An Overview Of Fighting For And Receiving A Diagnosis
For
Periodic Paralysis
Although I have written more blog articles about ‘diagnosing’ Periodic
Paralysis (PP) than any other subject related to this medical condition, I have
decided to write one more blog article about it. I want to tie together
information from several of my other articles and add some newer information,
especially for new members who are attempting to get a diagnosis. I will start
with why we need a diagnosis.
Why
Do We Need a Diagnosis?
“To stop the insanity and abuse the doctors
create by mistreating the condition.”
People
with Periodic Paralysis need a diagnosis. We need it for safety reasons in the
doctor’s office, the dentist’s office, an ambulance ride, the ER, the hospital,
for surgeries and in any emergency. Most of us cannot take any drugs or
medications due to idiosyncratic, paradoxical and iatrogenic effects (I have
written more blogs written about this) nor can we have IV’s because sodium and
glucose can shift our potassium even lower or higher and causes other
life-threatening symptoms nor can we tolerate anesthesia due to possible
malignant hyperthermia and/or more life-threatening arrhythmia, paralysis,
possible cessation of breathing and death. We need a diagnosis so we can be
safe and free from harm in any and all situations.
The medical professionals in our lives need to know
that we have Periodic Paralysis and how to treat us or not treat us, as the
case may be. They need to know that when we are in paralysis and struggling
with arrhythmia, fluctuating blood pressure and heart rate, chocking, breathing
issues and pain, that although we cannot open our eyes or speak, we can hear
them. They need to know that we are not faking. We are not making it up. Why
would we??? Does anyone really think we want to be totally helpless and
struggling for our life????
We also need a diagnosis to stop the constant,
expensive and insane cycle of testing and retesting for every condition under
the sun for an average of twenty years out of our life. (Some of our members
did not get a diagnosis until they were in their eighth decade. I myself was
diagnosed at the age of 62.) Because genetic testing is costly, narrow, biased
and can only diagnose about half or less of all patients, diagnosing must be
done clinically, based on symptoms, once “everything else is ruled out.”
REALLY?? How many medical conditions exist in which an individual
intermittently has episodes of paralysis??
During the cycle of insanity for a diagnosis, drugs
of every type are prescribed which are unnecessary and harmful causing more
damage and possible death. New symptoms may develop and then more testing is
done and new drugs prescribed. The insanity continues. Then comes the diagnosis
of “conversion disorder” or “somatic symptoms.” Psychotropic drugs are
prescribed at this point. More damage is done and possible death may occur.
Without a diagnosis and proper treatment, the
individual naturally becomes more ill because organs in the body are being
damaged from the potassium shifting, exercise intolerance and gradual permanent
muscle weakness sets in, heart problems get more severe, breathing muscles
become affected, osteoporosis, kidney stones develop. Metabolic acidosis can
kill us. Adaptive equipment like power wheelchairs and oxygen may be necessary.
Without a diagnosis the patients will be unable to receive these much needed
aides. Without a diagnosis, disability or social security is impossible to
receive.
The child, teenager and young adult with Periodic
Paralysis will need a diagnosis for appropriate treatment. He or she will need
accommodations in school. Teachers and school nurses need to know how to deal
with the symptoms and paralysis and understand what is happening and why. There
may be a great deal of school missed. Sports and other activities need to be
avoided. A special diet must be followed. Wheelchairs or other adaptive
equipment may be needed. Without a diagnosis none of this will happen.
For the adult trying to support a family by holding
down a job or a career and living with Periodic Paralysis without a diagnosis
and proper treatment may lose their job. The years and years of medical
testing, misdiagnosis, wrong medications, inappropriate treatment and more can
result in financial ruin. This can lead to homes being lost, divorce may ensue,
families will fall apart, friends back away, depression sets in and possible
suicide may occur. A clear diagnosis and treatment may help others like
employers, family members and friends to understand and be willing to help.
Receiving Disability may be possible.
