My friend needs a diagnoses on health problems. Please help?

Question

My friend has suddenly started to have symptoms of having a stroke but the doctors say she hasnt. She cant feel her arms or hands and now she cant even sit up, she has slurred speech. They ran an MRI and some heart test, and also a nerve test of some kind but everything come back normal. What else could this be are we over looking something? Also she had a car wreck several years ago and it damaged her back which she takes alot of medicine for, I dont know which kind she takes but could different drugs interact and cause symptoms like this? PLease help if you know anything it could be. Thanks.

Answer 1

When you say "arms" and "hands" I am only guessing that you mean both the right and left side. You make no mention of the legs, so I will assume that they are fine. A stroke, or CVA, is usually characterized by paralysis on only one side of the body. However, if it is at the brainstem level, it can induce paralysis on both side. Yet, there would be leg symptoms involved as well. The MRI, however, it the best test to rule out a CVA.

A pinched nerve in the neck typically affects only one side, but can affect both in cases of an acute fracture or cervical central canal stenosis. Yet, this is not associated with slurred speech.

Slurred speech and weakness in both upper extremities can be a sign of Guillan Barre syndrome which is a condition where the periperal nerves are attack as part of an auto-immune response. Its usual pattern, however, usally spreads from the legs to the arms instead of the reverse. Her EMG should have also shown some abnormalities. Yet, I would definetely get this ruled out. Slurred speech can occur with this condition.

There is no reason that her car accident years ago should suddenly cause this rapid progression of symptoms, and again, slurred speech does not fit this normal presentation.

Finally, there is psychosomatic disorder to rule out. This is by no means to suggest that your friend is "faking it"...quite the contrary. In psychosomatic disorder, the body has truely been "tricked" into believing there is something wrong. Therefore, this usually results in subjective complaints such as pain, weakness, altered speech which do not fit any other diagnositc category. It is usually brought on by some type of stressful event in the person's life which cannot be coped with, or is not being coped with adequately. The body responds by producing these types of symptoms. This is NOT under voluntary control of the person.

It is important that all other possible diagnoses (such as Guillan Barre) be ruled out before psychosomaticism is considered.

Answer 2

she has to list down all her symptoms, when does it occur...time of day and what contributes to it....she should not stop until she has a diagnosis....it could be anything neurological and not necessarily just stroke....it could be from the trauma she had before and u maybe right it could be the drugs she was using....whatever reason...or whatever caused it...she has to know so she can have the proper treatment she needs. If everything was normal...did her doctor referred her to a psychiatrist for possible PPSR... Psycho-physiologic- somatic reaction.

Answer 3

She needs to go to another doctor till she gets some answers, if she has back problems it could be a pinched nerve. You could even try a chiropracter

Answer 4

Your friend could have a pinched nerve, which causes muscle cramping, tightening, weakness. Also can cause numbness or feelings of "needles in arms and legs."

Answer 5

She needs to check herself into a diagnostic clinic like the Mayo Clinic and get some definite answers.

Answer 6

Bell's Palsy?

Really, a bunch of strangers on the internet is not the place to get medical advice.