Hi all....

I know you are not qualified physicians here and I have read the
disclaimer, but I need to find out what is wrong with my 36 yr old
daughter...

Over the past week, she had been complaining of lethargy and raised
lesions on her body.

Her symptoms are as follows:

Total loss of feeling in both arms and hands ( unable to even lift a glass, etc )

Swelling in neck and arms

Severe pain in all limbs and neck

Inflammation of the liver ( as per one test at doc's today )

She was prescribed Percodan for the pain for now and is to undergo
further testing tomorrow ( Catscan and Ultrasounds )

Today, the doc's did blood testing for every illness
imaginable....some of these test results could take weeks.

Has anyone heard of anything similar to these symptoms?

I'm at my wits end, searching on the net for similar symtoms and causes.

It just seems strange that she got the symptoms around the same time
my grandaughter developed Chickenpox.

BTW - She did have Chickenpox at around the same age. As well, she
does not drink alcohol/smoke or take drugs.

Any enlightenment would sure help alleviate this mom's worries and concerns.

Thanks,

Steph53

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 18 May 2006 18:04 PDT

steph53-ga,

Wish I had some insights for you on this one.

Perhaps the following site might be of use:


http://www.diagnose-me.com/?page=main


It's an online analysis tool that collects information from you about
symptoms, and provides feedback on possible ailments.

I don't have any direct experience with it myself, but it looks
reasonably credible.  Take a look at the FAQs page before deciding
about it -- some information is available at no charge, but for a
fuller report, there is a fee beginning at $25.

I hope this is useful, and that you and your daughter find the
information you need.

pafalafa-ga

---

Clarification of Question by steph53-ga on 18 May 2006 20:08 PDT

Thanks, Paf, Mark and Wak....

We've looked at most of the  online med services but nothing seems to
come up to fit the description of her symptoms .

I guess I'm just a worry/wart mommy :(

Steph53

A number of diseases may cause similar symptoms. While tt doesn't
quite fit, I'd have a check for Lyme disease merely because it has
been a mild winter and there's a tick population explosion going on.
I'm seeing more ticks now than I should and I espect to see more Lyme
disease very soon.

Have you tried consulting a doctor at http://www.kasamba.com ? You can
live chat with a physician for an hourly fee, or consult through
email.

Dear Steph --

as a mom, I can imagine how you're feeling at this point .  .  .

I'm just a lowly nurse's aid, but Lyme disease was my first intuitive
response.  I knew someone who had it and had very similar symptoms,
but I don't remember that she had any liver inflammation.

see:  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001319.htm

good luck and god bless!

ts

I DID have Lyme disease - bitten by 2 deer ticks in Pennsylvania and I
had very s8imilar symptoms.

Hopefully you'll find a solution Steph.
tlspiegel

So sorry to hear of your daughter's probs.

I can endorse Paf's recommendation to try:

http://www.diagnose-me.com/?page=main

It costs (I think about $25) and it's very time consuming to complete
(allow an hour at least) but it can be very rewarding. (It would be
better for her to do it rather than you.)

There's also a follow up service (for extra bucks) but I've heard very
good things about it.

If money's a prob, I can help out.

Good Luck

Bryan

There are many diseases that could cause this constellation of
symmptoms, and your doctor is most probably trying to figure out which
one.  I wouldn't spend your time on online diagnosis systems if your
daughter is already under the care of a doctor.

The most common causes of this kind of illness (rash, body aches,
abnormal liver tests) include viruses such as viral hepatitis, CMV
(cytomegalovirus), EBV (Epstein-Barr virus).  If she is truly losing
feeling in her arms and legs, or has actual weakness (as opposed to
just pain and fatigue), a post-viral neurologic syndrome like
Guillain-Barre is possible.

Lyme disease is possible, but frankly, it's one of those things that
gets suggested very frequently on the internet whenever someone is
complaining of almost anything.  It is relatively rare, and if your
daughter has symptoms consistent with it, a good doctor would
certainly send that test as well.

Good luck to you and your daughter.  I hope that she recovers soon.

Please see the webpages for more details on Lyme disease.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001319.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000670.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000625.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000669.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003554.htm

Hi there, 
Although I am not a physician as you stated nor am I able to review
test results or give a physical examination, upon reviewing the
symptoms I believe a key clue which deserves further attention is the
fact that your daughters symptoms arose at the same time her child
contracted chicken pox. You stated that she has had chicken pox in the
past. Varicella Zoster is the virus resposible for chicken pox. Once
you have had chicken pox, the varicella virus lies dormant in your
spinal cord. After time, if the virus is reactivated it can cause a
new disease, shingles. This may be something you should look into or
consult your physician about. Good Luck-God Bless!