leg and arm paralysis

[jmatt007]

Hi, I woke this morning and couldn't feel my arms. They came right after about a minute but later my legs started to feel numb too. Went to bed last night and woke suddenly to this about 30mins later. Felt sick to my stomach literally. Not sure if I should go to the doc. Any one else have this?

[PMRpro]

Yes, I think you should go to your doctor - things like these are sometimes signs that a blood vessel has blocked briefly, when they go away again then it wasn't quite as bad as if it stayed. It is sometimes called a mini-stroke, doctors call it a TIA, transient ischaemic attack. With prompt treatment it won't get worse.

If it happens again when you can't call your GP immediately or lasts more than a very short time then dial 999 and explain to the call handler what is happening. If you have a vasculitis some very small blood vessels may be smaller in diameter than they should be so there can be a risk of this.

[jmatt007 in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks. I am on medication to thin my blood due to High Colesterol. A statin, aspirin and qunipril so I hoping your explanation is over the top and that it is all a pinched nerve or something like that. Will updated after doc. Cheers

[PMRpro in reply to jmatt007]

In that case I hope so too - but neither the statin nor the quinapril will do much as anticoagulants, they are for cholesterol and BP respectively. Aspirin isn't always as reliable as something like warfarin. I do however prefer to work on the evidence of signs and symptoms rather than "it shouldn't happen because" - always better safe than sorry!

Good luck.

[orsen-trapp in reply to PMRpro]

Crumbs! I've woken with a completely numb arm several times over the last 3 years and just assumed I'd slept on it. Currently getting several-times-a-day mild (very mild) cramps from shoulder to elbow down inside of arm and occasionally all the way down - just assumed this was the Pred.

[jmatt007]

Thanks. I am on medication to thin my blood due to High Colesterol. A statin, aspirin and qunipril so I hoping your explanation is over the top and that it is all a pinched nerve or something like that. Will updated after doc. Cheers

[jmatt007]

Thanks. I am on medication to thin my blood due to High Colesterol. A statin, aspirin and qunipril so I hoping your explanation is over the top and that it is all a pinched nerve or something like that. Will updated after doc. Cheers

[ldwilliams]

This is also a symptom of CIDP, along with other possible causes, so you should Def go see your doc and get yourself checked over

[EOLHPC]

Hi Matt

I'm v glad you asked this question. I'm learning something thanks to you & the replies you're getting. Here's my experience of something somewhat similar:

I've had 2 of these sort of episodes, both back in the 1990s when neurology was testing me for MS (came out neg), and otherwise blaming my multisystem symptoms on a host of diagnosed secondaries (Raynauds, erythromelalgia etc) & spondylosis (with no signal cord or nerve root impingement). I am & have always been conscientious about life style management & compliance with treatment regimes. Apart from my progressive debilitation, I appear reasonably fit. Much of the time people are unaware I'm managing so many progressive health issues.

4 years ago I was finally diagnosed with systemic lupus. Am now on daily hydroxy + myco + low dose amitriptyline, with pred tapers for flares. My lupus treatment plan is damping down my chronic neuro cerebral symptoms fairly effectively. But refinement of my diagnosis continues. Which is why I try to be aware re vasculitis. We now know I was diagnosed with lupus as an infant & teen, but no one told me, and the diagnoses were lost when I moved to the UK after my studies.

I've been calling these paralysed or "frozen" episodes "locked in". Because I couldn't move at all, and I couldn't talk. As I remember I could move my eyes. This happened in the early morning, lying in my back in bed. both times, when the power of movement returned, I had to rush to the loo with compulsively diarrhoea & vomiting. For 2 weeks after I experienced right sided tenderness as if I'd been hit by a car. My family rushed me to A&E the day of the first episode. They took X-rays & shrugged their shoulders & said goodbye. when i tell my drs about these episodes now, they nod their heads & tell me to keep taking my meds. My father had chronic cardiac disease, I have high cholesterol despite being slender & eating correctly. Statin-taking is looming, but more urgent issues come first (kidney symptoms & osteoporosis).

I feel certain that more of these locked in events would have followed my first 2 if I hadn't so conscientiously managed my lifestyle. And I avoid expecting more of these events, but I do keep my eyes wide open...and thanks to your question + these replies, I know what to do should another event occur.

Thanks & take care..it would be vvv interesting to know what your drs make of your event

[orsen-trapp in reply to EOLHPC]

I had a morning some 28 years ago when I woke up with all my muscles locked. When I did eventually manage to get out of bed the pain was so bad I threw up. Only happened once and I can't remember if I ever saw my Dr about it. Wonder if that might have been early signs of vasculitis? That said, the MRA scan I had showed no permanent damage from the more recent inflammation, so I guess any older scars would have shown up.

[BronteM]

Hello, Jmatt, so sorry to hear that you have been having such frightening symptoms.

Before I was diagnosed, and treated, for Takayasu's, I used to have a very similar problem. I'd wake 3/4 times a night with 'dead' arms, pins and needles, cramp in my feet. On a cold day, my fingers would go all white and still. Turns out that the problem was claudication caused by blockages in the arteries in my arms and legs. These were caused by the inflammation that is typical of Vasculitis. The blockages showed up clearly on ultrasounds and were surrounded by little capillaries that had gradually grown round the blockages to give me some circulation in my arms! I'm only four weeks from my next rituximab infusion, and some of the symptoms are creeping back.

You don't say what sort of Vasculitis you are suffering from? But if your symptoms are similar to mine, I would say that they are serious and you should tell your doctor - but don't panic. I'm still here several years later!

[jmatt007]

Hi all. The visiting doctor told me that I am stressed! I found this hard to accept as, although I do have a stressful job, I do not feel stressed at all. Dr explained that blockages in veins always come with pain, of which I did not experience. However given my arms were numb, I would not expect to feel any pain. However Doc said given both arms were paralysed, it would very very rear to be caused by a blockage as it would need to have two veins of each side of my head to have blockages at the same time. Said if I were 75, (I am only 45) and was a smoker, he would want to look into it more. Suggested I come back if i have another turn and he will refer me to a neurologist.

Cheers

[AndrewT]

Just get to the doctors, not next week or 'when I can' NOW!

[gg400]

Hi jmatt007, I'm sorry to hear of your symptoms. I have been a Churg-Strauss syndrome (vasculitis) patient since Dec 2013. Before all of the diagnostic tests came back I experienced severe numbness, tingling, and pain in both feet. This was the result of the vasculitis. I could not walk for 4 weeks. I also did wake up one morning with my right arm numb and tingling but without pain. It took a couple of days for this to clear up. Yet, a few weeks later my left arm radial nerve was damaged from the vasculitis and I lost feeling and function in my left fingers (pinky and ring). I experienced severe grip and hand weakness. Once I was treated for the vasculitis the nerves have been regenerating and I am functioning quite well. I was initially put on cyclophosphamide 100mg and prednisone 60mg daily. Once the vasculitis was under control (remission), I have been put on azathioprine 75mg daily(immune suppressant) and weaned down to prednisone 3.5mg daily. This is the best I've felt in a year. I do see a local rheumatologist, neurologist, and pulmonologist for asthma. I do see a specialist for rheumatology/vasculitis at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. I recommend seeking sound specialists in this area. Prayers for your health.

[jmatt007]

Thank you team

I have asked my dr to refer me to a neurologist. This website is really great. Keep up the feedback.

cheers

[PMRpro in reply to jmatt007]

Google "sleep paralysis" - does it ring any bells?