Why is there numbness and weakness in the legs, face, and arms of a patient with COVID-19?

Question

Hi doctor,

I have COVID-19, and I am in the last few days of isolation. My legs, face, and now arms have started to get weak and numb throughout isolation. The numbness and weakness progressed quite slowly at first but have sped up quite quickly. I feel like my heart rate spikes as well. I have been prescribed Prednisone for COVID-19 and Cefalexin for a UTI (urinary tract infection).

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I would like to know some details about your symptoms:

a. When were you detected to have COVID-19, and how many days before?

b. Since how many days, you started to have numbness and weakness in your legs?

c. Since how many days, you started to have numbness and weakness in your arm?

d. How much is the intensity of leg and arm weakness:

i) Are you able to stand and walk without any support?

ii) Are you able to stand up from a squatting position?

iii) Are you able to hold objects firmly in your hand grip?

iv) Are you able to raise your arms above the shoulder without difficulty?

e. What exactly happens in numbness in legs and arms?

i) Do you feel tingling or burning sensations in your arms and legs?

ii) Do you have diminished sensation in arms and legs?

f. Did you had you any neck or back pain?

g. Did you had any difficulty in holding urine or control of urine?

h. Do you have any breathing difficulty during COVID-19 and required oxygen therapy?

i. Do you have pain in some other body sites such as thigh, arm, or forearm?

Other information:

i. How is your sleep routine? - Do you get sleepy soon after lying in bed or does it take a long time? - Once got sleepy, do you have frequent awakenings during sleep? Do you feel fresh on awakening from sleep in the morning?

ii. How is your usual mood in day-to-day activities? Happy or toward the sad side (thinking about past events) or toward the worried side (thinking about future things, irritable or something else)?

iii. How is your appetite?

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

By your descriptions, it is very difficult to make a final conclusion about your symptoms. Coronavirus is a new virus and till now it has been found to involve other organs including muscles, nerves. brain, or spinal cord. By your tele consultation description, it is not clear which organ is affected. It needs to be examined physically. Also by your description, you told that you are very anxious. Sometimes severe anxiety can also lead to such symptoms. But few possibilities come in my mind, which need to be looked for or to be ruled out:

1. Guillain Barre Syndrome.

2. Myelitis (inflammation of the spinal cord).

3. Myositis (Inflammation of the muscles) or Myalgia (muscle pain).

4. Severe anxiety with panic attacks. My suggestion will be to consult doctor physically (instead of tele consultation), so that detailed physical examination can be done and followed by relevant investigations to affirm or rule out the possibilities.