head cold taking out legs?

[GrandmomMarci]

Hi. I was diagnosed with ALS Aug. 2011 by ALS doc. Had second opinion at Hopkins- they diagnosed with PMA form of ALS in Nov. Clinic appt in March, but have a Feb. appt. with neuro at Hopkins. Started in trunk.. legs. By July hands, fingers, and arms. Every muscle from neck down.. but no face or tongue involvment. No throat or speach problems. Barely walking with walker short distances to bathroom etc.
In Dec I got a head cold.. lost voice but no sore throat. Family doc put me on the Z pac.. so it didn't develope into anything worse. was almost better, one morning got up..used the bathroom and then both my legs went out on me. Son got me up onto shower chair..then he tried to trasfer me to wheelchair.. legs wouldn't hold me..or turn in the right direction. OC nurse shows up.. I'm sitting can wiggle toes and lift legs straight out etc... my blood pressure was sky high. Ambulance called. I'm crying thinking ALS.. once it's gone, it's gone. I figured legs are gone. Stayed two nights in hospital. MRI of brain and cervical spine fine..heart fine etc. Next morning they got me out of bed.. and my legs held. even walked to door. Second day I was walking with walker down the hall etc. They sent me home. Legs never returned to normal strength - or the strength I had before the fall.
They called in local neuro. His explanation was the cold did it. I had no dizziness..not unstablness.. it was one minute they held me.. next nothing...on both legs at once. I have no upper motor neuron disease symptoms at all. Hopkins confirms this.

Have any of you had this same experience?

thanks

 

[notme]

Hi

It's easy to blame everything that happens on the one known condition. I've never heard of a cold causing your legs to go out. What was his basis for that diagnosis?

Is a reaction to the steroids possible? Do you have any other health issues? There are dozens of things that can cause your legs to go out...problems in your Lumbar spine for one.

If it happens again, I'd certainly demand they find the cause.

You have PMA...perhaps even ALS, but that doesn't mean something else can't happen, unfortunately. When was your last clinical exam? What were the findings?

It's possible even that you had a mini stroke. The symptoms of a mini stroke can cause weakness or temporary paralysis that usually resolves within 24 hours.

I hope you're doing better and get some answers.

 

[cervus]

Isn't falling one of the symptoms of ALS? My husband fell several times, wasn't able to get up by himself but then could walk, albeit with a stiff gait. Yes, his legs just gave out on him and then of course, he wasn't able to walk at some point, very early after diagnosis.

 

[GrandmomMarci]

Notme: Neuro who saw me at local hospital wasn't ALS specialist..but when he looked at my medical records, saw I'm going to Hopkins he didn't challenge their diagnois. If sitting I could raise my legs, wiggle toes etc... stand me up and they couldn't support my weight - which they had been. This went on for hours...and then the restricted me from standing til the next day...and then they held me. Now his reason was, ALS depletes all of your reserves, so when I got a simple head cold...my body couldn't handle it...and wham legs went out. I was well on my way to being fully recovered from the cold when it happened. My opinion is he was just guessing. I did get MRI of brain which I think ruled out mini stroke.

I have the form into hospital to get copies of all the tests so I can take to ALS neuro on my Feb appt.

Cervus: I've fallen twice now - loss balance, wasn't careful etc. not the same thing. but thanks for answering