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What Could Intermittent Extreme Fatigue, Unrecognisable Speech, Complex Partial Seizures, Migraine, CNS Disorder Tightness In The Throat Mean?
Posted on
Mon, 4 Jun 2018
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 4 Jun 2018
Answered on
Thu, 11 Feb 2021
Last reviewed on
Question : What could it mean if you get a swimmy head, extreme fatigue where it comes on quickly and all of a sudden. My left leg and sometimes borth legs start getting real weak and then heavy until I can't hardly walk and sometimes goes so far as to make it where I can't walk at all.
This last time, I also felt like my throught was closing up and it took all I could do just to speak and was told my speech was most of the time unrecognizable.
I have seizures, I believe complex partial seizures. This is not like that.
I got injured when I was in the Army in the 80's, I fell out of the back of a troop carrier and injured my upper back and got brain trauma. After that I got a medical discharge. When they discharged me that said I had central nervous system disorder, plus migaines, and seizure disorder. I was discharged September 1989. They told me I would be in a wheelchair in a year. When I got out I walked and drug my left leg untill I got use of it back again most of the time. I do use a wheel chair and a walker at times. I have been having these spells without the swimmy head and the tight throat, hard to breath and trouble talking since 1989 and just recently, the last few months or so. At times I also have drooping of the left eye and the left side of my mouth.
This last time, I also felt like my throught was closing up and it took all I could do just to speak and was told my speech was most of the time unrecognizable.
I have seizures, I believe complex partial seizures. This is not like that.
I got injured when I was in the Army in the 80's, I fell out of the back of a troop carrier and injured my upper back and got brain trauma. After that I got a medical discharge. When they discharged me that said I had central nervous system disorder, plus migaines, and seizure disorder. I was discharged September 1989. They told me I would be in a wheelchair in a year. When I got out I walked and drug my left leg untill I got use of it back again most of the time. I do use a wheel chair and a walker at times. I have been having these spells without the swimmy head and the tight throat, hard to breath and trouble talking since 1989 and just recently, the last few months or so. At times I also have drooping of the left eye and the left side of my mouth.
Brief Answer:
Several possibilities.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Yours is a difficult case to answer straightforwardly. That is because your symptoms are not very specific, might be encountered in the setting of different conditions, both central and peripheral nervous system as well as in the setting of metabolic alterations, hypoxia, low blood pressure. The fact that you have several prior conditions and taking multiple medications complicates it further as medication side effects may be added as well.
The fact that you have had seizures and diagnostic with brain lesions may be one first source. True you say you haven’t had such spells before but when there are preexisting brain lesions their consequences may be felt more over the years when issues such as Alzheimer’s and vessel changes related to high blood pressure are added. Stroke can’t be excluded although less likely for that combination of symptoms.
Peripheral nervous system issue might also be a cause. Myasthenia gravis is one possibility which comes to mind given the description of droopy eyelid bouts which are typical for this condition along with fatigue. The fatigue and weakness of the legs may also be due to cervical myelopathy given your prior spinal issues.
Hormonal issues such as thyroid dysfunction or electrolyte imbalance are another possible cause. Episodes of hypoglycemia may also be considered as a complication of oral hypoglicemiants treatment. As I said medication like Kepra, gabapentin or duloxetin may cause similar side effects, even more so when taken together.
So I am afraid some tests are needed to search for a cause, the description of the symptoms alone is not enough. Some routine blood tests for metabolic and thyroid dysfunction, imaging tests like MRI and electromyography should be considered.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Several possibilities.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Yours is a difficult case to answer straightforwardly. That is because your symptoms are not very specific, might be encountered in the setting of different conditions, both central and peripheral nervous system as well as in the setting of metabolic alterations, hypoxia, low blood pressure. The fact that you have several prior conditions and taking multiple medications complicates it further as medication side effects may be added as well.
The fact that you have had seizures and diagnostic with brain lesions may be one first source. True you say you haven’t had such spells before but when there are preexisting brain lesions their consequences may be felt more over the years when issues such as Alzheimer’s and vessel changes related to high blood pressure are added. Stroke can’t be excluded although less likely for that combination of symptoms.
Peripheral nervous system issue might also be a cause. Myasthenia gravis is one possibility which comes to mind given the description of droopy eyelid bouts which are typical for this condition along with fatigue. The fatigue and weakness of the legs may also be due to cervical myelopathy given your prior spinal issues.
Hormonal issues such as thyroid dysfunction or electrolyte imbalance are another possible cause. Episodes of hypoglycemia may also be considered as a complication of oral hypoglicemiants treatment. As I said medication like Kepra, gabapentin or duloxetin may cause similar side effects, even more so when taken together.
So I am afraid some tests are needed to search for a cause, the description of the symptoms alone is not enough. Some routine blood tests for metabolic and thyroid dysfunction, imaging tests like MRI and electromyography should be considered.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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