Toxic sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy?

[saeed123]

Hi

This is my story. Please help me.
28, male, 175 lbs 5'10". FAMILY: father dx with Discoid Lupus and DM type 2.
Painless middle ear infection (left year only) 8 months ago. treated with CiproDex otic solution,no response, another round of CiproDex this time combined with Azithromycin. Left eyelid started twitching few days after ear infection/CiproDex treatment. Gradually, I started having tingling in my legs. Also had three panic attacks with heart beat +180 bpm. diagnosed with borderline hyperthyroidism (TSH 0.32 and FT4 24) and all symptoms were attributed to thyroid problem. The thyroid is back to normal now without any thyroid meds. In the past 8 months, I have been on Wellbutrin (300 mg per day for 3 weeks), Lorazepam (3 mg per day for 3 months) and propranolol (40 mg per day irregularly for 1 month). While I was taking all these meds, I was fine (the eyelid twitch that I had for 3 months nonstop was resolved too). I stopped taking all medication cold turkey two months ago. after a week of stopping meds, all symptoms came back plus this time right shoulder and arm painful (burning) and weak (the reflex in my right arm is less than my left arm but the neurologist thinks they are "close". I also have very brisk reflexes in both kness according to my neurologist). I now also have burning/freezing pain in both legs that is sometimes unbearable (especially at nights) as well as body-wide twitching (suprisingly except my eyelids)
1- I have read that Cipro can have peripheral neuropathy, panic attacks and twitching as side effect that can start even months after discontinuation of medication. I know this is more common with the oral/IV Cipro but I may have used the CiproDex for longer duration that was prescribed. I really believe that I was misdiagnosed with anxiety and hyperthyroidism and a borderline hyperthyroid threw everyone off. Can I have Cipro-induced sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy? If yes, with the current symptoms and their long duration, is my neuropathy reversible? Is there anything that I can do?
2- In several occasions during past months, I experienced very dry eye and nostril (right eye and right nostril) with right side severe headache. Is it possible that I have Sjogren's syndrome (father has lupus, dry eye, dry nostril, peripheral neuropathy)
3- Can it be SLE, HIV or CIDP? (I have brisk reflexes not decreased ones except for my arm)
4- Decreased reflex, pain and weakness in right shoulder and arm is consistant with peripheral neuropathy, but why are my knee reflexes brisk and I have burning/freezing pain? Does this pattern make sense?
5- It appears that it is predominant sensory peripheral neuropathy (except for twitching and right arm weakness which are motor), I also had some "hot flushes" in my face and loss of appetite for two full days which I believe can be a sign of autonomic nerves involvement. Does this make sense?
6- Can all of this be really thyroid going back to normal after being borderline high and my body getting used to it?
7- What other diseases do you suspect and what other tests do you recommend? ( I do not have ataxia, all neurological exam was normal except for reflexes that I mentioned and for some reason the neurologist didn't check Babinski)
Thank you in advance for your help. I am in a lot of pain and worry that this is progressing fast.

[katarina777]

All I can tell you is that I also have had some of  the same symptoms you describe with Cipro. I now have it written down as a drug I can no longer take because of the side effects.

The ones I remember surely were racing pulse and  anxiety to a point of panic. I also have this slightly weaker with Keflex.

[gwcurt]

There are many connective tissue diseases, Sjogrens, Lupus, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis. Sometime people don't fit into one category so they call it Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease. They put me there with Sjogrens years ago and didn't change Dx, but added the neurology problems to it. All doctors seem to diagnose everyone with either Anxiety or Depression when they can't figure it out. They feel they have to have an answer so they put this on you. It's very sad and frustrating for many people because they know there is more to the problem. Sometimes you just have to work through this, but eventually most people with Chronic Illness do get depressed just because of the problems. You should know too that many of the neurological conditions mimic each other so it's hard to diagnose. When you try to do it yourself it makes it very confusing.  Doctor shopping can help you but it can also hurt because sometimes doctors have to watch you for along time to see the disease manifest itself. Good Luck.