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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Sinusitis / February 2005Leg Weakness
I'm interested to know if anyone else has had any sort of leg weaknesses whilst having a bad sinus spell. A week ago I played football (soccer) for an hour or so with no problems at all. A couple of days later I started to have sinus problems (the usual painful cheekbones, upper teeth and a headache) but also had very weak legs. I went to the doctors and told him of all the symptoms and he prescribed a course of anti-biotics. He didn't seemed particularly concerned with the legs, he put it down to sinus related fatigue. My legs have felt better as the week has gone on, but still ache first thing in the morning and feel weaker than normal. Anyone else experienced this? Thanks Chris Chris, I think I am experiencing something very similar to what you describe. The circumstances are slightly different though. I have had head pressure for the last six weeks I believe due to sinuses. What got me to the doctor was that I started experiencing leg weakness this week. I really can't do more than walk and I'm very active. My legs are heavy and tight. It's strange and very scary. My nasal passages are not blocked, but I think my sinuses are. I saw an ENT specialist today who sent me for a Sinus Cat-Scan. I won't have the results for two days. I was wondering if you had any similar sypmtons and how long after you started antibiotics your legs and sinuses started feeling normal again. Thanks, Scott >Chris, I think I am experiencing something very similar to what you >describe. The circumstances are slightly different though. I have had [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >was wondering if you had any similar sypmtons and how long after you >started antibiotics your legs and sinuses started feeling normal again. Leg weaknes could indicate a neurological problem. You also need to have a complete blood workup including check for white blood call count. Certain type of anemia could cause both leg weakness and infections. That is all just one possibility...... Thanks Don. any idea what type of neurological problems? >Thanks Don. any idea what type of neurological problems? I tihnk it could be any of several different types, or something else altogether. Here is one list of possible causes from Ask Jeeves and it does not even list some that I have heard of. I tihnk you had better pursue the leg weakness as an independent problem (whether it is or not) in order not to miss the true cause. I think I would start with a *good* internist... He can check thyroid level and white blood cell morphology among other things..... ============================================= # Aortic coarctation ... weak legs # Autoimmune thyroid diseases ... weak leg muscles B # Brain cancer ... Weakness of arms or legs C # Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy ... slowly progressive weakness and sensory dysfunction of the legs and arms, weakness of the arms and legs # Classic migraine ... leg weakness D # Dermatomyositis ... upper leg muscle weakness, difficulty climbing stairs # Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ... difficulting climbing stairs, difficulty descending stairs G # Graves Disease ... weak leg muscles # Guillain-Barre Syndrome ... leg weakness H # Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia ... progressive leg weakness # Hyperthyroidism ... weak leg muscles I # Infant botulism food poisoning ... weak muscles (esp. arm/leg/neck) M # Machado-Joseph Disease ... leg weakness # Marfan syndrome ... leg weakness # Migraine ... leg weakness # Multiple Myeloma ... leg weakness # Muscular Dystrophy ... difficulting climbing stairs, difficulty descending stairs P # Panic attack ... leg weakness # Panic disorder ... leg weakness # Primary Lateral Sclerosis ... leg weakness R # Rett's syndrome ... difficulty climbing stairs S # Spinal Muscular Atrophy ... leg weakness # Spinal Muscular Atrophy type III ... difficulty climbing steps # Spinal stenosis ... leg weakness # Syringomyelia ... leg weakness T # Thyroid disorders ... weak leg muscles # Transient Ischemic Attack ... leg weakness V # Varicose veins ... weak leg muscles ok here is my thoughts, i do not know what part of the country you are in, but around here we are haveing trouble with mold and it causes all kinds of weard stuff, people are riping out walls replaceing stud's and drywall, the ac's are full of mold in the attic. this is something a lot of people are over looking, mold is becomeing the number one problem all across the country. my book keeper had it and he wound up with anxiety stress, believe it or not, caused by mold, he almost died from it, it plays with your nervous system, muscles, sinus, really bizare but most people are over looking this problem that is americas number one problem. my wife and i suffered for 5 year's cronic tiredness, nasel problems, could never get enough sleep, head aches, they said we had all kind of problems until they found