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Depression about ongoing weakness and pain.

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elaine_10691
elaine_10691

I suffer with foot and leg weakness as well as foot and leg pain, mainly one side but it affects the other a little. I did have fairly regular pain on one side of the sacrum until about a few weeks ago. This has all been evolving over 3 years.

I have been doing daily strengthening Pilates exercises since last spring and I have been able to increase the level. I can only assume that these exercises have something to do with my sacrum pain being mostly better for the last 2 weeks or so....but it has taken a lot of time and effort...and I am scared to discontinue my boring 30 minute routine now for fear of the horrible gnawing sacrum pain returning.

However, the weakness in my right foot is still always there with weight bearing. I often feel as though I am only really walking on part of the foot and this weakness continues through most of my leg, mostly back of calf and thigh. The pain is felt in the parts of my foot which seem to bear the weight and my inner calf and shin. The sole of my foot gets painful too. The other leg, although not nearly as bad, seems to have some of the same symptoms in the same places but to a very much less degree.

I try to maintain some sort of exercise because I fear not looking after my heart and blood pressure and I also enjoy the sound sleep that exercise allows me to have. Having said that, walking further than 20 minutes is out of the question, but if I do a little bit too much of anything(which could be cycling, swimming or aqua aerobics) I feel much worse. Yesterday I did quite a bit more cycling than usual, but it was all flat land and today my foot and leg feels weaker than ever.

I presume I suffered from a nerve compression in my back, maybe in my foot as well which suffered an injury some years back and has arthritis(although joint pain is minimal compared to nerve pain). I'm angry because the issue in my back has never been dealt with and diagnosed by anyone in the NHS....I was fobbed off and told it was some sort of impingement. I am frightened that it is too late and that I may never return the muscle strength in my foot and leg, frightened also that I might be making myself worse and there is no-one to guide me about how I should proceed. Do less? Do more? Do different things? Get a disabled sticker for the car?....which would feel like giving up....but the trying so hard fills me with such angst.

Thanks for reading my depressive rant. Any ideas would be gratefully received.

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • derek76
    derek76 elaine_10691

    Posted

    I have had the foot and lower leg weakness and neuropathy for nearly five years. In my case I trace it back to having been prescribed fluoroquinolone and cipro antibiotics. Initially it caused tendonitis that physio eventually helped. However it can lay dormant for a considerable time before causing wide ranging problems.

    • elaine_10691
      elaine_10691 derek76

      Posted

      Hello again Derek,

      You mentioned this before. I have, however, been trying to look into these drugs and when they might be prescribed....not wishing to leave any stone unturned.

      In my case I have not taken any antibiotics for at least about nearly 6 years. Prior to that I underwent a nephrectomy (an operation to remove a kidney). I have not checked to see if I might have, routinely, been prescribed them during the operation...and I could do that. However, my symptoms began 2 years after that operation. Nothing I can find on the internet suggests that the side effects of these drugs could be delayed that long...but you may know differently?

      Prior to the last 6 years I have not taken antibiotics that often. Maybe 9 years ago I took some after I skewered my hand...which were quite strong.Then before that I had a course for suspected helicobacter pylori (the thing that might cause stomach ulcers). These latter 2, though, are such a long time ago though.....

      Given your knowledge and understanding on this though, what do you think my chances of having been affected by these antibiotics are?

    • derek76
      derek76 elaine_10691

      Posted

      Yes, the symptoms can be long delayed. Have a look at the site 'floxie hope'

      My problems started about four years after first being given it intravenously in the operating theatre when an enlarged prostate caused by an infection prevented them from getting a catheter in. I had also taken it for only a couple of days three times later. As I probably said before it was later triggered by two other drugs Bisoprolol

      and Clarithromycin. Recently I have started to get numbness on my left thumb into my wrist as well.

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