nausea followed by temporary hand paralysis

[alysia75]

Recently I had a very terrifying experience. I felt fine all day until late afternoon, when I began feeling quite nauseated. It's been going around in my household, so I thought I was coming down with a stomach bug. I laid down on the couch for a few hours, sleeping on and off. At one point I thought for certain I was about to vomit, so I sat up a little and reached for my bowl. At this point I became extremely lightheaded and my hands began to feel tingly and numb. Quickly it progressed to the point that my hands were clenched tightly closed and I couldn't open them. They were cramping and it was really painful. The tingling and numbness spread to my legs, my abdomen, and my face. My legs were going all over the place but I really can't say if this was involuntary or if I was just panicking and squirming.

My husband called 911, and as the paramedics evaluated me I began to feel a little better. My hands were still stiff, but I could open them with effort. The numbness and tingling gradually went away. I still felt nauseated and weak. My vitals were fine so my husband drove me to the ER. At the hospital, urine and blood tests were done as well as an EKG. The only thing that showed up was that I was slightly dehydrated. I typically drink plenty of water but by this point it had been several hours since I had had anything to eat or drink. I was given two bags of fluids via IV, my blood pressure dropped (70-something over 40-something) and my heart rate went over 100. This eventually got into the normal range by the time the second bag was gone.

After waiting for hours a nurse came in to discharge me, with no explanation. My papers said "dizzy spell - unknown cause." I never told anyone I was dizzy. My husband tried to convince them to give me a CT scan but they refused, saying my symptoms did not warrant a CT scan. I am going to see a doctor tomorrow who will hopefully point me in the right direction for testing, etc. I don't have medical insurance, so I'm afraid this is going to be a problem.

For a little background, two months ago I had something similar happen. I began feeling nauseated in the early evening, went to bed, and woke up a few hours later feeling like I was going to vomit. I got out of bed and passed out, falling flat on my face. (This is why I had a bowl with me this time, for fear I would pass out on the way to the bathroom). When I came to my hands were tingling and numb and clenched closed a bit, but I had some control. I made it to the bathroom to get sick and the feeling in my hands eventually returned to normal. Due to the no insurance, I didn't go to the doctor that time, thinking it was a strange fluke. Also, since childhood I have on occasion passed out when about to vomit - not every time, but it has happened more than once.  One time during a particularly violent episode of food poisoning a few years ago, I passed out several times in between vomiting. After the incident the other night, my mom and husband reminded me that another time I felt very nauseated, several years ago, I complained of numbness and tingling.

All of these incidents being years apart, I never thought much of any of them. However, what happened the other night was too scary. I have four young children and I can't take the chance of something like this happening again. If anyone has any leads, tips, ideas, or anything useful I would very much appreciate it. Since I have no insurance I am quite convinced I won't be getting top notch health care. It might be helpful if I have something to go on. Sorry this is so long, but I felt the details were necessary for a full idea of what might be going on here. Thank you for taking the time to read.

[Asdfghjkgh]

I have just had this happen. My fingers are still weak to the point where I am having to speak this instead of type it. I was in a zoom meeting and all of the sudden started feeling extremely sleepy. I have narcolepsy so this isn't abnormal for me, but it got to the point where I didn't think I could stay awake. I turned off my camera for a second and realized how dizzy I was and having trouble breathing. When I got up to get a drink of water I was beginning to black out the entire time, I got the water down and then I guess I went down all the way. When I stood up again I felt very hot, went to turn down the AC. I started thinking maybe I had the flu so I closed the zoom meeting completely and I went to the bathroom, still kind of blacking out as I was walking. When I threw up I threw up all clear. And it was not very much, once I threw up the nausea went away completely. but I realized my arms were freezing cold and it felt like I had had a shot of Novocaine in them all over, like going to the dentist but in my arms. That got worse for about 10 minutes, and I had some numb feeling in my face and forehead as well. Once I realized it I turned on a heating pad and put my arms down on it cuz I was freaked out and thankfully it didn't progress into what other people describe here. but I was concerned if it was a heart attack or stroke etc. My arms currently feel normal but I have extreme weakness in my hands which is why I had to write this with voice to text, and still a little bit of trouble getting a deep breath. My forehead still feels a little strange and having my eyes open is tiring but who knows. I have a bottle of Gatorade but I can't open it

[Josie1984]

I've had these types of experiences for years and seems like they got worse over the years but never happened enough for a doctor to think it was serious. Then I developed severe anxiety due to my son having anaphylactic food allergies and I started to over analyze every sensation I had after eating. I would almost pass out after having a bite of anything suspicious. But separate from that I would wake up feeling cold, and fearful with stomach cramps, get up to go to the bathroom and pass out as I sat on the toilet. Vomiting. Waking up to my husband saying I was making crazy noises. Anyway, I was diagnosed with very low B12 around 250, 5 years ago and only ever took vitamin supplements to correct and didn't have it rechecked until recently and it was still extremely low now 5 years later, 250. This can cause all kinds of physical as well as neurological problems. So get yours checked and know it can be low but not low enough to signal the doctor but still cause major problems. I was also very low in iron. My B12 is back to normal around 850 but I had to have B12 injections every week for a few months. Some people can't absorb B12 when taken internally, it has to be given through the blood.

[Loloagogo]

I don’t have an answer but just had the exact same thing happen this morning with stomach cramps and gas pains and have had about a year apart this happen. My mouth curled up and I couldn’t talk and my whole body seized up.

[BensonP]

Dont know whether my story relates but I too had vomiting sensation, knew that vomit was going to come out so ran to the wash room even though while walking the passage was rotating in front of me, i couldnt reach the wash room in time and some vomit went back in.  After vomit the first thing I realised is that my intake of food and water mechanism functioning has stopped and immediately notuced the normal reflux of the mouth for eating and drinking was not functioning.  I could spit out but could not take in any food or water, i thought it will correct itself but next day i found that the same.  Also facial distortion started after that which was diagnosed as Bell Palsy and was in the hospital for 5 days all battery of test done CT scan,MRI, 2D and 3D Echo, blood tests, Sonography, lipid profile, ENT, Gastro,ECG, etc all were normal first diagnised with Bell Palsy after 5 days still informed that diagnoses not completed.  I informed doctors that it was acute gastritis due to which vomitting hapenned and that i had H Pylori infection which could not be resolved after more than 23 years, was diagnised with antral gastritis with erosions, e histolytica in one report next report no ehistolytica, herpes virus infection HB always below since blood in spittum always there due to Antral Gastritis wo erosions.  Still nothing diagnosed. Even now left side of body touch sensation is there, can walk, talk and right side if body perfectly normal. Major issue not able to eat and drink anything and left side of body decreased body sensation. Could anyone help out

[Tania167]

This is an other article I found:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5121772/

[Tania167]

I have been experiencing the same thing as most off you describe and I found this online. Hope non off us suffer from it, but maybe something to look in to. https://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/guide/abdominal-epilepsy-in-children-and-adults