out that it was mold in the house, something to think about, we are liveing in a time when, the super viruses are out, and most doctor's don't know how to treat them. mands >Chris, I think I am experiencing something very similar to what you >describe. The circumstances are slightly different though. I have had [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Thanks, Scott Hello Scott As well as leg weakness I was aching all over the body, neck, arms, back and legs, plus I developed twitching muscles. My sinus symptoms were there, but only slightly more than normal, upper jaw aching, tender cheeks, a headache and a fair bit of post-nasal drip. I had two weeks of anti-biotics though I'm not sure if they really helped too much. The aching and twiching did go away almost completely, but I have had a recurence of it again in the last week. I am OK going for walks of 2-3 miles and I play football (soccer) once a week and again feel OK during the activity, it's when I am 'resting' that the aching comes on. I'm seeing the doctor again on Tuesday. I have seen him twice over this (I cancelled a couple of appointments as I felt better only for it to reccur). He was interested in the muscle twiching as it's a symptom of lots of things, though he did say this can occur with tired muscles. As I am not experiencing vision, coordination or other problems linked to certain more serious illnesses I hope this is just another of the strange ways Sinusitis manifests itself. Are you seeing anything like this? or has anyone else experienced anything similar? Thanks Chris > Chris, I think I am experiencing something very similar to what you > describe. The circumstances are slightly different though. I have had [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Thanks, Scott >As well as leg weakness I was aching all over the body, neck, arms, back and >legs, plus I developed twitching muscles. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Are you seeing anything like this? or has anyone else experienced anything >similar? OK twitching muscles are a likely symptom of a severe deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, which can also cause immunodeficiency and leg weakness. Do not supplement though until you find out the cause, That was my original hypothesis more or less. If I am right on that, you have malabsorption of vitamin B12. This is common in those over 60, or those who have Gastrointestinal disease, or vegans. Be careful not to ignore this indefinitely, it is not called pernicious anemia for nothing. Eventually it would lead to severe mental impairment too. What is your fasting B12 level? Also check TSH levels. If you have not had a complete blood workup your doctor is incompetent and negligent. Thanks for all the comments everybody. The results of my sinus cat-scan were basically negative. As I mentioned previously I am not congested either. I have been put on Levaquin (an antibiotic) as a precaution. I find the negative results on the sinus cat-scan too be bad news in that its not a simple sinus blockage causing the pressure in my head. I was today referred to a neurologist who conducted some tests on me and found nothing wrong (although I still have the same head pressure and leg weakness for which it is still hard to walk). I am now scheduled for an MRI tonight. Thank you everybody for your comments. Have a great holiday. I'll keep you posted on the MRI results when I get back to work Monday. Scott My doctor is obviously neither incompetent nor negligent, he send me for full blood works, plus additional tests for arthritis and everything is normal. As I'm under 40 (just!), have no gastric troubles and not a vegan, looks like it's probably not a B12 problem. > >As well as leg weakness I was aching all over the body, neck, arms, back and > >legs, plus I developed twitching muscles. [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > If you have not had a complete blood workup your doctor is incompetent and > negligent. >My doctor is obviously neither incompetent nor negligent, he send me for >full blood works, plus additional tests for arthritis and everything is >normal. >As I'm under 40 (just!), have no gastric troubles and not a vegan, looks >like it's probably not a B12 problem. Hmm very very odd. Could it be a drug reaction as another poster suggested? The weakness and twiching came on before I was prescribed the antibiotics so it won't be them. Could it possibly be a reaction to Nasonex, which I have been on for two and a half years? I have had phases of feeling fatigued especially in the morning lasting for anything from a few days to a few weeks since I have had sinusitis, could it be just a more intense instance of this? There was the recent paper linking chronic fatigue syndrome and sinusitis. > >My doctor is obviously neither incompetent nor negligent, he send me for > >full blood works, plus additional tests for arthritis and everything is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Could it be a drug reaction as another poster suggested? >The weakness and twiching came on before I was prescribed the antibiotics so >it won't be them. >Could it possibly be a reaction to Nasonex, which I have been on for two and >a half years? I don't think so because the steroid absorbed in Nasonex is tiny and steroids do not especially cause those symptoms anyway (even in massively larger doses). >I have had phases of feeling fatigued especially in the morning lasting for >anything from a few days to a few weeks since I have had sinusitis, could it >be just a more intense instance of this? There was the recent paper linking >chronic fatigue syndrome and sinusitis. