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numbness and tingling in left leg and foot

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justme67
justme67

hi

i have had numbness in my left leg below knee for a bout 4 weeks and in my foot for about 2 weeks, its the left side of my left leg and on foot is more of right part of left foot.

i had blood tests, all came back clear.

saw dr again and he said i need a nerve conduction test, but no idea how long this will take to get

the appt.

this is worrying and annoying as is affecting me at work now as my leg also aches a lot now.

any one have any ideas or have had the same symptoms? thanks

5 likes, 207 replies

207 Replies

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  • marshall71
    marshall71 justme67

    Posted

    Been told it's PAD
    • johncolt
      johncolt marshall71

      Posted

      Sorry to be a pessimist but I started to get numb feet about 15 years ago when I seemed to be walking on blocks of wood. I have seen a neurologist several times and he says that the numbness will extend up the lower legs until it gets to about the height of socks where it usually stops. This has proved to be the case. I can't tell if I am wearing slippers without looking.

      Strangely, with the numness comes a heightened sense of sensivity of the top of the foot. I would't feel a needle pricking the sole of either foot.

      There does not seem to be a cure for this condition which is definitely related to the nervous system and not blood flow because the feet aren't actually cold, they just seem cold some times. Driving can be a concern because there is here is little feeling of the foot on the pedal, just the sense of a resistance - as a lower leg amputee would feel.

      Unfortunately, it seems, we just have to get used to all this.

    • faye70665
      faye70665 johncolt

      Posted

      Three drs. Told me not to drive.I had the nerve test and it is

      radicular neuropathy.I am. now on 1800 myself of gabapentin.

      This thing causes me all kinds of problems.

    • mic63437
      mic63437 johncolt

      Posted

      Hello John,

      Just noticed your post

      I have similar tale of woe

      Little toes feeling a bit lifeless 11 years ago.. Diagnosis: Chronic Idiopathic Axonal Polyneuropathy

      Today at 68 both feet numb - right foot just about feeling the throttle in the car how bad will it get??

      Foot pain when they get hot in bed. Hands sensitive & fizzing, also face feeling sensitive round mouth

      Have tried all known to mankind except spinal chord stimulation.

      Have you tried SCS? How do you cope?

      Best

      Michael

      Not quite sure about this - some people say it gives 50% pain relief

      Trying not to give up - the progressive nature of this, is the thing that really gets me down

    • mark07100
      mark07100 mic63437

      Posted

      I have had this going on for 6 months. Feet are numb and pressure like wearing shoes is very uncomfortable.  I have had heriated disc issues for my whole life.  But the numbness is new and is getting worse every month.  

      The question is.....Is this just going to keep getting worse or level off.  Do you get a MRI?  When?  How soon?  If you wait too long does it cause damage?  Any ideas?

    • terry62719
      terry62719 mark07100

      Posted

      Hi mark and all. This nerve problem is so in fare isn't it. Xx to all hope who ever reads this post today has a good day I'm realising my life's definitely changed this year due to nerve damage and muscle wasting because of it .. but just want to wish everyone who reads this today a warm heart felt truethfull happy xmas .. because if your on here todayvresding this it's because your like me Just want to know there's others going through similar. Love to all you guys and girls xx from my heart xx

  • james80078
    james80078 justme67

    Posted

    Yes, I agree with John Colt's description.  He's the first person who described exactly what I feel.  I woke up one morning with the tips of my toes numb.  It then crept up to just above my ankles over about two weeks and stayed there for about 10 years.  Like him, my feet feel like blocks of wood or sometimes as if they're stuffed with cotton wool.  And, like him, in other ways my feet can be unduly sensitive - if one touches the other at night I can feel acute pain very quickly, even though it's a fairly light touch.  If my slipper falls off I don't know.  I did get the impression from the neurologist, however, that it may creep up further.  I went to see her before Christmas because it has climbed my legs quite suddenly.  She seemed to be implying eventually it will affect my fingers, which would make picking things up or doing up buttons difficult.  Like John says, it's not to do with blood - my private doc got me every blood test known to human kind. It's neurological.  Any other tests to find the cause would be incredibly difficult and unlikely to be successful, so it's about managing it.  But even after all these years it still feels strange not to properly feel my feet.
    • marshall71
      marshall71 james80078

      Posted

      I've had a specialist looking at my numbness and tingling of both feet and legs and he said its PAD which is peripheral artery disease and you can loose a leg my late father had it and he died from a massive heart attack same symptoms as lose of feelings and numbness the soon its caught the better
    • derek76
      derek76 james80078

      Posted

      As many blood tests as I had today?  The phlebotomist laid out fourteen phials for the following tests:

      Blood  tests requested by GP

      Full Blood Count (FBC)

      Glucose Level Blood (G)

      HbA1c (IFCC) GBH

      GPSCREEN (GPSC)

      Non Fasting Lipid Screen Blood (NFL)

      Thyroid Function (TSH) 

      Requested by Neurologist

      Anti Musk Antibody Level Blood (AMUSKA)

      Cardiolipin Level (CARDS)

      Anti Nuclear Antibody (ANA)

      Acetyl  Choline Receptor Antibody (ACRA)

      Anti  Neutrophil  Cytoplasmic  (ACRA)

      Anti  Cardioipin Antibody (CARDS) 

      Thrombophilla Screen (THROME)

      Voltage Gated Calcium Channel Antibody (VGCC)

      Voltage Gated Potassium Channel  Antibody (VGPC)

      Genetic test for hereditary motor sensory neuropaty. Charol- Marie Tooth disease?

