Numbness in legs

Posted , 2 users are following.

Hi, I was diagnosed with PA on October 2016 and have had my initial round of injections and now get one injection every 2 months. However for the last 3 months I've noticed that no matter which way I sit and no matter what type of chair I'm using, my legs go numb. Is this normal? It's not even when my levels are low, it's all the time.

I'm also wondering if joints popping/cracking more than normal is normal with PA as it's happening more and more lately and It's beginning to annoy me as I can't pick up a pen with out my knuckles cracking.

TIA

Emms

1 like, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Emru,

    I'm not a medically trained person but I have had P.A. for 45 years and I'm glad to see that your doctor has put you on the right frequency of injections.

    It is not uncommon for some symptoms to appear to get worse before they get better as the B12 starts to repair the damage done to your nervouse system caused by the deficiency.  There is no set timetable for recovery as we are all different and a lot will depend on how long you were deficient before treatment began.

    I think it would be a good idea for you to go back to your doctor and ask him/her to check your Folate level as I'm wondering whether your numbness may be due to a "subacucte combined degeneration of the spinal cord" which can affect P.A. patients as it is caused by B12 and Folate deficiencies.

    I wish you well.

    • Posted

      Hi Clive,

      Thanks for your response I pretty much have little to no short term memory anymore so I forgot I posted this. 

      My last folate level test came back ok as previously I was on folic acid every day for 3 months. I am not due another blood test until August as my doctor wants to do them after every other injection but I'll ask to get them rechecked when I'm due to have my injection next week.

      kind regards, 

      Emma

    • Posted

      There is a complex interaction between folic acid, vitamin B12 and iron. A deficiency of one may be "masked" by excess of another so the three must always be in balance.

      Folic acid works closely with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells and helps iron function properly in the body, hence the importance of asking for it to be checked.

      Take care now.

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