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a highly dubious diagnosis (or failure of diagnisis) in many cases to begin with. A syndrome is by definition a set of symptoms without a clear disease cause. So it sort of takes you nowhere. Sure the stress from the sinusitis (as for any other stress that might come along) probably pushed your system over some threshold (that has nothing to do with sinusitis) that it was near anyway. A little bit of muscle twitching and leg tiredness *alone* is not that much of a big deal unless it progresses to the heart muscle and even then it is still not much of a deal as the heart ordinarily tolerates it (skipped beats etc.usually are not really a problem). . It's not going to come out of nowhere though. It stongly suggests electrolyte or hormonal or severe nutritional imbalance. But you may not be able to determine the real cause. If you can't find a cause after diligent checking, you can just watch it for a while. I was actually glad to see you mention the twitching (and not just the numbness) because adding the twitching seems to take it away from the liklihood of TIA or mini-stroke and more toward the nutritional or hormonal areas which are more mundane and can be left to "watchful waiting" OK you've seen a neurologist, which is good. If it continues for months or longer, I would see an endocrinologist personally.. Go to Mayo Clinic if you want the best place for diagnosing obscure problems that others cannot diagnose. I had twitching and some numbness and skipped beats at one point due to a severe vegan diet myself. These things are *very* hard to get diagnosed reliably. Disclaimer: I am not a physician and the above notes could be wrong or even catastrophically wrong in your case. You didn't mention what type of antibiotic you were taking. Apparently some types can result in some serious and unusual side effects. Look up Sinus Infection Leviquin in a Google search and you'll come across some some shocking comments from patients who took it. I needed to find the "Precautions / Side Effects" for Levaquin because I recieved some free samples from my ENT but did not recieve the "standard" paper warning sheet. Apparently this is not required for "free samples". So a drug that can result in side affects ranging from (See the Following) DOES NOT REQUIRE A PRINTED WARNING! What a loophole in regulations. Where's the FDA on this? Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Levaquin. * More common side effects may include: Headache, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping * Less common or rare side effects may include: Abdominal pain, abnormal dreams, abnormal vision, aggressiveness, agitation, anemia, angina, anxiety, asthma, bad taste, back pain, bone inflammation, blood abnormalities, blood clot, bursitis, changeable emotions, chest pain, circulatory failure, colitis, coma, confusion, coughing, decreased senses, dehydration, depression, difficulty breathing, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, disturbed sense of smell, dizziness, double vision, drowsiness, dry mouth, exaggerated sense of well-being, fainting, fever, fungal infection, gas, general feeling of unwellness, genital infection and itching, hallucination, heart attack, heart failure, high or low blood pressure, high or low blood sugar, hives, impaired thinking, impotence, indigestion, intestinal bleeding, intestinal inflammation, involuntary muscle movement, irregular heartbeat, itching, joint inflammation and pain, kidney disorders, lack of muscle coordination, liver disorders, loss of appetite, lung inflammation, muscle pain, muscle tension, muscle weakness, nervousness, nosebleed, pancreatitis, paralysis, purple or red spots on skin, rapid or slow heartbeat, rash, ringing in the ears, seizures, skin disorders, sinus or nasal inflammation, sleep disorders, speech difficulty or disorder, sweating, swelling, swollen tongue, trembling, tendon inflammation, tremor, tumor, vaginal inflammation, vertigo, vomiting, weakness, weight loss, yeast infection, yellowing of eyes and skin Why should this drug not be prescribed? If any other quinolone antibioticsuch as Cipro, Floxin, Maxaquin, Noroxin, or Penetrexhas ever given you an allergic reaction, avoid Levaquin. Source: http://www.healthsquare.com/newrx/lev1222.htm and some comments from patients with complications here.... http://medications.com/go/se/Levaquin As for myself I'm glad I