One of the most important results of a diagnosis for
the individual with Periodic Paralysis and his or her family is validation.
Validation that the illness does truly exist and that he or she is finally
believed. They are vindicated. Vindicated of making it up, faking it or being a
hypochondriac. They do not have “conversion disorder.” They have been telling
the truth.
And
so, “Why do we need a diagnosis?” We need a diagnosis because we want a chance at
the quality of life everyone else is experiencing. We need a diagnosis because
we want to be treated with dignity and respect. We need a diagnosis because we
want to be free of or ease our paralysis, arrhythmia, heart issues, breathing
issues and more with the possibility of proper treatment or medication. We need
a diagnosis because we would like to use our family's hard earned money to take
care of our needs rather than paying for unnecessary testing and harmful drugs.
We need a diagnosis so we can obtain adaptive equipment to make our lives and
that of or loved ones easier. We need a diagnosis so we can be safe in
emergency situations. We need a diagnosis because we want to live!!!
However,
there are many issues regarding how to obtain a diagnosis!
Understanding the Problems
With Diagnosing Periodic Paralysis
The question of how to get a diagnosis comes up nearly everyday in our PPN
Support Group, especially as each new member joins us. In order to answer this
question, much must be explained about the condition in order to understand how
one can get diagnosed.
PP is a very
rare, little understood, under diagnosed, often misdiagnosed, inherited medical
condition that is diagnosed using the process of elimination or exclusion; once
all else is ruled out, unless there is very clear indication of high or low
potassium shifts associated with periods of weakness or paralysis and/or if a
genetic mutation is discovered. (This is not usually the case.)
If anyone's
symptoms are atypical, different or not ‘textbook’ which is a great majority of
us, (including issues with no potassium shifting when tested, experiencing pain
or other odd symptoms or other conditions co-existing with our episodes of
muscle weakness and/or paralysis) then the ‘specialists’ or ill-informed
doctors using old, archaic information existing on-line do not recognize it or
understand that it can be atypical (different) or exist with other conditions.
They may believe that potassium must shift out of ‘normal’ ranges in order to
be PP. They do not understand that some of us with PP have a different ‘normal’
level for our potassium than other patients or about other forms of PP such as Normokalemic
Periodic Paralysis or Andersen-Tawil Syndrome (ATS). When in medical school,
doctors are given one paragraph in their medical training about PP. They are
taught that PP is too rare to ever be seen in a patient during their lifetime
as a doctor.
One must find a
doctor (any type, but best to stay away from neurologists except for the
testing to rule everything else out) who is willing to work with them and study
it and understand it and be willing to diagnose it, clinically, based on
symptoms and characteristics. Otherwise, a diagnosis is almost unobtainable.
PP is a mineral
metabolic disorder, also known as an ion channelopathy related to potassium. On
a cellular level, if the potassium is triggered to shift in and out of the
cells (by many things...drugs the worst offender), it does so in error. This
causes many symptoms and the possibility of total paralysis.
Before a diagnosis can be received, all other medical conditions must be ruled
out. The myriad of symptoms looks neurological, so we are sent to neurologists
for diagnosing. They begin to test for all of the neurological conditions
possible and they also begin to prescribe drugs for neurological conditions.
These drugs make us worse and we develop more symptoms and worse symptoms all
the while damage is being done creating new symptoms. It is a horrible vicious
cycle and due to all of this it takes an average of 20 years to get a diagnosis,
if ever.
So testing by a
neurologist and other specialists is necessary, but not the drugs they
ultimately prescribe. At the point everything else is ruled out, Periodic
Paralysis should be diagnosed, but instead the neurologists will diagnose with mental
disorders known as conversion disorder or a somatic condition or a functional
disorder of some form. Then they refer patients to psychiatrists where
different forms of drugs like anti-psychotics or antidepressants and more are
prescribed.
Thus. Like
me...50 years later...after much damage from many misdiagnoses and many drugs I
did not need...I finally received a diagnosis!
