We know receiving a scary medical diagnosis can be hard. With a name like central pontine myelinolysis (CPM for short) it’s easy to take one glance at the name and feel overwhelmed, but hang in there with us.
We’re going to simplify things as best as we can and break it down point by point. We’ll explain what it is and why it happens.
As you read this post, be sure to keep one thing in mind: CPM is usually treatment-induced.
This means that where there is central pontine myelinolysis diagnosed, there is likely medical negligence as the cause.
Follow us to the next section, where we’ll explain things in more detail and get to the root of the issue.
What Causes CPM & Osmotic Demyelination Syndrome?
CPM is a neurological disorder. It’s very similar to a neurologic disorder called osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS.) In fact, many use the terms interchangeably. This next part may get a little technical, so bear with us.
Patients develop central pontine myelinolysis and osmotic demyelination syndrome when the sodium levels in the body change too rapidly. When a patient has hyponatremia aka low blood sodium, and the problem is over-corrected, damage can occur. (Multiple Sclerosis is another condition that involves demyelination.)
What happens is the fatty protective substance that protects the nerves in your brainstem starts to deteriorate. Sound serious? It is.
That important substance is called the myelin sheath.
If the myelin sheath starts to deteriorate, your nerves can’t transmit signals to each other. This is a big problem.
So What Causes Sodium Imbalance?
In 1959, when researchers first began their investigation into central pontine myelinolysis, they thought it was caused by either alcoholism or malnutrition.
We now know there are many other conditions that can disrupt your body’s sodium levels. Here, let’s take a look at some of the other conditions that can put patients at a higher risk:
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Liver disease
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Hyponatremia
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HIV/AIDS
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Certain types of cancer
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Radiation treatments
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Medications like diuretics for example
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Electrolyte disorders
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Malnourished patients are at a higher risk
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Hyperemesis gravidarum (which involves severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy)
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Serious burns that cause fluid and electrolyte imbalances
All of these conditions (among others) can lead to hyponatremia, or low sodium.
This alone won’t cause central pontine myelinolysis or osmotic demyelination syndrome, but what can is how your doctor chooses to treat you. To avoid a bad situation your doctor has to be extremely careful and shouldn’t over-correct the issue. To swing your sodium level from one extreme to the other can cause serious issues. For example, if the doctor corrects sodium levels too rapidly during, say, a liver transplantation, it can cause CPM. (And CPM can lead to Locked-in Syndrome, Extrapontine Myelinolysis and other serious conditions.)
Central Pontine Myelinolysis Symptoms
If a patient experiences low blood sodium levels, a visit to the doctor is crucial and should be immediate. Most doctors are more than capable and will decide on the right course of action.
But here’s the thing, every once in a while an inexperienced or careless doctor may make a bad call. If you or your family member has experienced symptoms of central pontine myelinolysis, then it’s possible your doctor may have failed to treat you correctly.
And they should be held accountable.The clinical manifestations of CPM and ODS can vary widely. Here’s a list of symptoms associated with CPM/ODS, and what to watch out for:
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Confusion and delirium
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Hallucinations
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Difficult swallowing
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Tremors
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Lack of focus
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Persistent drowsiness or lethargy
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Slow responses and a lack of alertness
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Balance issues
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Slurred speech and speech difficulties
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One-sided facial droop
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Weakness in the limbs or face
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Quadriparesis; weakness in all four limbs
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Nausea and vomiting
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Coma
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Seizures
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Vision changes
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Difficulty walking
When you enter a healthcare facility for one issue, you don’t expect to leave with a whole slew of new ones. If you or a family member are dealing with any of these issues after seeking treatment for sodium imbalance, you might want to talk to a lawyer. Someone needs to ask questions and figure out who’s at fault.
What To Do If You Have CPM/ODS
Unfortunately, there’s no permanent fix for either condition. But there are treatment options that can help, such as physical therapy and speech therapy. In addition, it also helps if the doctor starts treatment early.
If you or someone you love has experienced CPM or ODS, you should talk with a legal professional. These conditions are typically caused by medical negligence.
And many people experience long-term physical impairment, emotional trauma, and financial repercussions because of it. You didn’t deserve this in the first place, and now you may deserve compensation.
Contact us if you have any questions or believe you’re the victim of medical malpractice and negligence.
FAQ’s
CPM is often caused by and overly rapid correction; when doctors correct sodium deficiency (aka hyponatremia) too quickly. The rapid rise of concentrated sodium pulls water from the nerve cells/brain cells, and causes CPM.
These are some of the symptoms of CPM:
► Hallucinations, confusion and delirium
► Tremors, problems swallowing, issues with balance.
► Lack of focus, less alertness, lethargy.
► Weakness in the limbs or face, slurred speech. See more in the post above.
Central pontine myelinolysis can cause a number of problems, like muscle atrophy, pneumonia, coma, urinary tract infections, and worse still – coma and even death.
Alcohol use doesn’t directly cause central pontine myelinolysis. But it can put you at risk for developing CPM. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood). If doctors correct hyponatremia too quickly, the result may be CPM. In addition, alcoholism can lead to liver failure. That’s another major risk factor for CPM.
In most cases, central pontine myelinolysis happens when a doctor corrects hyponatremia too rapidly. If you or someone you love has experienced CPM or ODS, please talk with a legal professional as soon as you can. These conditions are typically due to medical negligence, so you may be able to get compensation.
Managing blood sodium levels is key to preventing CPM. Certain illnesses increase your risk for blood sodium imbalance, such as HIV/AIDS, liver disease, and some types of cancer. If you have any of these conditions, see your healthcare provider on a regular basis. Timely treatment will help ensure you aren’t put in a situation where doctors correct your sodium levels too fast.
To treat central pontine myelinolysis, doctors might bring serum sodium levels down. Then they will slowly bring them back up. But in many cases, the damage has already been done. At that point, treatment focuses on managing the symptoms. Treatment methods may include:
► Drugs that increase dopamine
► Physical therapy
► Speech therapy
Doctors look at images of the patient’s brain (taken with an MRI) to diagnose central pontine myelinolysis. There are certain changes they can detect in the images that show damage, specifically to your myelin sheaths.
Research shows that central pontine myelinolysis can be reversed, at least to some extent. But it’s only reversible when doctors recognize and treat it quickly.
Yes, central pontine myelinolysis can be fatal. Some patients die within 3-5 weeks. Those who survive often suffer from lasting mental and physical impairment. The good news is that the survival rate for CPM is high (around 94%).
Yes, absolutely. Although people still die from the brain damage caused by CPM, recent research states that the survival rate is roughly 94 percent.
Because central pontine myelinolysis is so often caused by negligently correcting hyponatremia (too quickly), you should absolutely speak with a malpractice atorney as soon as possible. If you or someone you love has experienced CPM or ODS, please talk with a legal professional as soon as possible, because you may be able to get compensation.