checked the Internet - Thanks Google for these forums! A great resource for all of us. unfortunately all the drug companies list the same 101 side effects for each drug. there are what we call the Lawyer's side effects and the real side effects. The physician must decipher what the genuine side effcts are from the 101 listed on the package insert and the PDR. If you eliminate all antibiotics, you still get a 35% side effect from Placebo. Today, many of the studies compare the Rate of side effects to the placebo studiy. For example Headache Drug 4% Placebo 3% Upset Stomach Drug 2% Placebo 3% Rash Drug 1% Placebo 2% and so on. Unfortunately even though a drug has been tested, it is only when it is out there used by millions that certain real side effects show up. And just as often, certain unexpected side effects show up that are beneficial example Lipitor. When you read the package insert, just remember, many of the side effects are listed for the sake of the lawyers. It is good proof against a lawsuit if you just add 101 side effects so you can say you did warn against it, even though this 101 list does more harm to the doctor and consumer who can't deciper which are the genuine side effects. Many of the drugs I use 20x a day for years list side effects neither I nor any of my peers have ever seen or heard of. Burried in the list of 101 side effects are a few I do see. The public and the doctors would be better served if only the significant compllications were listed. Murray Grossan, M.D. http://www.ent-consult.com MRI results - negative. I suppose that's good but the neurologist thinks head pressure and leg weakness may be due to anxiety and/or hypertension b/c he couldn't find anything wrong with me physically. I disagreed with him pretty strongly. My blood pressure is, for the most part, normal. The mystery continues. PS: I stopped taking Levaquin after 4 days. It gave me a nasty rash on my lip and I don't have an infection anyway. >MRI results - negative. I suppose that's good but the neurologist thinks >head pressure and leg weakness may be due to anxiety and/or hypertension >b/c he couldn't find anything wrong with me physically. I disagreed with >him pretty strongly. > My blood pressure is, for the most part, normal. I agree with you then on that that there must be some other cause (which may be obscure)......... >The mystery continues. >PS: I stopped taking Levaquin after 4 days. It gave me a nasty rash on my >lip and I don't have an infection anyway. >PS: I stopped taking Levaquin after 4 days. It gave me a nasty rash on my >lip and I don't have an infection anyway. Ah you were taking Levaquin and had a reaction to it. I do not recall your mentioning that before but you may have. My guess is then that it was the Levaquin. Antibiotics can interfere with mineral/viramin absorption and it probably did so enough to cause the muscle spasms etc. No big deal in tht case - the problem should clear soon..... Don, I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately, these symptoms were present way before I started taking Levaquin. > I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately, these symptoms were present >way before I started taking Levaquin. Ahhh I see. Is it changing (better or worse) over time? How long have you had these symptoms? Do they impair your ability to run or is it more subtle than that? Since you have already seen and internist and a neirologist, you might try an endocronologist next if you want to try to nail it down. They are experts in thyroid, hormones, anemia etc. It may seem strange, but they all have their own narrow areas of expertise and do not necessarily consider all possibilies.... Correcting typos, it should be endocrinologist, and neurologist..... >Since you have already seen and internist and a neirologist, you might try an >endocronologist next if you want to try to nail it down. They are experts in >thyroid, hormones, anemia etc. Dear All: thank you for your support and suggestions. The answer has been found. After bouncing from my primary care physician to ENT's and neurologists for MRI's and being poked and prodded in various ways, a CHIROPRACTOR has basically alleviated my condition. My primary care physician told me there was nothing he could really do for me at that point. I got a referral from him to a chiropractor after a discussion with a friend. Turns out, I have compression in my back which has been impinging blood flow and oxygen to my arms and legs. After my initial visit to the chiropractor, I felt immediate relief the next day. I'm not 100% but I'm darn close. The difference is unbelieveable. My chiropractor suspects this compression and misalignment in my spine stemmed from a car accident I had a year and a half ago. Since I had no pain in my back, it was the last place I would have suspected there was a problem. In any event, the news is good in that I do not have a more serious condition like neuropathy, ALS or anything like that. Thanks for your support. |
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