This cycle has
to stop. In the twenty-first century it should not take 20 to 50 years to fight
for a diagnosis, all the while living in “diagnosis limbo” as symptoms get
worse and irreversible.
Types of Diagnosing
Clinical Diagnosis
As I said previously, Periodic Paralysis is a mineral metabolic disorder. It is
typically diagnosed ‘clinically’ (based on symptoms and characteristics) after
all else is ruled out by testing. Each form of PP has specific symptoms that
can help to distinguish it from other types and other medical conditions. These
can include low potassium levels, high potassium levels, normal potassium
levels, certain heart issues, episodes of muscle weakness or paralysis and much
more. There are also certain characteristics that can accompany Andersen-Tawil
Syndrome (ATS), which can make it easier to be diagnosed such as fused/webbed
and/or curved fingers and toes, small jaw, low set ears, dental anomalies, long
QT heart beats and more.
A 'clinical' diagnosis for PP is a perfectly
acceptable diagnosis!
Problems Involving in Getting a Clinical Diagnosis: Provoking Symptoms
Warning!
Under no circumstances should an individual provoke his or her symptoms or
allow a doctor to provoke his or her symptoms or an episode of paralysis by
causing an insulin/glucose overload, omitting medication, ingesting foods or
performing activities which are known triggers. This is a very serious thing to
do and can lead to death.
Some uninformed doctors using very old,
archaic information about diagnosing PP may attempt to ‘provoke’ a patient’s
symptoms in order to see them and to ‘prove’ that they have PP. This should not be done. I would like to
address this serious issue. At this point it is well known that it is a
dangerous thing to do and can have serious implications, namely death for some
people.
For those who may need to tell their doctor's "no" on this issue I
will provide some links with information about this.
"Diagnosis
This disease is unusually difficult to
diagnose. Patients often report years of wrong diagnosis and treatments that
made them worse instead of better. Part of this may be that migraines are
present in up to 50% of patients and can cause a confusing array of symptoms
including headaches, speech difficulties and visual, auditory or sensory auras.
DNA testing is available for only a half dozen common gene mutations, while
dozens of known mutations are possible but are not routinely tested.
Electromyography (EMG) findings are not specific. The old glucose/insulin
provocative testing can cause life-threatening symptoms and should not be used.
Also of note is that potassium levels do not have to range outside of normal
limits to cause serious, even life-threatening paralysis. These diseases are
not the same as having a very low level of potassium (hypokalemia) or high
potassium (hyperkalemia) and must not be treated as such. The total body store
of potassium is usually normal; it is just in the wrong place."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_paralysis
“Provoking an attack with exercise and diet then trying oral potassium can be
diagnostic, but also dangerous as this form of PP has an alternate form known
as hyperkalemic periodic paralysis.”
"Provocation testing
Provocative testing, eg exercise test, or
insulin or glucose infusion, can be employed but, for safety, is best within
secondary care:[6]
A doctor should be present during testing.
It should be performed in a setting where intensive care, such as ventilation,
may be provided if required, with facilities for rapid electrolyte and glucose
testing and correction.
Do not test patients with serum potassium disturbances, diabetes mellitus, or
renal or cardiac dysfunction. There must be close monitoring of the ECG."
https://patient.info/doctor/hypokalaemic-periodic-paralysis
"The best diagnostic indicator is a history of typical episodes. If
measured during an episode, serum K may be abnormal. Episodes can sometimes be
provoked by giving dextrose and insulin (to cause the hypokalemic form) or KCl
(to cause the hyperkalemic form), but only experienced physicians should
attempt provocative testing, because respiratory paralysis or cardiac
conduction abnormalities may occur with provoked episodes."
How To Get A
Clinical Diagnosis
As stated previously, getting a diagnosis
is very difficult unless you have symptoms that are very typical and as
described and limited in the archaic textbooks and information on line. We know
it takes an average of 20 years to get diagnosed with PP (remember, mine took
over 50 years). That is because it is diagnosed after all else is ruled out.
