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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Severe Tooth Infection Led To Multiple Health Conditions. MRI, CT Scan, EEG Done. Reason, Treatment?

I have been experiencing severe eye pain behind my left eye, numbness on the left side of my face, and a palsy on the same side. In addition, I suffer from seizure-like episodes, temporary paralysis of my my body, spasms, excessive, salty, bitter saliva in the afternoon and evenings, which precede the episodes. All began 9 months ago with a severe tooth infection and woke up day after root canal with terrible vertigo , nausea, heart palpitations, tachycardia. Was dx with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome despite the condition not being dependent upon positioning. Sent to university cardiologist who said not POTS but rather inappropriate sinus tachycardia . Started and tried on various beta blockers. These symptoms progressed to knee weakness, crawling sensation on thighs, and tremor in arms....three weeks later i woke up saw the room tilt onto its side, bright flashes of light and paralyzed (still breathing) (5 months ago) unable to move an inch of my body, lay there not knowing what to do. Then my entire body spasmed and locked up (my right foot was frozen in position of big toe up, little toes down, ankle inverted for 3 weeks), leg shook, left arm down to hand shook uncontrollably...unable to move my body, feed myself, do anything for three weeks, my entire body became atrophied and had been to three hospitals, a skilled nursing facility twice, am now at an intensive rehab where I am recieving OT, PT, speech therapy, recreation therapy and neuropsych therapy. MRI, EEG, CT scans negative...neurologists have refused to do a lumbar puncture or mRA on me (history of aneurysm runs maternally) drs have stopped looking for the cause - despite the blurred vision, waves, 3D-like vision, cloudiness, grayness...etc 3 months ago, I woke up unable to speak. 2 weeks ago I woke up unable to see correctly. Severe, agonizing pain behind my left eye travels down left side of face, numbs nose, pain in ear, down into neck and shoulder, sometimes left eye gets stuck closed during spasm, but when open everything is too bright and distorted. Right eye things are dimmer, cant make out details, only see shapes and shadows. When eyes are open together unable to focus and experiencing double vision. (past history 2 bouts of lyme disease as a child, treated oral antibiotics, dx fibromyalgia and neurally mediated hypotension at 16 yrs old. All symptoms went into remission during pregnancy four years ago and returned shortly after all the hormones left my body. ) I am desperate for answers or even a hypothesis at this point. i ve been labeled a medical mystery by every doctor, specialist, and medical professional i have met (cardiologists, ENT, neurologists, family doctors, retinal specialist, opthalmalogist). When I have these seizure like episodes, i lose time, am unable to remember at least a days time. The vision is what is scaring me the most right now. I am regaining strength throughout my body, but the pain, and the disturbed vision has me very worried. I am unsure why no doctor will not do a full work-up on me. i had half EMG done to test my nerves and muscles which were normal. I ve had cort-stim test, tilt table, haltermonitor, event monitor, lab work upon lab work, evoked EEG, then 6 hrs worth of 24 hr EEG when the machine broke, CT scan - but no other neuro diagnostic tests. Last MRI was 5 months ago. i keep thinking the front tooth root canal might have something to do with it, but looking at the lyme history I wonder about that too....please help me!
Fri, 17 Aug 2012
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Dentist 's  Response
Are you currently on any anti epileptic medication? What were the results of your EEG? What you are describing seems to be neurogenic. The pain and the palsy symptoms are on the left and the root canal was done on your right tooth. It seems that you may be suffering from a severe as yet undiagnosed epilepsy or other neurologic condition. Sometimes tumors or para-neo plastic syndrome can also induce such myriad symptoms. As far as the tooth being the trigger, it seems unlikely however cannot totally be ruled out.

As a hypothesis Perhaps the infection on the tooth triggered demylenation of the nerves some what like what occurs to patients suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia
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Severe Tooth Infection Led To Multiple Health Conditions. MRI, CT Scan, EEG Done. Reason, Treatment?

Are you currently on any anti epileptic medication? What were the results of your EEG? What you are describing seems to be neurogenic. The pain and the palsy symptoms are on the left and the root canal was done on your right tooth. It seems that you may be suffering from a severe as yet undiagnosed epilepsy or other neurologic condition. Sometimes tumors or para-neo plastic syndrome can also induce such myriad symptoms. As far as the tooth being the trigger, it seems unlikely however cannot totally be ruled out. As a hypothesis Perhaps the infection on the tooth triggered demylenation of the nerves some what like what occurs to patients suffering from Trigeminal Neuralgia