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Injected Crystal Meth. Noticed Tingling, Numbness And Swelling In Cranial Nerve. Any Advice?
Question: hi I injected a large amount of crystal meth two weeks ago. I don't do it a lot only a few times over 5yrs. during it my heart was racing severely for 10hrs+ etc. the next day my face started to tingle and has gradually worsened to a numbness. it is just the right side from the jaw bone to the eye. it feels like dentist anesthetic wearing off. it isn't constant and tends to get worse at nite it is a lot better when I wake up. the face function is fine just numbness and tingling. my eye rflex is fine. iread that it can cause nerve damage to the cranial nerve. i was wondering if it is likely to be permanent damage - hopefully it is tempoarry and will slowly repair? would it show up on a mri scan? should i get one? is there treatment at this stage even if it is damaged? am I now more prone to possible strokes given that this has happened? my GP has me on a round of predisone for a week as he thinks th damage could be from cranial nerve swelling??? i look forward to your advice and help thanks for your help.
Hi,
Thank you for posting your query.
First of all, I would like to reassure you that the nerve involvement is a minor one, and it should improve over time.
Cranial nerve damage is rare with crystal meth, and in most cases, it is not a permanent one. In your case, there seems to be the involvement of trigeminal nerve, which supplies sensation to the face.
It would be useful to get an MRI and MR angiogram of the brain done to establish the reasons for your symptoms.
I would agree with your doctor's choice of steroid treatment.
There is no risk of increased stroke risk in you.
I hope it helps. Please get abck if you have more queries.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Thank you for posting your query.
First of all, I would like to reassure you that the nerve involvement is a minor one, and it should improve over time.
Cranial nerve damage is rare with crystal meth, and in most cases, it is not a permanent one. In your case, there seems to be the involvement of trigeminal nerve, which supplies sensation to the face.
It would be useful to get an MRI and MR angiogram of the brain done to establish the reasons for your symptoms.
I would agree with your doctor's choice of steroid treatment.
There is no risk of increased stroke risk in you.
I hope it helps. Please get abck if you have more queries.
Wishing you good health,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you for your quick reply appreciate the information.
I was wondering if I hold off on getting a scan to see whether it comes good - is that likely to result in further damage if in fact there has been damage done ATM.
would you recommend getting a scan ASAP as, if there is something physically damaged it is likely to result in further damage if left unattended - rather than picked up in a scan and treated.
if something is actually picked up in a scan is it likely to be treatable or will be a case of just have to wait if it to see if it heals over time.
thank you for your advice appreciate it XXXXXXX
ps the numbness is still present after 4 days of steroids.
I was wondering if I hold off on getting a scan to see whether it comes good - is that likely to result in further damage if in fact there has been damage done ATM.
would you recommend getting a scan ASAP as, if there is something physically damaged it is likely to result in further damage if left unattended - rather than picked up in a scan and treated.
if something is actually picked up in a scan is it likely to be treatable or will be a case of just have to wait if it to see if it heals over time.
thank you for your advice appreciate it XXXXXXX
ps the numbness is still present after 4 days of steroids.
Thank you for getting back with more details.
You can wait for MRI brain study, and there is no urgency at the moment. This approach would be fine, as your symptoms have been static, and there is no worsening of symptoms.
If your numbness increases, or if you develop any new symptoms (such as facial pain, facial weakness, double vision, etc), then you should get an early MRI.
If the damage is due to crystal meth, we do not expect it to worsen over time. However, if and when we do MRI, in addition to seeing any effect of crystal meth, we are also interested in finding out any unrelated cause for your symptoms such as a small blood clot or demyelination, etc (which seem unlikely at the moment).
I hope it clarifies. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
You can wait for MRI brain study, and there is no urgency at the moment. This approach would be fine, as your symptoms have been static, and there is no worsening of symptoms.
If your numbness increases, or if you develop any new symptoms (such as facial pain, facial weakness, double vision, etc), then you should get an early MRI.
If the damage is due to crystal meth, we do not expect it to worsen over time. However, if and when we do MRI, in addition to seeing any effect of crystal meth, we are also interested in finding out any unrelated cause for your symptoms such as a small blood clot or demyelination, etc (which seem unlikely at the moment).
I hope it clarifies. Please get back if you have any more queries.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thank you for your quick reply appreciated. I will follow your advice.
one last question please.
I have been given a gift card for some Botox which I am thinking of getting done on my crows feet :) including the side that is affected ATM.
I was wondering whether this is a bad idea and whether it could have a detrimental affect, and i should wait or should be ok.
would it interact with the prednisone
thank you for your quick help
cheers XXXXXXX
one last question please.
I have been given a gift card for some Botox which I am thinking of getting done on my crows feet :) including the side that is affected ATM.
I was wondering whether this is a bad idea and whether it could have a detrimental affect, and i should wait or should be ok.
would it interact with the prednisone
thank you for your quick help
cheers XXXXXXX
Thank you for getting back.
Botox is very safe and has no significant adverse effects, so, you can go ahead for the botox injections.
Also, it has no interactions with prednisolone.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Botox is very safe and has no significant adverse effects, so, you can go ahead for the botox injections.
Also, it has no interactions with prednisolone.
Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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