Once all else is ruled out, we have discovered the doctors (usually the
neurologists) prefer to diagnose with a mental disorder rather than doing more
research or saying they do not know what it is because they can then pass you
on to someone else...a psychiatrists!
It is usually neurologists who do all of the testing because the symptoms look
neurological, however, Periodic Paralysis is an ion channelopathy, which is a
mineral metabolic disorder, which they do not understand. They will also start
giving out drugs for neurological symptoms. These will make the symptom worse
and change the symptoms or cause new symptoms for which they will then
prescribe new drugs, not realizing that drugs to us are our worst triggers and
can even harm and kill us.
As far as all of the testing goes, an EMG
will not diagnose PP (though some of our members have had doctors diagnose
after an EMG) and will not rule it out either and it can rule out other
conditions. MRI's will not diagnose PP, but will rule out other things as well.
Muscle biopsies are invasive and cannot diagnose PP. The only way blood work
will be helpful is if you have low or high potassium during an episode, which
is caught at the moment you are having it.
Many, of us have episodes within normal potassium levels. Potassium
shifts very quickly usually and by the time our blood is tested has returned to
normal levels.
The best way to get a diagnosis is to
find an MD or internal med doctor who is willing to work with us. Any type of
doctor can diagnose PP. Mine was done by accident by two doctors (electro
cardiologist and renal specialist) working together on my case. (They provoked
my symptoms (I nearly died) giving me anesthesia after I told them not to. They
did not listen and scoffed at the idea. Then they saw what happened). Again,
this can be done based on symptoms (clinically).
It is best to call around until you find a doctor who is willing to work with
you, understanding that it may be PP (I talk to the office managers and tell
them my story and ask them if any of their doctors would be willing to work
with me. Eventually I get a call back. It works well. Usually young doctors
looking for a challenge are interested). That way one does not have to waste
time, money and energy going from doctor to doctor and being mistreated, abused
and humiliated.
Journaling, keeping track of symptoms and triggers, videotaping the episodes,
creating a folder with all test results and medical journal articles about PP,
and so much more can help to secure a diagnoses.
I have written several blog articles
about how to get a diagnosis and I have written books with information in them
on how to do it. Links to these are included in this article.
Genetic Diagnosing
Problems Involving Genetic Diagnosis
Most people who have Periodic Paralysis have one or more genetic mutations
present at birth. Some genetic testing is available, but there is much that
someone who is searching for a diagnosis needs to understand about the genetic
testing.
Only about 50% of the genetic mutations/forms of PP have been discovered to date
so testing results may most likely be negative, because the form you have has
yet to be discovered. In most cases, the testing tends to be limited and does
not test for all forms that are known (but some of the labs do seem to be doing
a little better at that recently, than in previous years).
Unfortunately, most doctors do not understand the above information. When the
tests results are negative, the doctors will diagnose with the mental conditions;
conversion disorder or a somatic or functional condition. These are difficult
to ever get removed from medical records. Some doctors who may have given a
‘clinical’ diagnosis may then remove the PP diagnosis altogether after seeing
the negative results.
Genetic testing is very risky unless you have a doctor who understands the
above information.
Free genetic testing does now exist and others in this group will encourage you
to do this, but I do not for very good reasoning as explained above and for
more reasons, which follow.
As far as the free testing goes, everyone (including and especially your
doctors) need to understand the above information that only about 50% of the
genetic mutations/forms of PP have been discovered to date so testing results
may most likely be negative, but it does not mean that you do not have PP. It
just means that the form you have has not been discovered yet or that the
testing in most cases tends to be limited and does not test for all forms that
are known (but the labs do seem to be doing a little better at that recently, than
in previous years).
I must include the following information at this point for everyone’s safety
and understanding!
Problem With the Drugs and Big Pharma
WARNING ABOUT THE FREE GENETIC TESTING!!
(I
do not want to debate this. This is for informational purposes only.)
