EMERGENCY--health issue tetanus

[dk_40207]

Symptoms

Metalic or bitter taste in mouth approx 5 days.
Sore jaw--feels a little numbish--hurts to open big and feels weird to swallow
eye tick---like the left eye is blinking involutarily and he is unable to open his left eye while he is shutting the right

???????What the bleep do I do? Emergency room?

[deaconjim]

Yes, NOW.

[Cheryl in SD]

Yes!!!! Er Now!!!

Go!!!!!

[myheaven]

I hope you are off to the er I just read in my merk manual your in a rough road if you have TETANUS!!!! Go to the er now if you havent already went.

[Becca65]

Let us know what happens.. hopefully you went to ER..

[tinetine'sgoat]

Symptoms

Spasms and tightening of the jaw muscle ("lockjaw")
Stiffness and spasms of various muscle groups
Neck muscles
Chest muscles
Abdominal muscles
Back muscles, often causing arching (opisthotonos)
Tetanic seizures (painful, powerful muscle contractions)
Irritability
Fever
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Excessive sweating
Swallowing difficulty
Hand or foot spasms
Drooling
Uncontrolled urination or defecation


I would go to the ER and see what they say.

[quietstar]

Although it's rare in trhe US, Tetnaus is always serious. Just a sugestion for everyone to consider. Most states have a statewide health organization similar to Texas. I get my flu shot there each fall in order to take advantage of their record keeping because they let me know when a booster of anything is due. Cost is fair and they are pros. May you have a good outcome....Glen

[Patty0315]

tetnaus is only rare because most people are vaccinated. this should serve as a reminder to get your boosters. I have everyone done early , no taking chances here.

GOT TO THE ER NOW !

[Tracy Rimmer]

ER *NOW*!! As in TEN MINUTES AGO kind of NOW!

Praying that it's NOT that... keep us informed!

[tlrnnp67]

I hope you are alright. When I was in my early days of school in my ICU rotation, I had the unusual experience of seeing a poor woman who had tetanus. She had been gardening and cut her hand on a rusted can top that had been lurking beneath the surface. She ended up with a tracheotomy and was paralyzed on the ventilator for months before finally recovering. I don't know what her long-term outcome was as I had moved on to other rotations by then.

It made a lasting impression on me.

[Denise K.]

Go to the ER now!! Not something to mess with. 20 plus years of Emergency nursing. I have seen one case, elderly patient.....eventually died. Not one I would mess with. Also had a goat with it that wasn't nice either.
Go Now!! Please.

[country_wife]

For years I thought that tetanus was something you got from rusty metal. I've since learned better. It's a bacteria found in the soil and the spores are widely distributed in the intestines and feces of many non-human animals such as horses, sheep, cattle, dogs, cats, rats, guinea pigs, and chickens.

Make sure you are up to date on your booster!

[suburbanite]

To the ER with you!

I hope you'll tell us what they say.

(tetanus? wound botulism? Bells palsy? tic dolereux? stroke? encephalitis?...if this list were in order of common-ness, tetanus would be farther down the list...)

[Jen H]

I'm praying that he's ok and healing up in a hospital bed by now.

[dk_40207]

Suburbanite had it right! Here I sit at 2:07 ...jusy back from ER. We were very freaked--almost total paralysis of one side of face(in a young, healthy man, no less)....bellspalsy it is. Never even heard of it. Apparently it is common in young, otherwise healthy people who may have recently had a viral infection. Could take weeks to "gradually go away" My poor sweetheart.
We thought tetanus because of the painful, stiff jaw and eye spasms. He had a shot 7 yrs ago, but gets cut and knicked all of the time here.
That was scarey.

Everyone make sure you are up to date on your tetanus shot next week!
Sleep....I need sleep....or a high dosage of a powerful tranquilizer.....whew. What a night.
Thanks for the prayers.

[Jen H]

I'm so glad he'll be ok!

I had Bell's Palsey about 10 years ago. I did go away completely after about a month - but that month was darned inconvenient.

Take good care of him and yourself. {{hug}}

[Becca65]

ah glad it wasn't anything to serious. My DH had Bells Palsy 16 yrs ago when our oldest was born, scared us thought it was a stroke!! he got 90% of the drooping back to normal, then the next year he got it on the other side of his face.. weird thing!! He had to wear an eye patch..He had to go to Neurologists, it wasn't fun especially having a newborn too.

[pookshollow]

My mother had Bell's Palsy as a young woman - she's 76 now. She still has one eye that droops.

I'm due for my tetanus booster this year - I'll be making that appointment very soon!

I'm glad you got in to the ER and got a diagnosis - and that it wasn't tetanus!

[Hip_Shot_Hanna]

My sister had Bell's palsy last year in the spring. She's fully recovered now, but had about six weeks where she had symptoms - doc put her on pain relief and steroids, she said it hurt quite a bit.

Unfortunate that your dh has this.. but so very glad to hear it's NOT tetanus.

[dk_40207]

Yes, he says that his neck has been hurting..and head. Oddly--his eye/mouth aren't drooping. They are just numb, and he can't control the muscles. I was looking at him in ER..asking him to smile etc. My grandmother is a stroke victim and when she smiles, her paralyzed side drops, as does her eye. His are just sort of....frozen, so a least I was thinking it wasn't a stroke.
The ER doc said nothing of going to a neurologist. Put him on steriods and an anti-viral. She said it will often follow a viral infection..even a cold. Also using an eye ointment w/ patch.
I wish I could help him, more. Just one of those things, I guess. thanks for all the well wishes
Blessings.