      The genetic one evidently takes three months to come back.

  • HarryChadwick
    HarryChadwick justme67

    Posted

    I'm really glad I found this thread because it's given me some reassurance that I'm not alone in this.

    I first began to get numbness in my feet and lower legs about 3 months ago.  It felt, as has been stated here, the same as your face feels when it's just starting to shake off the effects of an injection for a tooth filling.  More recently, the symptoms have developed to the point where my shoes - especially on my left foot - always feel loose.  When I'm walking or running (I've always been an active runner), it sometimes feels like I'm dragging my feet. 

    I reported the symptoms to my GP, who has since followed a programme of 'elimination': blood test to rule out diabetes, then blood test to rule out B12/Folate deficiency.  Both blood tests came back 'normal'. 

    Yesterday, I went back to my GP, but saw a locum.  The locum gave me a full examination, including nerve and reflex tests.  He seemed very concerned, and asked me if I'd been having headaches.  He then fixed up for me to have an MRI scan.

    I should say that, 12 years ago, I was diagnosed with Facet Syndrome in my lumbar vertebrae - a 'wear and tear' condition.  This causes me to have constant pain (often little more than mild discomfort) in my right hip.  Physiotherapy has usually helped for this, and I have a series of exercises I need to do if it gets bad.  Just before the 'numbness' symptoms started, I had a really bad flare-up for the Facet pain, making it difficult for me to get comfortable when sitting or in bed.  The flare-up lasted for two weeks.  I've mentioned this before to my GP, but it was only yesterday that the locum thought there might be a connection.  It could well be, then, that a pre-existing condition - through natural deterioration - is causing the problem.

    How's everyone faring with their condition?  Any new information, symptoms, treatments to report? confused

    • james80078
      james80078 HarryChadwick

      Posted

      Hi, Harry

      I think the trouble with peripheral neuropathy is that there are other conditions that can mask it, like your Facet Syndrome.  Because I'd had loss of feeling in my legs/feet with sciatica I first thought it was that.  Finally, after a decade, my neurologist says it's small fibre neuropathy, ie it doesn't affect my walking or anything major but it just feels weird, like you say when the injection in your face begins to wear off.  All the blood tests in the world show up nothing (& I spent a lot of money through a private doctor having lots of extra tests).  For some people it could obviously be diabetic neuropathy or could be a symptom of hardened arteries, but for some of us it's just a neuropathic condition that you learn to live with.

      James

    • JimmyLeeTexas19
      JimmyLeeTexas19 HarryChadwick

      Posted

      My pain is down my left shin to the outside of my ankle and in the top of my foot (where the pain started) into my big toe. The pain is like a burning sensation that intensifies with use.

      It started about two years ago when I was experiencing a bilateral sciatica attack. I

      eventually came to TexasSpineTeam who examined my MRI and essentially told me I would have to live with it and prescibed epidural injections. 

      I elected not to do that since it did not offer much relief when I did it for two years earlier.

      My MD prescribed neurontin, which really helps with the pain, but has the side effect of slowing thinking and reaction time.

      Two months ago I had a series of therapeutic massages that gave me excellent relief from most of the symptoms of sciatica except for the pain and burning sensation in my leg and foot. The doctors told me that what I am experiencing is

      caused by permanent nerve damage. 

      I don't experience too much pain until I have been on my feet more then two or three minutes, when the pain begins, and intensifies as I move.

      I am not happy with this effect on my mobility and would like to discuss possible improvement.

  • james80078
    james80078 justme67

    Posted

    Hi, Harry

    I think the trouble with peripheral neuropathy is that there are other conditions that can mask it, like your Facet Syndrome.  Because I'd had loss of feeling in my legs/feet with sciatica I first thought it was that.  Finally, after a decade, my neurologist says it's small fibre neuropathy, ie it doesn't affect my walking or anything major but it just feels weird, like you say when the injection in your face begins to wear off.  All the blood tests in the world show up nothing (& I spent a lot of money through a private doctor having lots of extra tests).  For some people it could obviously be diabetic neuropathy or could be a symptom of hardened arteries, but for some of us it's just a neuropathic condition that you learn to live with.

    James

  • teil23604
    teil23604 justme67

    Posted

    have you looked into the possibility of Systemic Candidiasis? Or dysbiosis? 
  • james80078
    james80078 justme67

    Posted

    I've certainly looked into candidiasis and know that I have it.  I've had homoeopathic treatment for it but effect only lasted a while.  The trouble is that there are so many foods you have to avoid to beat it I'm just not prepared to live that restrictive a life. And I've never heard of dysbiosis - have looked it up and that doesn't sound like me.  Interesting, though.
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