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anyone ever get nerve damage

Posted , 44 users are following.

jennifer70624
jennifer70624

I have posted this problem before I with concern of this new burning feeling in my foot. This is my 4week,( no weightberring total of 8 wks) and I am still having this burning fire feeling in my foot. It's not just a little burning. Which I do have sometimes, but at most times it's really bad. It's become every night. It literally feels like It's on fire and not getting any better. I called the Dr. and they said it's normal, but I find this hard to believe since most post that I read people seem to be getting better. I wanna know if anyone ever been told they have nerve damage so I can look at these real warning signs. Or if anyone else in their late recovery still having this fire feeling in their foot. I'm just concerned and looking for some relief.

Also, anyone in a waking boot and taking it off. I'm wondering if I may be doing damage taking it off. I have to sometimes because the burning feeling is so bad I need to ice the bottom of my feet.

Thank you

Jen

0 likes, 71 replies

71 Replies

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  • bev52304
    bev52304 jennifer70624

    Posted

    When I left the hospital in my heel walking boots no one told me to take them off so I kept them on for a few days, then started to take them off when in bed because my feet were on fire. What a relief. I saw the doc after 10 days and he apologised, he said I only needed to put them on to walk in. Only people with special splints needed to keep them on. I had that burning feeling for the first few days. But after about 4 weeks I started to get pain at night. Other people said that was the nerves repairing. It wasn't severe though. Now today is my 6 weeks post op and I am no longer in the boots. I still have more discomfort at night then in the day strangely enough. today is my first day walking 'normally'. Oh boy! I am walking like a zombie! I have weird tingling pains in my big toes when I try to walk properly. Again I'm told it is the nerves repairing. Ithink your pain could be just that. However if it is extreme get back in touch with the doctor. extreme pain is not what most people report. I'm very happy at the moment because I feel like I've turned a corner. Remember to raise your feet above heart level to reduce swelling to give your feet the oportunatey to heal. How do the wounds look? Are there any signs of infection? If so you really need antibiotics to be on the safe side.
    • jennifer70624
      jennifer70624 bev52304

      Posted

      Thank you. I hope it is just the nerves repairing itself. When I saw my dr after the first week and the 3rd he said everything looked fine. No infection. But I wasn't having the burning feeling until a few days later. I'm having it right now. It's becoming more and more frequent, but not always really bad. I told.myself if it continues like this, I'm going to call him again Friday.

      I'm in a talk walking boot. No splint. He told me not to take it off on my 1st appt which I didn't, but the only way to relieve this a pain is ice.

      Thank you sharing. I'm glad your walking. Sorry it's like a zombie though. I'm sure you'll get your balance back soon and pain I only going to get better.

      Taking arnica tabs and cream should help with the pain and swelling.

  • MollyDJ
    MollyDJ jennifer70624

    Posted

    Hi Jennifer; I am responding to you because I had something happen to me too. After surgery (bunionectomy, hammer toe repair, pin, 6 screws put in my foot, and a tendon transfer) I could not feel my left outer thigh. Surgery was on my left foot. I asked the surgeon about this and they said they don't know how it could have happened, but said it was meralgia paresethsia (my spelling might be a little off) I looked it up and it is compression of the lateral cutaneous nerve. I'm very upset because they don't know if this will resolve. Has anyone else experienced this?
    • janice66342
      janice66342 MollyDJ

      Posted

      Hi, I'm just realizing that I'm not alone in this. I had 5 surgeries on my left foot and 5 or 6 on my right foot. I have nerve damage in both feet. My left foot is the worst. Usually at night, I have tingling, burning and pain in my feet. It usually is worst if I've been on my feet for a while. It keeps me up at night. I have to listen to music in my headphones to distract me from the pain and tingling burning! I had a nerve conductions test on my feet and they stated it was nerve damage but they were puzzled since I'm not diiabetic.
    • karen081751
      karen081751 MollyDJ

      Posted

      Hi Molly, a year ago exactly, I fell & broke both tibula & fibula bones. I spent 3 weeks in a nursing rehab facility. I immediately felt pain in my second toe. It was burning like I never felt before. It took me 10 months to snap back about 80%. Well I had to have that toe operated on because it turned into a hammertoe. So I decided to have the screws & plates removed in the other foot that would limit me to 8 weeks in bed with a portable toilet next to my bed. That was 3 months ago & the nerve damage is horrible. I had a test with my neurologist & he called it idiopathic neuropathy, meaning they don't know what caused it. Nights are the worse. Standing & walking helps a lot. Pressure on the feet seems to work for me. So I'm in year 2 living with a horrible pain that I have to live with hopefully not for the rest of my life.

