General Health Conditions/Issues

Posted on: Tue, Dec 4 2007 10:13 PM

Posted by: butterflylady Posts: 67

I can walk about 10 - 15 minutes on a good day and then my leg and/or foot get the needle pain, goes numb ( except for the pain ) feels very heavy and weak - I flat out can't stand on it when it does that.

If I must keep standing ( like in a check out row or something ) I stand on my good leg and hold the other one off the floor - I call it my pelican look lol

I get why it hurts - but why does it go weak?

The pain I could stand ( with meds ) but the weakness I think will soon force me into a chair some day soon - as it happens more and more. The Dr's say my MRI has not changed though.

FYI - in case info is needed : All my L  disks are destroyed - so I can still walk short distances with out my cane. I go up steps by dragging my left leg.

My back injury - I can live with its limits but this neuropathy is really taking me down FAST!

Oh yeah - why does clothing "bug" me so much on the leg & foot with the neuropathy? I hate sox's & shoes on that foot - hate them ! They always feel so tight -  yet I really don't have that much feeling left  there - does this make sense?

In case you think these are silly questions - 3 yrs after my back injury and complaining of this numbness and such my Drs finally told me last week, I have neuropathy - so I have suffered with it for 3 yrs but still am just learning about it.

Thanks :)

Posted on: Tue, Dec 4 2007 10:18 PM

Posted by: Nightengale Posts: 686

Neuropathy usually affects nerves after they have left the spinal cord.  Some of the nerves transmit feeling from the body to the brain, like heat or cold or pain.  Neuropathy can cause either a loss of these feelings or too much of some of them.

Other nerves send messages from the brain to the muscles.  If a nerve is damaged on the way to the muscles, it doesn't send the message as effectively.  Then the muscle doesn't move as well and is weaker than it was before.

Posted on: Tue, Dec 4 2007 10:20 PM

Posted by: butterflylady Posts: 67

and that can happen within a few minutes of walking ?

I only get it when I walk or stand for ( each time is different ) but usually if I use my cane I can go 1/2 an hr or more without it happening - no cane a few minutes and it happens.

staniding still with or without my cane and it happens within 2 - 3 minutes every time.

Posted on: Wed, Dec 5 2007 12:59 PM

Posted by: cudachaser Posts: 1,536

Hi Butterfly... 

butterflylady:

Oh yeah - why does clothing "bug" me so much on the leg & foot with the neuropathy? I hate sox's & shoes on that foot - hate them ! They always feel so tight -  yet I really don't have that much feeling left  there - does this make sense?

I feel the tightness also...though not as bad as it once was...or maybe I've just become used to it

butterflylady:

can walk about 10 - 15 minutes on a good day and then my leg and/or foot get the needle pain, goes numb ( except for the pain ) feels very heavy and weak - I flat out can't stand on it when it does that.

If I must keep standing ( like in a check out row or something ) I stand on my good leg and hold the other one off the floor - I call it my pelican look lol

You are doing better than me...I can't walk any distance without my crutches...If I try, my lower legs just won't move. I also wear braces for drop foot. If I do get some movement my right foot turns inward

Joe 

Posted on: Thu, Dec 6 2007 12:08 AM

Posted by: butterflylady Posts: 67

sorry to hear this  Joe.

If I try to walk without my cane right after I stand up I would fall down.

But once I get going I can walk a little bit.

so the tightness is common huh?

Posted on: Tue, Dec 11 2007 5:09 PM

Posted by: cudachaser Posts: 1,536

 Yeah...tightness, cramping, burning

Joe 

Posted on: Wed, Jan 23 2008 10:21 AM

Posted by: Brian123 Posts: 4

I hace the exact same symptoms, only able to walk a few minutes and receive burning and tingling that drives me crazy. I can walk on plain dirt, ground, longer before it hits, but on concrete, I become crippled and can't walk at all after 10 minutes. I suffered this way for years, now it is worse. I have the burning go from my toes to my knees and parts of my thighs. I take Pamelor to ease the pain and burning so I can sleep, but only sleeo 4-5 hrs at a time now. It has become a permanent part of my life now. Doc says it comes from my Spinal Stenosis. I have had one op. for this, but the damage had become perm. It is apreading and they say ops. won't work. Nothing I can do but l8ive w/ it.

Posted on: Sun, Jan 27 2008 2:07 PM

Posted by: Posts: 4,186

I just got the official diagnosis of polyneuropathy from unknown causes last week.  My legs especially the right one have been affected for several years now.  the feet only started to bother me recently.  The docs say that the severe degenerative disc disease isn't a factor as it appears no nerves are trapped.  My thoughts are that maybe its glucose intolerance that leads up to diabetes.  Since I already made huge dietary changes to bring down high cholesterol now I will continue on that path to prevent the onset of another family curse, diabetes.  My legs also burn when I walk too far and mostly I use a cane but there are days when I have to break out the walker.  I haven't taken a fall in more about a year now but the last one was a doozy so I am very careful.  I am lucky I do not have foot drop but my brain does loose track of my right foot periodically.  There is some fifty thousand dollar word for that but I can never remember it.  I was recently increased from 1800 ml Neurontin to 3600 ml and for the most part I have only breakthrough pain.  The tingling sensation is there most of the time in my feet though.  I have had chronic pain from fibromyalgia and migraines my entire adult life but this neuropathic pain is an entirely different animal.  Bless all of you because I know how hard it has been to deal with.