My father had a loss of concentration and numbness in both arms and legs. What could it be?

Hi doctor,

My father, 20 days back, on steadily increasing loss of concentration and ability to form sentences, felt very sleepy after using the brain. He had gaps in memory, short term memory seems nonexistent, waking blackouts (walked away from work and drove home with no recollection, and found him asleep). Four days back, right leg, left leg, right arm, and left arm became numb while asleep, collapsed and could not walk or lift the arms slurred speech lasted for at least an hour; CT scan was clear. The next morning right leg became numb while asleep and could not stand. Two days back, when he was awoke saying he could not breathe, although he seemed to be breathing fine and kept repeating that, how would I live? What am I going to breathe? As we rode to the hospital, he started asking, how can I sleep? How do people sleep? He did not understand what the hospital was or why we were there. He did not know who I was at all times and did not know the day or month.

When admitted, he kept complaining that he could not breathe even though all vitals were normal. Headache developed, started in the early morning, and evolved for about three hours before it went back down (headache squeezing of both temples). He was confused about the wires and tried to take them off a few times. He continually complained that he could not breathe and asked how he was going to live. This lasted until he fell asleep.

The D-dimer test was positive. CT scan of the head and chest were normal. But thyroid levels were slightly high. Again yesterday, early morning, the right leg became numb while sleeping, then the right arm, left leg and left arm. He could not walk or lift arms and slightly had slurred speech. Lack of concentration or memory, limited ability to answer questions, and did not know date or month, got pale and clammy. Headache evolved, and was given migraine medicines (name not known), and he was given one liter of fluids and the tablet Aspirin. CT scan was normal and was discharged.

The headache got continually worse through the night, throbbing at temples and subsided later on. He does not smoke, not hypertensive, not obese, and no history of heart disease in the family.

Hello doctor,

Thank you so much for your reply.

My responses are below:

The episodes last approximately four hours, and there is no impending doom, but some sweating at the beginning. All three like tingling or numbness, inability to move, and no sensation are present. Today it only occurred on the left side; however, he could not talk, and his right side facial muscles are also frozen. He is fully conscious, and there is no previous history of fix or epileptic episodes. Headaches occur along with other symptoms, so no history of headaches. Two months back, a burst appendix, which was left undiagnosed, caused sepsis, so he underwent intubation and kept in ICU for 30 days in the hospital. And 15 years back, an operation was done to remove fatty lipoma L1 and 2, which was not successful, aggravated bladder and bowel symptoms. Currently, he is not any medication. I am not sure about the blood pressure, which is checked during the event.

It takes a long time to sleep, does not usually wake up once asleep, and do not wake up refreshed. His mood will always be irritable and impatient, and his appetite is less than normal, cravings for sugar higher than normal.

Thank you.