Suddenly can't move legs

This is completely unhelpful

The OP has stated that she has been tested and everything has come back clear

Yes it does

Conversion disorder can cause paralysis, it’s triggered by a stressful event.

The event in this scenario will have been going for surgery, which is very stressful for people.

I understand the NHS is in such a state that MN has become House MD recently

I'm worried it's an autoimmune reaction that will cause her brain to swell and they're not going to be on it in time to give her steroids. Just because I have lost a family member that way, not for any more rational reason

Okay, and what are you hoping for here? No one here can give you medical advice. The patient is in hospital. If you are so worried and believe they are missing things or can do the job better than her treating team, then tell your friend of your theories so they can discuss it with their treating team who will then say why they are/are not factoring that in. Coming on here is beyond useless.

No. That's nitrous oxide and only occurs with many many many many hours of constant use, not normal anaesthetic gases. We use it once in a blue moon (often children) and its banned in ear surgery

I can't think of anything anaesthetic related that would cause those symptoms it sounds like a total coincidence that needs further investigating.

Hope she's better soon

Don't you think you might have had better answers in the health forum?

Your friend is in the best place to discover what is causing her symptoms. I don’t think summoning the MN’s Dr Google experts is very helpful.
It could be lots of things. Let’s hope it’s very temporary and that she makes a full recovery.

This is not psychological. This is what medics say when they don't know what it is and haven't consulted the relevant specialist. She has neurological symptoms, she needs a neurologist. People are far too trusting that doctors a) know enough and b) know when they don't know enough.

Quadriparesis/quadriparalysis, syncope and sleep myoclonus is not going to be a manifestation of a psychological disorder. It's a central nervous system issue.

It could be many things, they need to test her reflexes and muscle tone and do an ECG. Wait for the blood tests to come back and if it's not an electrolyte imbalance do nerve conduction studies or EMG, lumbar puncture, a spinal MRI not CT.

It could be post surgical hypokalemia (low potassium). Hypokalemia is common in anyone after surgery. Her potassium would have to be VERY low to cause symptoms this severe, but it fits everything. Nausea, syncope, quadriparalysis, parasthesia, myoclonus. If they did an electrolyte panel, which they should have done, this should be obvious. And simple to treat.

Another strong maybe is transverse myelitis. Would expect some bladder and bowel involvement, though. If the electrolytes come back normal then starting precautionary steroids while waiting for diagnosis would be a reasonable decision.

It could be rapid onset GBS. In which case, they should also check her thyroid function because this can be a trigger alongside coinciding factors. In fact, her presentation is quite text book for this with nausea and syncope and quadriparesis/paralysis upon rousing. Not so much the myoclonus though.

Could even be radiculitis/CNS infection if there was infection in the ear and it reached the CNS due to surgical disruption. Especially if her surgery was for chronic otitis media or involved the mastoid bone.

Whatever it is, it is not psychological. Hope she gets an answer soon.

I know someone who had a spinal stroke, which is a rare condition, she also was suddenly paralysed in her arms and legs.

Completely anonymously 😂

It’s anxiety. An extreme anxiety attack

I don't think anxiety causes loss of movement in the legs

Gulliane Barre?

You know we cannot diagnose on here, op, and because a relative of yours had an autimmune issue with similar symptoms does not mean your friend has the same. Many disorders cause the same symptoms.

However it is a fact that people can have a reaction to some types of anaesthesia in the form of jerking, paraesthesia and neuropathic pain. Let's hope it is that and it will pass soon.

Do keep us up to date with your friend's progress and please try not to worry, she is in the right place.

a friend of mine has transverse myelitis which started in a similar way.

Nobody knows who the op is so unlikely to know the identity of friend.

https://advances.massgeneral.org/neuro/journal.aspx?id=1455

White matter link with FND. FND is a devastating disease, we describe it as the bastard love child of dementia, Parkinson’s and MS.

@Whitfloor i hope your friend gets a diagnosis soon.

I have FND, diagnosed and treated by a leading neurologist in the field, and your statement is incorrect. Yes there are links/crossovers to psychology, you are more likely to have if if you have past trauma, and it is exacerbated by stress. But as PP stated, it is now understood that it is due to a software/signalling problem in the nervous system which does not show up on scans but is nevertheless real. You are clearly not a neurologist so please ease do not give out misinformation online.

A suggestion - If the anesthesia contained nitrous oxide, it can wipe out your B12:

“Nerve damage occurs particularly often here, since B12 is responsible for the development of the protective layer over the nerves (myelin sheath). Typical symptoms that indicate the beginnings of nerve damage are numbness or tingling sensations in the limbs, which usually occur a few days after anesthesia when the myelin sheaths have been worn down.
Upon the occurrence of B12 deficiency symptoms after anesthesia, there is an urgent need for action to prevent permanent damage.”

https://www.b12-vitamin.com/anesthesia/

This happened to my friend in her early 40s, it was GBS. Initially they said she was just being silly. So that's why I would fucking worry if my friend lost the use of her legs and was told its all in your mind dearie; that would very much seem to me to indicate she's NOT in the right place.

I hope you get better news soon OP, does she have family with her?

I do suffer with anxiety but the past two times I was told by medical professionals that my physical symptoms were all down to anxiety that was not the case. This included being rushed back into surgery and having a blood transfusion.

Are women ‘more prone to anxiety’ because they are or because their real conditions are more prone to being labelled anxiety/hysteria?!

I hope ops friend makes a swift recovery.

It's scary how much stuff is posted on here with such confidence when it is nonsense.

You’ll notice that few such patients get referred to psychiatrists which you’d think would be crucial if psychological problems were causing significant loss of function even paralysis.

FND isn’t a really diagnosis it’s a label applied to neurological symptoms that don’t have positive test results - ie obvious signs of damage, inflammation, antibodies etc. The implication is that the cause is psychological, but personally it think it is simply that the nervous system is still poorly understood.

Yes please link to this reported new evidence @pissedpocket ! I think you must have misinterpreted it somehow.