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Having Symptoms Like Headache, Severe Nerve Pains, Feeling Weak, Breathing Problems And Heart Palpitation. Could This Be CNS Infection?
Question: 5 months ago i was away in south XXXXXXX I had a collapsion of some kind and was still consious but unable to move on the floor for about 10 minutes. Everyday since then i have had multiple symptoms such as severe head pains in head and back of face, extreme aches all over body, severe nerve pains of all kinds all over body , rush of electric nerve wave through body, have felt very unwell very weak, breathing problems, heart palpitation , abnormal sensory sensations throughout body like feeling the nerves vibrate and a whooshing sound in head and feeling in body constantly. i have had these synptoms since the night of the collapsion almost 5 months ago.I had a mri of the brain and it came back all clear and alot of blood test and all normal again. The doctor thought it was lyme disease so gave me a month of doxycyclone antibiotics. I have felt slightly better since taking the antibiotics but i still have these symptons. I never had any health problems before this collapsion and i just want to be well like before and have a diagnosis so i can know wats happened to me and possible treatment. Does this sound like a infection in the CNS? Please explain. XXXXX
Brief Answer:
My reply is below.
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
It is unfortunate that you have not improved even after five months after the illness started, and moreover, a clear cut diagnosis has not been made.
In my opinion, you suffered an infection, most likely Lyme disease, and what we are seeing now, is the post-infective syndrome. The brain and nerves take some time to recover after an infection, and these symptoms can occur in the recovery period.
Normal MRI of brain rules out any significant damage to the brain.
I presume lumbar puncture (cerebrospinal fluid analysis) was done in the beginning to exclude a CNS infection.
Also, MRI of the spinal cord and nerve conduction studies (NCS, EMG) should be done to evaluate the current status of spinal cord and peripheral nerves.
As of now, you would benefit from medications such as pregabalin or gabapentin capsules. You should also continue physiotherapy and regular exercises.
Good food and vitamin supplements would also help you recover faster.
I hope it helps. Please get back if you require any additional information.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD (Internal Medicine), DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, India
Click on this link to ask me a DIRECT QUERY: http://bit.ly/Dr-Sudhir-kumar
My BLOG: http://bestneurodoctor.blogspot.in
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Doctor , since i been taking ocycyclodone the severe aches in the body has stopped and i feel a general more wellbeing. I am still on my last week of antibiotics. I get very strange uncomfortable sharp and the nerves whooshing vibrating in my head all the time , i am worried about this as its frightening these odd head pains and nerve sensacion in head. I havent had a lumbar puncture but i suspect i should ask the doctor to perform one aswell as mri of spinal cord. I cannot have any wine as the nerves are all inflamed in my system and i start to get inflamation pains all over. Also constantly hearing buzzing noises in head? Do you think its defenatly a infection affecting the cns? Is there other kind of treatment to kill infection but first the kind of infection has to be diagnosed? I constantly have pains inside my head and odd rapid nerve sensasion. How long would you say to stay on antibiotic doxycyclone is a month long enough but if symptoms persist then better to have lumbar punture to detect infection in cns?Please answer thank u doctor.
Brief Answer:
Thank you for getting back.
Detailed Answer:
Yes, it may be better to do a lumbar puncture to exclude any CNS infection, especially if your symptoms do not improve. Other treatments would depend on the results of lumbar puncture and MRI reports.
You may continue antibiotics for about six weeks total.
MRI spinal cord and nerve conduction studies should be done. Please discuss with your doctor regarding them.
Wishing you speedy recovery,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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