      Your posts are over a year old I see. How is everybody feeling a year later? I hope there hope for me.

    • ruth81273
      ruth81273 MollyDJ

      Posted

      Hello Molly quite alot of time has passed since you posted but what you describe is very similar to me so I'm wondering what ever happened to you in the end? Did the burning heal itself and go away? I'm on week post op having had a left plantar fasciectomy and Baxters nerve release l. I had 3 weeks non weight bearing and I'm on the first few days now of starting to walk using a zimmer frame. I often get a burning numbness pain on my outer left thigh which will not go away no matter what I do. I've been getting it since right after the op and I'm hoping it's just because I'm not very mobile yet and ut will resolve itself.

    • beanie65
      beanie65 MollyDJ

      Posted

      My surgeon said my cutaneous nerve is trapped in my scar tissue and will need further surgery to release it 😭

    • eliciaB
      eliciaB janice66342

      Posted

      I hope you are all cured and my response is for nothing! But if not, please read on... Please go to a pain management doctor to see if you have CRPS. it cannot go untreated if this is indeed what you have. And you definitely CANNOT have any further surgies.
    • Hetrapp
      Hetrapp beanie65

      Posted

      i know this post is 4 years old but I am wondering how ur doctor determined nerve was trapped and how long after surgery did u have symptoms?

  • Redstone69
    Redstone69 jennifer70624

    Edited

    Hi Jennifer,

    sorry to hear about your nerve pain.  I'm 5 MONTHS post-op bunionectomy  (two screws in my big toe, one in my second toe) and still have LOTS of pain and swelling.  I have the burning feeling you describe with considerable pain while trying to sleep  (key work, TRY to sleep).  The surgeon I had (what a freaking cockroach!) has basically blamed ME for all the pain and swelling I've had.  He even told me he doesn't make all that much money doing the bunion surgery!  I was eight weeks non-weight bearing (did exactly what I was told) and then was told by the same moronic surgeon that I didn't follow the physical therapy regimen.. The physical therapy was worse than the effects of the surgery.  My foot is still numb to the touch but still hurts like hell.  I'm an ex-jock and I swim 2 miles each day, five days a week....and I used to play tennis 4 days per week...those days are apparently over.  It REALLY hurts when I swim....before the surgery it was mildly annoying to swim.  I think "nerve damage" is the dirty little secret of foot surgery that surgeons refuse to mention ahead of time.   I'm staring at least one more foot surgery and possibly two...one to take the screws out and another to put them back in.   A word of advice for people that read this thread...DON'T believe what the surgeons tell you...Do PLENTY of research BEFORE you get foor surgery.  The moron that did my surgery told me I absolutely positively NEEDED it...now I'm lucky if I ever walk normally again...  I'm no stranger to surgery either...I had ACL surgery 6 months before this toe surgery and rotator cuff surgery two years before that with no apparent problems.  What really irks me is the surgeon who did this to me refuses to admit that the surgery didn't work and caused MORE damage to my foot...he has basically blamed ME and left me to deal with the problems that he caused...I've now seen 4 different doctors, who readily admit there is something wrong with my foot...now it's trying to figure out exactly how and IF they can fix it.   My surgeon's name is J Michael Miller.  He's in the US, but avoid him at all costs...he's a total horses' ass.  If anyone wants to discuss this clown further with me, I'm more than happy to talk with them.

    Good luck to you Jennifer, and don't talk for gospel what surgeons tell you...it's ALL about the money.

    • jennifer70624
      jennifer70624 Redstone69

      Posted

      Wow! All I can say is "wow!"