(From an article in our ‘Announcements’)
“Hello All,
I do not do this
very often but I feel the need to bring this issue to your attention here, in
this group, before you see it somewhere else or in case you have already seen
it and are planning to take the test or just wondering about it. PLEASE
BEWARE!!! There are several issues that you need to be aware of before you
contact these people for free genetic testing.
This company is a 'Big Pharma' company who took over the sales of the latest
carbonic anhydrase inhibitor drug that is offered for treating Periodic
Paralysis. They are offering free DNA/genetic testing for Periodic Paralysis.
They are offering the testing in order to be able to then get you on the drug
if you are diagnosed, so they can make the big bucks after charging you or the
insurance companies an arm and a leg for a drug that takes a few cents to make.
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors are diuretics that only a few people with PP can
take without short term and/or long-term side effects, which can be serious and
possibly even cause death.
There are three
forms of the drug and they are all the same...carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and
they are sulfa based. There are short and long term side effects; even if one
can take it in the beginning, the side effects can cause one to stop after
awhile and damage can be done to many organs including the kidneys and liver
and can create metabolic acidosis, a serious condition that we are already
prone to, just by the nature of PP being a mineral metabolic disorder. There
are other issues for children (under 18), who should not take these, including
growth concerns. Testing has not been done on children.
Many of us in this group and I have had serious effects or have nearly died
from trying it or the two other forms of it. (Please read the Blog Article I
posted at the end of this article for all the details and history behind this
drug as well as the side effects etc, from taking it. There are many links
included about the side effects, etc. so be sure to read all of it and the
other blog articles I have added to it as well.)
*It is important to understand that there are several forms of PP. Each
form has a different way that the paralysis and symptoms occur. One drug cannot
possibly work for all of the different forms!
*(Those of you
who do take it and are successful you are lucky, but may not be able to take it
forever and still need to work on the natural ways to deal with the side
effects and/or the episodes you continue to have, some from the drug itself. Remember,
the Periodic Paralysis Network and this Periodic Paralysis Network Support
Group was designed and created for those of us who cannot tolerate the drugs or
most drugs...this issue is still not up for debate here.)
This medication
used to cost what a bottle of aspirin used to cost a few years ago for a
month's prescription. The ‘Big Pharma’ company took it and changed the name and
now charges about $163.00 for 50 mg tablet. At that cost, they can afford to
pay for the cost of the genetic tests!
Limited
and Biased Testing
Another
important point to know about this testing is that it is very limited. Only
CN4A, CACNA1S, KCNJ2 and RYR1 will be tested for...leaving out a significant
number of the actual forms that have been discovered so far. This means that it
is biased and limited. Up until now only about 50% of the forms of PP have been
discovered...so this means that a person has a very slim chance of this testing
revealing a form of PP!!
Once you do the
testing and the results are negative, the doctors who do not understand this
information will then declare that you do not have PP and the 'conversion
disorder' diagnosis usually follows. So if you have a 'clinical' diagnosis,
based on your symptoms, it is best to stick with it and avoid this testing or
any other DNA testing (they are all limited and biased)...rather than to risk
losing your diagnosis. This has happened to many of our members.
This PPN group is a Support, Education and 'Advocacy' group. This means, besides
providing support and sharing information, we also do what we can to keep you
safe in all ways. Therefore we advocate for and discuss only all natural ways
to manage your symptoms. We cannot advocate for anyone to safely take any
drugs, including the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors with what we know about them
and what we understand about PP. Nor do we want to be held responsible legally
for advocating for them here. We are not doctors nor do we have doctors
associated with us, so we cannot discuss drugs in specifics (such as types or
amounts, etc.) or tell anyone to take a drug. Please understand that. We can
and do, however, provide the information for you to make informed decisions for
yourself, which is what we are doing here.
Hopefully, you can see the complete picture now and after reading the following
information I am sharing, before you make any decisions to follow through with
this company. I do not want to debate this...this is for informational purposes
only... “
Please read the following Blog Article with links to other Blog Articles and
medically related articles discussing these drugs:
"New"
Drug For Periodic Paralysis $163.80 For One 50mg Tablet!!
