Question about nerve testing
 

My wife is convinced I have nerve damage from my concussion, which she believes is also causing the Belle's Palsy I have right now. So she is pushing for someone to do a nerve test. My question is, are there different types of nerve tests, and if so what should we be looking for?

If you start responding to the antibiotics for the Belle's Palsy, you should wait it out. Any nerve testing will not differentiate between belle's and other nerve issues.

Look up/google 'cranial nerves' to see which nerves are effected.

Mark,


I was on prednisone and valtrex, not an anti biotic. I have no other symptoms of Belles, like fever or other evidence of a viral infection. Two days into the prednisone treatment the pain went away. Now that I am down to the last pill, it is back. The facial paralysis has not changed. According to the staff neurologist who saw me it was my 7th nerve that was being affected; my wife found something that said damage to the 7th nerve can cause sensitivity to light(!) which is my second most troubling symptom. When I was on the presnidone (or at least during the high dosage phase, it was a 6 day course that started with 24 mg and tapered off from there) it seemed like the light wasn't as big of a problem for me. Not much was, really, for 3 whole days. I felt great, in fact for 3 days.

I can't speak to any nerve damage or anything, but I will again mention my experience with prednisone.

In my experience and based on what my pharmacist told me, it takes about 3 days for the prednisone to start working and then its effects are felt for about 3 days after the last dosage.

Given you were on a low dose starting at 24 mg, you might have a different experience.

Steroids like prednisone mimic the body's natural anti inflammatory substances. They halt the body's auto immune response, which is why you can become more susceptible to getting sick while on prednisone. (Usually for a longer course and higher dose)

As I've posted before, I feel way better when I'm on the high doses of prednisone, I'm still light sensitive and have headaches and everything, but it seems like everything is minimized and I get so much energy.

With the Valtrex was the doctor thinking Epstein Barr?
Starr

No, or at least they didn't say anything about that, just Belles'.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't bell's palsy more a symptom? And usually a virus (like epstein barr or herpes virus) or sometimes lyme disease is the cause of the bell's palsy?

I think the cause is also a diagnosis of exclusion. They test for lyme, they make sure its not a stroke or tumour, etc.

Electromyography is a nerve test they do to test the electrical activity of the nerves, I think the electrodes go on your face. I think they can tell which nerves are affected and how much they are affected.

I assume your face is only affected on one side? I know if you are having trouble closing the eye on the affected side that artificial tears are necessary to protect the eye while you recover.

Best of luck, I hope it resolves quickly.
Starr

My Neurologist did an EMG and they poke needles (not pleasant) on neck, biceps which showed some abnormality on nerves. Now Neuro referred to a Spine and Pain doctor and was given Cervical Collar to begin with which sure helps a lot to minimize my headache and face pain and dizziness. I am also little addicted to it. :)

Next is to try Prolotherapy and then Botox etc., So you can get an EMG done by a Neurologist on your neck to begin with I guess.

Not sure what other types of nerve tests are there.

Cheers!

YES, I have an appointment with the Washington University Concussion Clinic next week, using private insurance (while I still have it lol!) and hopefully will get a strait answer to some questions, and maybe some useful testing!