris]

Chris,
I had numerous floaters.  In fact, the vision problem began with floaters.  They were numerous, but only so many.  They were nowhere near as bad as the next problem.  Light sensitivity.  It appeared, and kept getting worse on a day-by-day basis.  It peaked with the sparkles that you describe.  If that wasn't bad enough... every single thing I looked at had a ghost-like "halo".  While all this was happening, my body felt like it was having the flu, but with no temperature.  None.  Zilch.  I couldn't figure out why in the hell I felt like death, but had no fever!  I continued to work (struggled is a better term) then began my quest to find out what was wrong.  Nobody knew.  I had 4 different diagnosis's over a 2 week period.  Then my tongue went numb on the side and the "halos" started, then my toes went numb, then my fingertips and the whole time... it felt like a bad bad case of the viral flu (one diagnosis was just that).  The whole time my eyes... jeeze!  My eyes kept getting worse and worse.  Finally, I went to my GP again (by now, deperate and drooling because of the numbness) and he admitted that he couldn't diagnose it in his office.  Then I collapsed, somehow ended up in an ER seeing two identical neurosurgeons beside my gurnie bcause my vision had gone totally double that quick.  Within a week, I was totally paralyzed from head to toe, seeing double with light-sensitive eyes and in hell on earth

And all this... from a bad flu shot.  Mandatory by the company I worked for.  By the time GBS allowed me to be released from the hospital, it was over 60 days later and still not able to walk.  My vision was somewhat better, but the rest of me... (ha) weighed 96 lbs- down from 126.

It's all Post Viral... Guillain/Barre, CIDP and Post Viral.  All syndromes stemming from... what else?  Either the flu itself... or a flu shot.

And the aftermath... well, that's another story.  Every single one of us has a different story to tell.  Now you know how you acquired your problem.  It does get better, however.  It took me over 3 years to feel like somebody again.  (I didn't mean to elaborate so broadly, when all you wanted to know dealt with vision-related problems.)  Good luck

[Reenie]

Can't believe what you have been through with your son.  Five years later I am much better.  I suffered with many of his same symptoms.  It is/was either post-viral and/or Lyme Disease.  E-mail me off this forum if you need support.  Maureen ***@****

[Chris - TO LEE]

Lee,

Have you had any visual problems? If so, what kind?


Thank you,
Chris