      I am so sorry that you are still having problems. And to top it off, you cant do the things you loved doing. I am into my Tae Kwon Do class and liked working out and running untill the pain in my left foot kept me from continuing. So, I decided to have the surgery in hopes I can do these things better.

      I agree with you, that nerve damage is the dirty little secret of this surgery. If you google symptoms of nerve damage it's burning, numbness, and tingling. And doesn't go away unless they go back in to repair the damage. And as for me. I would be afraid to go back under the knife and have my fragile nerves repaired. Forget it!"

      I knew there would be risks of having the surgery, but not likely. My Dr is a bit of an ass too. When I tell him about my pain he tells me it's all in my head and that I'm a big baby. (In those exact words) it was like pulling teeth to get a refill on pain meds. He thought it couldn't have been that bad. But it is. The actual.foot pain is way better then before. But know my concern is this overwhelming heat in my foot.

      Sorry to hear about your Dr. Sound like a real ass.

      Good luck with your future surgery. I'll be praying for you.

      Thanks again.

    • shanaspain
      shanaspain Redstone69

      Edited

      Redstone

      I have exactly the same problem. I went to Dr Schmitt for pain in my little toe. It was shooting and annoying but nothing compared to the pain I have now. 4years and three surgeries later. Somehow he convinced me I needed bunionectomy/hammerhead toe surgery. When he took the pin out of the second time is literally laid across the other ones. Perpendicular. Then they all turned black. Another surgery. Numerous hospital stays for pain control and just like you said all my fault.

      Four years later and my life is horrible. I can't run and play with my son. We are about to move into a RV and travel but it's going to take us at least double the drive time because it hurts so bad to push the gas and brake.

      Wish I could take that decision for surgery back. And I went to the ER the other night because my sister accidentally kicked me in the foot. The doctor didn't even look at my foot and sent me home with a very mild muscle relaxer. He acted like I was drug seeking. I was a nurse so I know how they treat addicts but I have no problem passing drug tests. I have just now gotten in with pain management clinic. In two weeks we are going to discuss injection options.

      Shana

    • amy08860
      amy08860 Redstone69

      Posted

      Hey there...looking at your name i assume you are close to us at Redstone Arsenal.  My husband had calcaneus repair surgery last month and is experiencing severe pain.  How are you doing now?  Has there been any improvement?
    • eliciaB
      eliciaB Redstone69

      Posted

      I am so sorry for your experience and your pain. I pray that your issues have resolved by now. I also hope that you did not go to the same doctor. PT is supposed to hurt. I like to call it Physical Torture. But, it does work. I hope you stuck with it. I also hope you went to see a Pain Management doctor. If you have CRPS which is a risk with foot surgery, you need to treat it immediately or it will only get worse. If you have it, other surgeries will make it worse. It will also spread to other limbs, so please research it and every doctor you let touch you from here on out. My orthopedic surgeon told me immediately that I had CRPS and got me in to the Pain Managemt doctor immediately. I just had my 11th spinal injection and am on opioids to control the pain...and my doctor is a GOOD doctor and I still had an issue. Please don't go back to that guy and report him for the things he said to you to the medical board and give him bad ratings on Heathgrades and on Yelp. I hope this is all mute because you are all better.

    • laura53706
      laura53706 eliciaB

      Posted

      Omg...There are so many pathetic foot surgeons out there. I went the non-invasive route because I felt it would be the best option for me since I haven't had good luck with a previous surgery. I have CRPS and made that very clear upon initial evaluation with Dr. Khosroabadi. He indicated he has worked with CRPS patients before and it would be ok. Boy am I sorry I went to him. His non- invasive approach is, what I found out, after I had been hospitalized, not a good approach at all because the area wasn't opened up, and he couldn't see what he was doing. He removed bone in a hammer toe and put a screw the size of my toe, and left no room at the top of my toe. I don't understand why a screw for small bones in my toe is so massive. I went to him a week out and he looked at my foot and said it looked ok. At this point I was worried because my 2nd toe was black and me and my husband questioned him about it. He said it was a bruise, then cleaned up my foot and we went home. My foot started hurting pretty bad, and then started swelling up like a balloon a couple of days later. I felt like I had a tourniquet wrapped around all of my toes. I just couldn't stand it! I texted my doctor and asked for antibiotics, which he did call in. However, he said if it's an infection I should feel better in a couple of days. That same night I ended up with a fever and was in severe, I mean severe pain. I was balling my eyes out, and have been since my surgery on 11-18-17. I ended up in ER and was treated for cellulitis. My foot was re-wrapped and the hospital did not remove wrapping so they didn't see my black toe. They gave me IV antibiotics, morphine and lorazepam and five hours later I went home. A a few days later I went to my doctor...Nov. 27, and me and my husband continued to question my 2nd toe (btw I had a bunionectomy, bone spur removal, and hammertoe surgery, and he had to release a tendon for the 2nd toe) and the blackness of it, as well as all the blistering on my foot. It was so swollen I couldn't see my ankle. I am tiny and couldn't believe how big my foot got.

