A Pune man in his mid-twenties suffered a paralytic attack after he consumed a huge amount of sweets. Nilesh Rale, who suffers from hypokalemic periodic paralysis (hypoPP) consumed so many sweets during Diwali, it led to a decrease in the potassium level in his body; triggering a paralytic attack which has left him bed-ridden, Pune Mirror reported.
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis (hypoPP) is a rare neuro-muscular disorder characterized by muscle weakness or paralysis when there is a fall in potassium levels in the blood.
Nilesh suffered the attack on November 7, while on his way to drop his sister. After he suddenly started feeling weak, he went to a nearby hospital where doctors could not diagnose his condition. He was subsequently referred to two more hospitals, including Apex hospital in Rajguru Nagar and Sainath hospital in Moshi, but still there was no improvement in his condition. At the final place he went to, Jehangir Hospital, neurologists were able to discover the reason behind the numbing of his limbs.
“Nilesh had lost use of all his limbs and was bed-ridden. We saw all the old reports and conducted the ECG and blood tests which showed that he had a low potassium level. His potassium levels dropped 1.5 millimoles per litre (normal limits are 3.6 and 5.2 millimoles per litre) which was triggered by eating too many sweets during Diwali,” Dr Nasli Ichchaporia, consultant neurologist at Jehangir Hospital, told Pune Mirror.
Once treatment began, Nilesh started regaining strength in his limbs and was soon discharged. He has, since then, stayed away from sweets.
