Suddenly can't move legs

[Whitfloor]

My friend had a general anaesthetic two days ago (her first) to correct a minor problem. She seemed fine. She's in her late thirties.

Two hours ago she felt very sick and became unable to stand. She became unresponsive. No raised temperature. An ambulance was called.

Waiting on a CT scan. She can't move her legs.

She was frightened about the possibility of having a reaction to the anaesthetic. Could this be a delayed reaction?

Reduced sensation in all four limbs. SATS fine throughout. Now perfectly clear mentally but passed out for a while in the ambulance.

What could be happening?

My GBS was in the space of 2 hours.

It can be weeks or hours. I ended up in ICU unable to breathe.
I will never be the same as they did not diagnose me in time. My nerves are buggered.

... had I been able to type, I bet someone on here would have said "GBS" and I could have spoken uploud and clear. Advocated for myself.

Nobody is "armchair diagnosing", posters are suggesting things that have perhaps been misdiagnosed for them, friends or family. In order to help.

As for "GBS is 1:1,000000, yes. I was told that too. Since then, I personally found 5 people I know who had had family members that have had it.

Anxiety can cause a lot of psychological problems.

I just feel it's so close to the anaesthetic that something to do with that is more likely than a psychological reason as that is so rare and she has navigated poor mental health without that manifesting before

With respect OP, you're not a doctor. I get you're worried and upset but you have literally no idea.

It is dangerous to diagnose anxiety based on the few tests undertaken in A&E. Once the friend has received the full and appropriate specialist testing, then they can rule out a physiological cause.

Is it not a reaction to the anaesthetic? Her symptoms fit that. Of course we can't diagnose on here but from what you say, op, it sounds like that. Reaction to some anaesthetic can manifest as paraesthesia, neuropathic pain (pins and needles), numbness and, rarely, jerking about. Having just written all that I think I already said it not long after you first posted so sorry if I did manage to post, am having problems with wifi going off and on.and my posts sometimes aren't 'sent' I'll try and find where I read it.

However it might have worn off by now. I do hope so.

Rubbish. (Doi: anaesthetist)

It’s also true that doctors don’t take holistic views or listen to patients a decent percentage of the time and that they make mistakes. I’m only alive right now because I ordered an MRI on a lump by mistake when I wanted one id had on my back for my chiropractor. When that came I found out that the cancer that was in my hip was ignored for an entire year. And would have continued to be ignored until I was dead presumably. As it is I lost a leg and might still die. So people are right to advocate for themselves.

CT scan is the standard for patients presenting with stroke symptoms. Current treatment includes rapid anticoagulation if the stroke is cause by a clot visible using a contrast dye. Speed is of the essence since the anti coagulant needs to be administered within 4.5hrs of onset of the symptoms. As a result this rules out anyone with an haemorrhaging stroke and anyone whose stroke was not witnessed. Once the anticoagulant has been administered a further CT is carried out due to high risk of haemorrhage. The patient has to meet a strict set of criteria aswell resulting in only around 15% of stroke victims benefitting from anti coagulant therapy. There are other treatments.
So yes CT scans are used to identify strokes caused by clots because early intervention can be life changing.
My DH had a witnessed stroke, was in hospital in under an hour and diagnosed with a clot via CT in under 2hrs, then treated within the 4 hr window.
He was admitted at 6pm on a Friday and walked out of hospital unaided 3days later. On admission he couldn’t support his head or upper body and lost full function of his right limbs. The only visible sign that he has had a stroke is a slightly lobsided smile and he struggle with fine motor function in his right hand.

Without a CT they cannot differentiate between haemorrhages and ischaemic strokes so would be unable to use the anticoagulant therapy.
The CT scan is to quickly identify ischaemic strokes. No clot present does not necessarily mean it’s a stoke but if one is present they can proceed with what can only be described as a miracle treatment.

Yes I agree. I was replying to someone who said anxiety can't make you not feel your legs. At this stage I think it's supremely unhelpful for OP to be speculating, the doctors probably haven't even got all their test results back.

Oh sorry, I misread your post. Apologies!

t couldn't find what I originally copied but this is from the NIH:

"... evidence suggests that undetected residual paralysis during emergence from anesthesia is common and may have deleterious clinical consequences."

"It may help to think of numbness and tingling as natural side effects of surgery. They can occur because of anesthesia, inability to move during the procedure, the surgical cut itself, or irritated nerves. In most cases, numbness lasts for only a day or two after surgery."

