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Suggest Tests To Diagnose Neurological Or Muscle Damage

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Posted on Wed, 12 Aug 2015
Question: Hi ,I asked this question previously and you answered thank you , would you mind just telling me if I had Neurological or muscle damage would it be obvious as would the MRI , physical exam or Nerve conduction or muscle weakness test have all shown it or would it have been very obvious. My ck was elevated around 114 or something a good few times but what made me worry was the muscle weakness test , I got back 20-30 % lower reading than the range for my age back then 29 years. You will really help me if you can break this down for me as I have trouble getting over it completely. Original Question below, I wasn't a frequent Cannabis or Cocaine user only took them one night out. thanks so much for your help and patience.


hi, can you tell if you had neurological damage or muscle damage? I had a psychosis and a huge panic attack and what felt like electrical activity in my brain and huge surges on energy rushing threw my body from head to toe for 4-5 secs at a time years ago. I had a mri done and it came out all clear no legions on the scan ,had a nerve conduction test done all fine muscle biopsy done all ok I had a physical exam by neurologist and it was fine , had a muscle weakness test and this was 20-30 % lower than the normal range but no change after subsequent repeat tests over a year or two. I go to the gym and feel fine the following day muscles feel pumped up and fine no weakness but other times I find it difficult to type , my then neurologist said on its own the muscle weakness test doesn't indicate anything, so how would a person know for definite? If I had done damage to my nervous or muscles would it be noticeable and would it have showed up on what tests? I really need to know to get on and live my life without this hanging over me. I took cannabis half a E and a bit of cocaine one night small amount and a week later my meds were changed from Seroxat to Effexor Sr 150mcg, had fierce trouble on Effexor and ended up coming off it gradually and two months later developed a psychosis and ended up having a massive panic attack and that strange electrical activity in my brain while I was terrified in bed. I need to know what symptoms would present themselves if there was damage done from that weird electrical activity that happened when panicked out of my mind with fear in psychosis. Please help me its so hard to let go without being fully informed of how you would know and what tests would have shown that
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Answered by Dr. Olsi Taka (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Read below.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again and welcome back to HealthcareMagic. I am sorry you still aren't feeling well.

There are tests for muscle or peripheral nerve damage but you seem to already have done them, the main test is electrophysiologic study (nerve conduction study with electromyography). The only test remaining is muscle biopsy.

CK level around 114 is mildly elevated. Such elevation are not always in the setting of muscle disease as they can be produced also by training, muscle exertion.

Now whether one can exclude some mild muscle damage from your weakness and mildly elevated CK, it can't be completely excluded especially as you have a factor which you mention only now (you didn't mention it in your past query), hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause a mild myopathy. So it would explain both your mild weakness and CK levels. It is a mild issue though, treatment consists only in controlling thyroid function and it doesn't progress (as it seems to be your case).

Now whether there is any muscle damage or not, I must repeat that it is not caused by that electric shock in the brain episode you report and seem to blame (for which nature my opinion remains the same). That is not a symptom or a cause of muscle damage, there is no relation between the two body systems. To make a comparison, it would be like blaming a car battery malfunction for having a flat tire.

I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Olsi Taka

Neurologist

Practicing since :2004

Answered : 3672 Questions

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Suggest Tests To Diagnose Neurological Or Muscle Damage

Brief Answer: Read below. Detailed Answer: Hello again and welcome back to HealthcareMagic. I am sorry you still aren't feeling well. There are tests for muscle or peripheral nerve damage but you seem to already have done them, the main test is electrophysiologic study (nerve conduction study with electromyography). The only test remaining is muscle biopsy. CK level around 114 is mildly elevated. Such elevation are not always in the setting of muscle disease as they can be produced also by training, muscle exertion. Now whether one can exclude some mild muscle damage from your weakness and mildly elevated CK, it can't be completely excluded especially as you have a factor which you mention only now (you didn't mention it in your past query), hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can cause a mild myopathy. So it would explain both your mild weakness and CK levels. It is a mild issue though, treatment consists only in controlling thyroid function and it doesn't progress (as it seems to be your case). Now whether there is any muscle damage or not, I must repeat that it is not caused by that electric shock in the brain episode you report and seem to blame (for which nature my opinion remains the same). That is not a symptom or a cause of muscle damage, there is no relation between the two body systems. To make a comparison, it would be like blaming a car battery malfunction for having a flat tire. I remain at your disposal for further questions.