Many many congratulations on the birth of your daughter! *Thrilled* for you! 8 lbs 6 and an easy delivery -- whew!
I had never heard of Parsonage Turner Syndrome, so googled it and came up with this abstract from a medical journal in 2009. The article affirmatively links the Syndrome to Lyme disease, so you are not alone.
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Joint Bone Spine. 2009 Mar;76(2):202-4. Epub 2009 Jan 14.
Parsonage-Turner syndrome revealing Lyme borreliosis.
Wendling D, Sevrin P, Bouchaud-Chabot A, Chabroux A, Toussirot E, Bardin T, Michel F.
Source
Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Jean Minjoz, et EA 3186 Agents Pathogènes et Inflammation Université de Franche-Comté, Boulevard Fleming, 25030 Besançon, France.
[email protected]
Abstract
Parsonage-Turner syndrome, also known as acute brachial neuritis or neuralgic amyotrophy, can be caused by various infectious agents. We report on four patients who experienced Parsonage-Turner syndrome as the first manifestation of Lyme disease. The clinical picture was typical, with acute shoulder pain followed rapidly by weakness and wasting of the shoulder girdle muscles. Electrophysiological testing showed denervation. A single patient reported erythema chronicum migrans after a tick bite. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid showed lymphocytosis and protein elevation in 3 patients. Serological tests for Lyme disease were positive in the serum in all 4 patients and in the cerebrospinal fluid in 2 patients. Antibiotic therapy ensured a favorable outcome in all 4 cases. Two patients achieved a full recovery within 6 months. Parsonage-Turner syndrome should be added to the list of manifestations of neuroborreliosis. Serological tests for Lyme disease should be performed routinely in patients with Parsonage-Turner syndrome.
PMID:
19147387
[PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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You mention being given steroids for the PT Syndrome. Is your Lyme doc on board with that? From what I understand, steroids are contraindicated in someone with Lyme disease, because it suppresses the immune system, which needs to up and running full bore to fight Lyme.
The abstract above says "Antibiotic therapy ensured a favorable outcome in all 4 cases." It is not clear if that means favorable outcome of Lyme or of PT Syndrome, but since the write up is about PT Syndrome, I would take it to be that ..... but I would check with my Lyme doc before you take steroids at all. It may be the lesser of evils, but nonLLMDs just don't think about those things.
Again, congratulations! Keep us posted.