      The swelling spilled over to bottom of leg as well... Probably because it had nowhere else to go. My toe looked moldy. My foot still super swollen and my toe tip and toenail black and moldy looking. Dr. Khosroabadi continued to tell us it was a bruise and would fall off. I told him I still didn't feel right and that I think my infection wasn't cleared and the top of my foot felt meaty. It was gross. I told him I wanted more antibiotics. He said no more are needed...That 10 days is enough. So, we went home. Saw him again on December 4 and was told same thing about my toe being a bruise, after we kept questioning again. We kept saying it doesn't look right. My foot was super hypersensitive too and tingling, numb, burning. He said it's part of swelling. He did refer to pain mgmt doctor he knew and I saw him for a sympathetic lumbar block on December 8. Pain mgmt doctor took a look at my toe and said it didn't look good. The nurses were very concerned and didn't diagnose, but told me to go to hospital after this procedure. I ended up going to Cedar-Sinai and was admitted for 5 days, with Gangrene and an infection. Yes, Gangrene!!! Not a friggin bruise!!! I knew it!! I don't know how many bags of antibiotics I received, and was seeing multiple specialists who were baffled by Dr. Khosroabadi's pinning/surgery technique. I have a long pin that looks just like a long nail and 3 screws. The problem is with the 2nd toe screw, which they all felt was way too big for my toe and bone. There is no room at top of toe where pin is. I thought he was just going to put a short pin in where he removed bone. Being the gangrene is on that toe, I am now in a waiting game to see what happens when the gangrene falls off. If the pin is exposed, I'm screwed and will have to have part or all of my toe amputated. Lovely. And the suck ass part, is the doctor gets away with all the stress, pain and suffering I have endured when he screwed up and won't take accountability for his action. That large ass screw along with his technique strangled a nerve and is affecting all my toes, but my pinkie. There is so much more, but this is the jist. Do NOT GO TO DR. KHOSROABADI AT FOOT AND ANKLE ALLIANCE. S****y doctor, a liar, and unethical. I hope I will walk again!!!! This is going to be a long journey!!!

    • Julie713
      Julie713 laura53706

      Posted

      How terrible! I hope that you are able to find relief.  I am 9.5 years post op for a cheilectomy, done by an incompetent podiatrist named Howard Groshell. This genius left a piece of wire in my incision. I had almost unbearable pain until 18 months in, I noticed a tiny dark spot just under the skin. I got a sterilized needle and just barely poked at the dark spot. Out sprang nearly an inch of wire (undissolved suture??) I pulled it out as far as I could until the pain was too  much. I made an appointment with a foot surgeon I had consulted at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and his nurse numbed it and pulled it out the rest of the way. EEEEE! I kept the errant suture. 

      ?Long story short, genius podiatrist Howard Groshell said, in response to my complaints about severe and unrelenting pain, "well, this is why I don't do this surgery anymore..."

      What????

      ?9.5 years later, I am still in severe pain from nerve damage, confirmed by my Mayo surgeon, who says that the only remedy is to fuse the joint at my big toe. No more yoga, no more heels, etc. I said "not yet" but it is probably in my future.

      ?I think one of the lessons learned is to NOT let a mere podiatrist operate on your feet. Go to a good foot surgeon at a reputable institution and save yourself a lot of grief and pain.

      ?Good luck to all.

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