"Myoclonic movement is a rare side effect after general anesthesia."

However the op hasn't come back with an update so we still don't know what is happening with the patient. Hopefully she is now recovering.

I suspect you’ve wildly misinterpreted your search results.

Residual paralysis is only a problem if muscle relaxants were used and the anaesthetist was an idiot. It would not suddenly develop 2 days later and, as your quote suggests, it would be obvious on emergence and would be managed then. You don’t even know if the OP’s friend had muscle relaxants.

numbness from lying still might develop during an operation just like it would if you fell asleep in a daft position although padding and care with positioning minimises this as far as possible. It would typically affect a single nerve if it were to happen. Or if local anaesthetic had been used as part of the procedure clearly that could cause numbness/tingling however given that the operation was ear surgery it’s not relevant. An incision can cause nerve injury at the operative site. Clearly also not relevant here.

you can occasionally get some unusual movements as part of induction or emergence of GA. They happen during those brief periods then stop.

Yeah I think an anaesthetist knows what anaesthetics can do 😂 And that google search is entirely irrelevant in this case

Apologies for not updating sooner. I have good news.

She was discharged yesterday morning with movement in her hands returned. She had breakfast by herself. The walking wasn't far behind.

About six hours after this all began, she started having horribly painful pins and needles. Six hours into that, she could move some fingers a little and has better head control. Fast-forward another ten hours and she was able to pick up s coffee cup. Another six hours after that and she was able to use her phone by herself.

They have ruled out anything sinister but don't have an explanation for her. I would have liked them to do an MRI just to see what they could see as I cannot imagine how difficult it will be for her to face future operations without this experience ruled out as a side effect. However we're just thankful she's safe and well.

Thank you to everyone who offered support and sent good wishes. They are so appreciated and it's wonderful to come back with a positive conclusion.

Ah I’m glad she’s feeling better @Whitfloor!

Pleased to see this @Whitfloor I agree she should make sure this is followed up though

Good for you. Other people know things and I think it to hear other people's experiences is really helpful. Not all answers might be good, but who cares. If u get a little nugget it's definitely a win.
Hope Ur friend is ok and better soon.

Something somewhat similar happened my aunt. Had minor surgery. Anaesthetic triggered a bad prolonged QT (had been undiagnosed) which caused a stroke.
She's had a pace maker fitted and is 110% now.

"So yes CT scans are used to identify strokes caused by clots because early intervention can be life changing."

I did not say that CT scans are not used to identify strokes.

What I said was that CT scans carried out within hours of a stroke may not show that the patient has had a stroke (which was the case in my family member and also evidenced in the study I posted).

"Without a CT they cannot differentiate between haemorrhages and ischaemic strokes so would be unable to use the anticoagulant therapy."

Which is what I have said,

Have a look at this, if nitrous oxide was used by the anesthetist, I'd be asking them to check her b12/folate.

1st part ...on BBC news

Very high chance it is related, praying for a quick recovery for your friend xx

Two personal examples (in addition to the study I posted):

Family member referred to rapid stroke assessment clinic in 2015 by GP following subtle potential stroke/TIA symptoms. CT scan carried out a couple of hours after admission. CT scan shows no evidence of stroke. MRI carried out three or four weeks later shows ischaemic stroke.

Family member collapses in the middle of the night with stroke symptoms in 2020. CT scan carried out the following morning shows no evidence of stroke. MRI carried out three weeks later shows area of damage from an ischaemic stroke.

I stand by my statement that CT scan carried out shortly after a stroke has happened will not always show evidence of the stroke - though the stroke damaged area will show up on a later MRI.

its extremely unlikely that nitrous will have been used.

Glad to hear your friend is feeling better. Might suggest she check out her MTHFR genes status. Some people who have it can't detox well and are better with different anesthesia types and other products. Here's a quote from someone who has posted a lot of her research on it after a neuro experience for her son. This is not her research, but it is a quick quote that might help lead to more answers if applicable. Quote: "...people with (compromised) MTHFR cannot detox well. Thus, when given certain medication, vitamins and supplements, there can be adverse reactions. In many cases where anesthesia is used, the situation is immediate or an emergency and there isn’t much time to gather needed information on the spot. This is why it’s important to have looked into it and to have the information in a handy spot as a ‘just in case.’ Certain anesthesias, including ones used in dentistry, can lead to a stroke, serious neurologic outcomes, or even worse for some. Please note, I am not a doctor."