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Electric Shock Injury

Posted , 3 users are following.

elizabeth60171
elizabeth60171

I'm looking to see if anyone else has had a serious electric shock and adverse effects afterwards? I'm not talking about static, but my case was from an electric fence in South Africa. Shocks from lightening strikes are also relevant.

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Cmgilley
    Cmgilley elizabeth60171

    Posted

    Have you found anyone with the same injury? I've had one over two years ago with ongoing symptoms a mile long! It was electrical wire touched my neck for a few seconds. 

    What is affecting you and issue with injury?

    • elizabeth60171
      elizabeth60171 Cmgilley

      Posted

      I've only come across the group based in America called lightening strike and electric shock survivors international which I've joined and have received some information from. You are the first individual I've found with a similar experience. 

      I touched an electric fence when taking a picture with my camera. I have a weak upper body that hasn't recovered and have found I've been bent over since the shock in 2005. I've found that a back stretcher has helped this as well as qi gong. However I'm now oversensitive to everything, including touch and massage makes the symptoms worse. When my sight came back things were brighter and since then I've struggling with glare affecting my vision and disorientation and migraine from noisy environments and fluorescent lights. 

      I've found that keeping my blood sugar constant (little and often, and having a spoon of nut butter before bed I sleep so much better. Propping myself up also helps but I suspect that's with the back and rib injury. The information I've received from LSESSI spoke about traumatic brain injury, and I've found brainline.org very useful. But above all I need to avoid all excessive stimuli. I'm tired a lot also, but with delicate sleeping what should I expect. I get very muddled when coordinating thoughts, particularly if on a computer. Even with an led computer I have to have contrast reversed and anti glare coloured screens, and even though better than fluorescent lit lcd I still read better on paper or e.ink of a kindle. I use my phone quite a bit which is amoled which doesn't have the same refresh rate problem. 

      I also have problems walking. Using an exercise bike has helped, but walking any slopes my left leg turns wooden and drags along. I've had problems with my leg jamming up after massage and related also. 

      My memory is poor both before and since the accident. 

  • Cmgilley
    Cmgilley elizabeth60171

    Posted

    Well, I haven't had sight issues, except for eye sockets feel tense a lot.  My main troubles has been neck, mid back and lumbar feeling like it's burning and tingling. Purchased a gel mattress pad which relieves bed rest but then a throb in lumbar troubles laying or sitting. Other things randomly from sharp pains in ribs, hips, ankles, and weak in wrists/fingers.  I was working in mid summer in a building without air conditioning running yet. Covered from sweating and whole body felt like I was getting squeezed to death by a huge snake for several seconds. An forensic expert recently told me that it damages the myelin sheathes around the nerves. Changes something to where blood has to be filtered like someone on dialysis. Causes low circulation, which I've recently been told I needed surgery for something in my ankle caused by low circulation.  Another thing, your body declines for five years to ten years after injury. I've been going to Drs for 2.5 years and keep getting sent home because mri's show no messed up discs or spine. Never sent for a nerve induction study either. 

    So, what else has affected you, and information has been said about damages it does? Lessi website is down it seems.

    • elizabeth60171
      elizabeth60171 Cmgilley

      Posted

      They do say that it can depend on site and pathway of current. Did you black out, lose consciousness or sight at the time of the accident? I backed out at least and that's all I know. I may have staggered back (though couldn't say for certain, but I didn't hit the floor or, worse, stagger forward into the electric fence. I've had crazy headaches since which I've now been able to put down as migraines, but these have increasingly become worse over the years (10 years next September), both in duration and intensity. I've become increasingly hypersensitive to everything from touch to sound to lighting, particularly fluorecent lighting. However, things were excessively bright right after the accident, and things were confusing as it's only been recent years that I've started to understand what is going on. I too have gone to and from the doctors with no success. 

      I've also got a weird walking issue where my legs jam up, particularly my left leg that turns heavy and wooden, and is helped by short flat walking, a peddle exerciser and stepper. I find it interesting that you mentioned about circulation as these exercises have really helped with temperature control. Even at this moment my hands are freezing up and struggling to type! My boyfriend always says that my hands are cold.

      I've also had sleep problems since the accident, initially sleeping loads but at some point started to struggle to get off to sleep and stay asleep. I've found that help keeping my blood sugar levels constant has helped with this recently, but I suspect this is tied in with migraine.

      I also get muddled organising thoughts or anything, and my memory is limited to what I've been able to work out or more negative events like getting a black mark at primary school. Since the accident most of the day-to-day socialising I can't remember, only major events like travelling to America. I get very muddled when trying to think or read in numbers - like trying to deal in a language I'm only vaguely familiar with. Things don't show up on memory tests as most of the problems require a week at least before the memory is gone.

      I've found that my concentration has improved with taking fish oils - as otherwise I can't concentrate to read. When I play cardsit just turns into black blobs and red blobs, which isn't to do with vision but keeping concentration.

      I'm sensitive to a number of foods, dairy, gluten, sugar, other chemicals (wine leads to a sleepless night that may be down to nitraites etc).

      I've had problems with my posture and upper body muscles also, but that is hardly surprising as that is the path the current entered by.

      There was something else I was going to write but it's gone as quickly as it came into my head!

    • Cmgilley
      Cmgilley elizabeth60171

      Posted

      Ok. I will give you my most recent discoveries from electric shock experts. Guy in San Diego, California Michael Morse has a website I believe, and have spoken with him last week. There are over 100 symptoms possible to associate with this injury. Cataracts on the eyes, damage to myelin sheaths, reduce walking to wheel chair from ligament and cartilage damage. I have around 40 and barely have strength to get out of bed or make a meal. It's like arthritis all over body instantly. short term memory is bad. (Saying prayers at night, I forget what I'm saying or thinking).  Another guy I talked to Friday suggested Dr Donlin Long in Baltimore, MD. Guy I spo with said any skin cancerous is amplified and get all checked asap. He's had cancer three times and a few surgeries.  I can send you some info from an electric injury forensics expert that sent me. Very helpful

      Emis Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service . I also removed the link as it didn't work but we wouldn't publish these either, please use PM if you want details.

      http://patient.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/398331-private-messages

    • elizabeth60171
      elizabeth60171 Cmgilley

      Posted

      The links have been removed sorry. I don't know how to use the private message service.

      Are you in the States? I'm in the UK where electric shock injury is overlooked.

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