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Suddenly Noticed No Movement In Hand And Body. What Is The Disease Called?

Posted on Sat, 2 Mar 2013

Question: My father-in-law is 85 yrs old. Tonight, he suddenly moves his hand, body and mouse unwillingly. It stops sometime and it stops when his position changes. Today he went outdoor for a while in the afternoon-it was very cold and lots of snow in Boston.he ate with the concern of blood sugar. What could it be? Should I call 911?

Answered by Dr. Gopal Krishna Dash (52 minutes later)

Hello,

Thanks for this question

I have noted his problems. The possibilities are
1. Seizure - closely related to epilepsy
2. Hemichorea-hemiballism - a type of movement disorder

He needs evaluation including neurological examination. His blood glucose and sodium levels should be checked again immediately. He may also require tests like EEG and MRI scan of brain to differentiate between these conditions. And yes, this problem could be related to low/high glucose too.

Currently he needs to get his blood sugar levels checked immediately. You can call 911/other means to get him evaluated. And also plan a visit to a neurologist's office to confirm the possibility and treat it.

Hope this clarifies your query. Let me know if you have any other enquiries.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Gopal Krishna Dash (8 hours later)

Thanks for the responses. He is still having tremors. His blood pressure and blood sugar (140) have been normal. He can walk and eat. He is conscious. He does not seem to have fever. What could be the cause of his upper body tremor? What should I do next? Thank you.

Answered by Dr. Gopal Krishna Dash (6 minutes later)

Thanks for the feedback.
There are so many causes of these types of movement. The most common causes have been listed in the last query. Other possibility could be a tremor of Parkinson’s disease. As he is otherwise normal and his blood glucose is also normal, I think you can visit a local neurologist in the office hour and get him examined. The clinical interview and the neurological examination will clinch the diagnosis. This will guide us if he requires any brain scan or not.

Best wishes

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E