***
New
as of June 26, 2019
Big Pharma Breaking HIPPA LAW?????
Since writing the above article, some new information on this subject has come
to light. I have had members of our PPN Support Group tell me that the
pharmaceutical company has approached their doctors and that they are trying to
get the doctors to put their patients (our members) on the drug for PP. What
our members are asking me is how did the pharmaceutical company obtain their
names and those of their doctors?
Who is going into our group and/or other groups and obtaining this information
and passing it on??? Or what members of our group might be doing this?
Are other PP
Groups providing these names and information??? Please beware of the information
you are giving inadvertently in other groups (and check to see if the groups
are public.)
If they are this is breaking Federal HIPPA Law and the rules of our PPN Support Group !!!
When I was approached no less than ten times by the Pharmaceutical Company and
their employees, before and after they introduced the new drug, each seeking
information about our members, I declined each time to provide any information
except to explain why many of our members cannot, nor should they take any
drugs, including theirs, which to my dismay after all the hype of a NEW drug,
was another carbonic anhydrase inhibitor!
This is partly why I have been very careful to review new members as they have
sought to join our group, until very recently, but I am still very careful with
each new member. It is also, in part,
why our group is closed. I have had pharmaceutical agents attempt to join our
group!
***
With all of the
above considered, as long as everyone understands what they are doing and the
risk involved if doctors do not understand when the results are negative, then
the testing can be a useful tool for some. We already have enough of us getting
conversion disorder diagnoses, and more, without setting us up for more
disappointment. Also, one must be aware that some of our members who have
received a clinical diagnosis have done the testing later with negative results
and have had their clinical diagnoses taken away because doctors do not
understand that only some forms of PP are being tested for in the genetic
testing. This is a serious issue.
I just want to let everyone understand the risks of the
testing and the drugs.
That being said, I have been recently impressed with the number of members who
are actually getting a diagnosis through the testing. But, many are not. I just
want everyone to be aware of the whole/entire picture of the company behind the
free testing and the risks of a negative result and the drug/s they are
pushing.
I am sure that some of the members will contact you with the information off of
this board about testing, though they should not be recruiting you from this PPN
Support Group. It is against our rules Please do not make any decisions about
genetic testing without seriously considering ALL of the information in
this article.
That being said, if you do the testing and it comes back negative for any forms
of Periodic Paralysis, Negative Test Results Do NOT Mean the Periodic
Paralysis Does Not Exist.
Please remember: If your testing does come back negative, it does not mean
that you do not have a form of PP. As stated above, it simply means that the
form you have has yet to be discovered or that they did not test for the form
you have. Every doctor needs to understand this, but most do not!
The following articles confirm what I have said and may be helpful to share
with a doctor, if testing comes back negative:
"What do the results of
genetic tests mean?
The results of genetic tests are
not always straightforward, which often makes them challenging to interpret and
explain. Therefore, it is important for patients and their families to ask
questions about the potential meaning of genetic test results both before and
after the test is performed. When interpreting test results, healthcare
professionals consider a person’s medical history, family history, and the type
of genetic test that was done.
A positive test result means that the laboratory found a change in a particular
gene, chromosome, or protein of interest. Depending on the purpose of the test,
this result may confirm a diagnosis, indicate that a person is a carrier of a
particular genetic mutation, identify an increased risk of developing a disease
(such as cancer) in the future, or suggest a need for further testing. Because
family members have some genetic material in common, a positive test result may
also have implications for certain blood relatives of the person undergoing
testing. It is important to note that a positive result of a predictive or
presymptomatic genetic test usually cannot establish the exact risk of
developing a disorder. Also, health professionals typically cannot use a
positive test result to predict the course or severity of a condition.
