Have you ever experienced paralysis??

[louisa2983]

Hi All,

I was just wondering if any of you had ever experienced paralysis of the legs whilst having a panic attack, as a friend of mine has experienced this and the doc said it was anxiety...

Thanks
Lou

[alias_kev]

Not to imply anything too scary but did your friend faint or collapse or anything? I ask as there are other conditions that can produce the paralysis effect and doctors have a major habit of blaming them on this sort of thing (anxiety) or psychological factors, especially in girls. Ofcourse it might just be the panic but were there any other symptoms or events before and after the paralysis.

Just being careful...

[louisa2983]

She didn't lose consciousness, just collapsed..

I thought it was strange that the dr would go straight to anxiety as it has happened more than once and she hasn't had any other panic attack symptoms she thought it might be MS... I have never heard of anyone experiencing paralysis during a panic attack..

[alias_kev]

Your friend might want to lok at the Stars charity website (http://www.stars.org.uk/). This is a support organisation for various Syncope's (extreme fainting - like ironing half way up a mountain is extreme ironing) and Reflex Anoxic Seizures (RAS).

Given that it is multiple events it should be looked into. Epilepsy is also a possibility as many sufferers recover before hitting the ground! On the upside it could be something as simple as an infection.

I have a relative who got bilateral paralysis after each Syncope incident and the neurologists (locally) dismissed this as psychological because of worrying abut the fainting!!! Rubbish. Which is what the psychologists said too! If your friend did not lose consciousness - even momentarily on the way down - then its probably less likely to be a syncope or RAS, but it well worth comparing symptoms with their site and asking on their forum. The majority of such sufferers (especially females) get fobbed off by the doctors a lot.

I concluded that my relative was in effect suffering a mini-stroke (TIA) during the syncope as both are caused by a lack of blood/oxygen to the brain. If the correct area of the brain is involved (Basal Region) then bilateral paralysis is possible.

Internet info to search on would be:
Vasovagal Syncope
Orthostatic Syncope
Reflex Anoxic Seizure
Transient Ischemic Attack
Epilepsy
and probably lots of other things too without more symptoms.

To reach any conclusion anyone would need a lot of details about their symptoms (if any) before, during and after the attack. The frequency of the attack, duration, etc is worth recording. If anyone calls a paramedic or is equipped then heart rate, blood pressure, pupils, blood sugar, oxygenation are all useful information to collect.

From my relative's experience the problem is that collapses (even with clear unconsciousness) match a huge range of conditions and these range from the trivial to the terrifying.