Leg weakness and hand tremors

Posted by titan32 @titan32, Aug 11, 2022

I will try to summarize my chain of events. I was 50 when this started. I was a 255lb 6’ 0”muscular active football and baseball coach. BP was running somewhat high….diet was a lot of pizza and fast food soft drinks caffeine etc. Own rental properties on top of a full time engineering manager job. I have 4 kids 24, 20, 16 and 16 (twins). In March I started having what I know now to be heart palpitations and I also know now to be PACs. Emergency doc gave me an Atenolol prescription and they set me up to see a cardiologist. The medication helped with the symptoms and my BP came down some as well. Cardiologist added Olmesartin and changed to Metropolol ER. Had a Echocardiogram. Heart functionally completely normal. I’m April started feeling an odd pressure in my heart area. So back to the ER. I had elevated Troponin levels (now I know mine just run high). I had stress test with contrast, heart CT, Calcium score and finally a heart cath. No issues other than one artery LAD had 30 percent blockage. In the hospital I had major anxiety and worry. I couldn’t sleep because I would feel like I couldn’t breath when I started to NOD off. O2 levels good. Hospitalist thought I might be having trouble with the Beta blocker so she cut in in half and added amlodipine. After coming home I was so sick. Couldn’t sleep, no energy, weak, and shortness of breath that was random and not tied to exertion. GP orders a 3 day hear monitor. My heat goes nuts on day 6 home from the hospital. PACs PVCs Bigeneny, Trigemey and some aFib. We quickly up the Metropolol and things calm down heart wise. But then I became weaker and suffered from sleep deprivation. Switch to Atenolol and things improve some with sleep. Fast forward to June…fired first cardiologist, get a new one. Everyone seems to think I just can’t tolerate beta blockers and they were causing the shortness of breath. Also had pulmanary function test and lung CT to rule out lung issues. A wonderful NP had me start short acting Diltiazem a couple times a day so I could lower the beta blocker at night. I start to sleep better and exercise. I have lost 30 lbs by this point (fixed diet…no caffeine since March…walk 1.5 miles every night) strength gets better. But now I start to have an internal feeling of shakiness in the mornings and finger twitching where you can see the little muscles under my skin firing. It’s almost like tremors but maybe more of a fasciculation. GP says I’m having panic attacks and gives me Xanax. It does help but the brain fog is also bad. Finally see an EP who put me on Diltiazem ER 120. No palpitations …don’t see any PACs on my Apple Watch. The hand tremors and occasional twitches in my triceps or biceps seem to be a little worse. Also have an odd sensation/weakness in my quads. Had all the blood work for metabolic panel, sed rate, vitamins, CBC, CK. All ok. Have an appointment with a neurologist in September. Just for information I have had psoriatic arthritis since my early 20s and I take MTX for that. Also during all this testing I had a sleep study and I do have mild sleep apnea when in my back. Cpap on back order…although no issues when I side sleep or sleep in my recliner. Long story short I’m in perfect sinus rhythm…I’m scared to death about these hand tremors and leg weakness. It’s also like if I use any major muscle group under stress that muscle feels like it wants to shiver like I’m cold. This is all so odd and am hoping the neurologist is more help than the GP, 2 cardiologist a sleep doc, a pulmonologist and an EP!

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titan32 | @titan32 | Aug 11, 2022

I will add the tremors and weakness are at their worst in the morning and almost completely gone after my walk in the evening.
I also had my second Jansen shot in December and this all started in March.

pacer3702 | @pacer3702 | Aug 12, 2022

In reply to @titan32 "I will add the tremors and weakness are at their worst in the morning and almost..." + (show)

The symptoms, such as brain fog, twitches, irregular heart rate, shortness of breath, anxiety attacks, leg weakness resemble Covid Long-Haulers' or Covid vaccine Long-Haulers'. The underlying cause is small fiber neuropathy and autonomic neuropathy and possibly microclots in the lungs. However, if it's the vaccine, side effects would usually either be immediate or begin within 2 weeks. Often people with adverse neurological reactions to the Covid vaccines are those who previously had autoimmune conditions, as in your case. If you would like to learn more, the Neuro V Long-Haulers Facebook group is a great source of information.

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 12, 2022

@titan32, you must be confused and frustrated. This sounds so scary and un-nerving (forgive the pun). I have to admit that my thoughts took a similar path to those of @pacer3702. Many of the symptoms sound similar to post COVID syndrome.

Titan, you mentioned that all of this started when you were 50, but you didn't mention when that was. What year did this all start? Have you had Covid?

stancornett1957 | @stancornett1957 | Aug 13, 2022

Have you mentioned the Hand Tremors and leg weakness to your arthritis doctor. It could be from your years dealing with the Psoriatic arthritis.

evie777 | @evie777 | Aug 13, 2022

Hello @titan32 . I hear everything you're going through. Since June, I've been through a bit of a roller coaster ride myself. I had a stomach bug, then broke out in hives, then had some slight bleeding in an area where I've never had before. Then in July, the fasciculations showed up. First my left hand, the hot spot being my thenar eminence, and then traveling to my eyelid, my knees, my lip, my calves, my chest, the arch of my foot. You Google stuff like that, and you know the results. You think your days are numbered.

I still have hives, but my fasciculations have calmed down immensely. In the interim I have seen my GP, an allergist, a rheumatologist, an OB/GYN, and a neurologist. Everytime I saw someone, I was given a clean bill of health. The allergist told me to take two Allegras and said the tremors were histamine related. She diagnosed me with histamine intolerance. Mind you, no tests were conducted. My GP did blood work, where I came back with a positive ANA. Sent me to rheumatologist who gave me a clean bill of health because my ANA is like a biomarker against autoimmune disease - yay to that. OB/GYN cleared me of what any mysterious ailment I thought I had. He did some bloodwork and that came back that I'm POST menopausal when I thought I was peri.... which would explain a lot if that's the case. The neurologist said my fasciculations are benign. Could be histamine. Could be hormonal. Could be a parting gift from Covid (long Covid). Had that in April. Sometimes nasty little side effects pop up later.

I'm not a doctor and it's not a diagnosis, but for you, I think it's the combination of medications you're on. You've been on some strong stuff and that has to take a toll on you one way or another, take a toll on your body with side effects.

Keep walking. Read your favorite book. Read the Bible. Listen to relaxing music. Continue to eat healthy, but eat. Love your children. Every day is a gift. This will soon be in your rear view mirror. I believe that.

Be well.