A negative test result means that the laboratory did not find a change in the
gene, chromosome, or protein under consideration. This result can indicate that
a person is not affected by a particular disorder, is not a carrier of a
specific genetic mutation, or does not have an increased risk of developing a
certain disease. It is possible, however, that the test missed a
disease-causing genetic alteration because many tests cannot detect all genetic
changes that can cause a particular disorder. Further testing may be
required to confirm a negative result.
In some cases, a test result might not give any useful information. This type
of result is called uninformative, indeterminate, inconclusive, or ambiguous.
Uninformative test results sometimes occur because everyone has common, natural
variations in their DNA, called polymorphisms that do not affect health. If a
genetic test finds a change in DNA that has not been associated with a disorder
in other people, it can be difficult to tell whether it is a natural
polymorphism or a disease-causing mutation. An uninformative result cannot
confirm or rule out a specific diagnosis, and it cannot indicate whether a
person has an increased risk of developing a disorder. In some cases, testing
other affected and unaffected family members can help clarify this type of
result.”
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/testing/interpretingresults
Here is another one:
"Genetic diagnosis is often
unreliable as only a few of the more common gene locations are tested, but even
with more extensive testing 20–37% of people with a clinical diagnosis of
hypokalemic periodic paralysis have no known mutation in the two known
genes.[7]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypokalemic_periodic_paralysis
One more:
"Of all individuals meeting
diagnostic criteria for HypoKPP, approximately 30% do not have a pathogenic
variant identified in either of these known genes."
The Genetic
Testing
Invitae looks only for a few known mutations in SCN4A, CACNA1S, KCNJ2 and RYR1.
There are many more that exist that are not searched for. (This is the free one.)
Dante does Whole Genome Sequencing but it is expensive and most insurance will
not pay for it.
Blog Articles That May Help To Get A Diagnosis
Our Books
Living With Periodic Paralysis: The Mystery Unraveled
The Periodic Paralysis Guide And Workbook: Be The Best You Can Be Naturally (Designed
especially to aid in getting a diagnosis)
A Bill Of Rights For Periodic Paralysis Patients
What
Is Periodic Paralysis?: A Disease Like No Other
Videos
That May Help To Get A Diagnosis
How To Find A Doctor Who Cares
Part One
How To Find A Doctor Who Cares Part Two
How To Get A Diagnosis Part One
How To Get A Diagnosis Part Two
How To Get A Diagnosis Part
Three
How To Get A Diagnosis Part
Four
In Conclusion
A diagnosis is not easy to get, but it is
possible. There is nothing wrong with securing a ‘clinical’ diagnosis based on
symptoms and characteristics. Genetic testing is possible but many risks come
with it if doctors do not understand the limitations of the testing. Negative
test results do not mean that a person does not have PP. It only means that the
type of PP that the person has was not tested for on that particular test. A
positive test result does not mean that one should take the drugs being pushed
by other PP Groups and the pharmaceutical company. They can be and are very
dangerous to some of us. Just because someone can take the drugs, does not mean
that they will always be able to take them. There are short and long term
serious side effects from them. The drugs do not stop all of the symptoms and
everyone still needs to follow all of the natural ways to manage the PP
symptoms anyway, or will need to in the future.
A diagnosis does not actually
help a person to manage their symptoms, but it helps us to be protected and to
receive help in many ways, like adaptive equipment or being able to get
Disability benefits and more. There is little a doctor can do once a diagnosis
is obtained except to provide ‘supportive’ care and protect us in emergency
situations. We must do the work ourselves to manage our symptoms in all natural
ways and methods. We have the information to do that here at the Periodic
Paralysis Network in our Support Group, our Blog Articles and our books.
I hope this information is
helpful and I hope you will be able to get a diagnosis sooner rather than
later. I am sorry for what you are going through. I understand since it took me
over 50 years to get a diagnosis. I was there once. Do not give up!!!
The best news I have for you is that you do not need a diagnosis in order to
start feeling better and managing your symptoms. All you have to do is follow
our methods and ways to manage your symptoms to be the best you can be
naturally!!
Until Later...
