Help me...my heels are killing me!

[Rena705]

This is a rather strange question but I just have to ask!  I have been diagnosed back in 1993 but my neuro is in denial and I am now awaiting MRI results. I am having a lot of pain in my legs and hands, double vision and the last few days I have been having excruciating pain in my heels!  When I have shoes on the pain seems to be localized under the bottom of my heel and it is a hot, burning pain and now that I have my shoes off the pain travels up the backs of my legs!  Anyone out there have this sort of pain?  It is really excrutiating burning pain and it is killing me!  Please let me know that I am not the only with this strange pain...

[Rena705]

Thanks for your advice you two!  I am hoping to hear from my neuro this week but who knows?  I have left a message for him via his nurse but they have gone on vacation for 2 weeks at a time and not bothered to pass on the information before they leave so I dont' have a lot of faith in this process! I guess it will be another week of waiting and if I don't hear from them by Friday I will have to call them AGAIN and leave ANOTHER message! Hope you both have a good week!
Rena

[nanadee]

I too suffer from this strange symtom! In fact today was bad enough that I missed church. Could not put any weight on it or make it straight without pain & cramping. Plan on calling my Neuro & see if we can do something about it. Have a real busy week at work & cannot miss. I have such problems I can't wear certain shoes, most people who know me know when I'm slides I'm having problems with my feet.! LOL! anyway hopefully something will help. Usually he will have me do some steroids (which I hate) & that will help with some pain meds. So hope this helps & hope you feel better soon, I feel for you!
Donnice

[Heather3418]

Hi Rena,

We do not usually talk about narcotic pain medications on the forum and I certainly do not suggest them to anyone.  Unfortunately Rena, I have super pain from my leg spasms, so I DO take a narcotic medication.  My doctor suggested a muscle relaxant in addition, since I can't seem to keep control of my spasms.

Please discuss this with your doctor to see what is best in your case.  Maybe talk to him about the relaxant as a way to stop your pain.  It's not for everyone, so that's why I always suggest discussing everything thoroughly with your MD.

Have a good evening, Heather

[Rena705]

Did your Neurologist suggest any other type of drug that might take the edge off of this pain? I normally am now getting it in my feet and occasionally in my upper right thigh and it is really BAD!  Like you said there are times I can't put my foot on the floor it is soooo bad!

[Heather3418]

Hey sweetie,

I almost hate to post this, but I just had a Neuro appointment last week and this is what she said.  The Tegretol, Neurontin, Trileptal, Zanaflex and the like; are all great drugs and work wonders for so many, BUT; these drugs are not really the best option for some types of pain.  Frankly I have been on all of them, at one time or another and they have not helped my kind of spasm pain, which then results in burning.

I did a post a while back that when you have spasms and continual spasms, the muscle gets fatigued and you get what they call the "muscle burn."  Just like at the gym, when they tell you, exercise till it's burns.  I'd like to light a fire under some of these people...by the way.

One person on this board knows about my "burning pain" and calls me "hot broad," but "she" will remain nameless.  Hee Hee  Just kidding.  But burning is one of the stories I know so well in my life.  It's not only in my legs, it's in my feet.  It literally sometimes hurts to put my foot to the floor.  And as you know, I have been diagnosed with MS for a long time.  My Neuro feels this may be due to the large lesion in my spine.  I am also a diabetic, but have my blood glucose so well controlled that I do NOT believe this is a diabetic neuropathy pain.

So yes, this can be the pain from that dumb disease called MS.  And of course, it can be the pain from many others medical problems.  But I DO hear you and totally understand what you are trying to convey.

Heather

[Rena705]

Well, this should give you an idea of what sort of health care I am dealing with...I spoke to my neuro's nurse about this horrible pain I am having in my heels.  She stated that it is neuropathic pain that can not be treated with traditional pain killers such as Tylenol or Motrin.  The only thing which may help would be an anti-seizure medication.  I asked her if she had my file up in front of her on the computer and she responded that yes she did.  I then asked her if the meds I am currently on are listed in my file on her computer...she responded that "No, there are no meds that are listed on your file."  I almost fell off of my chair at that one!  I told her that I am on 1200mg/day of Tegretol and 1600mg/day of Neurontin (which the dr. will not increase) and these are both anti-seizure meds and I am still having severe heel pain.  I thought that meds would be one of the most important things to keep track of in a patients file!  She then asked me if I still am going to keep my appointment with a new Neurologist in December?  I responded that yes, that is my plan.  She said that it is probably a good thing because a 2nd opinion never hurts.  The funny thing is, is that I have not even gotten my MRI results from this neuro (unless he has and can't figure out the problem) and he hasn't given me any solid diagnosis of Anything!!!  If in fact this pain in my heels is neuropathic pain, how does the nurse know this if I have not had any diagnosis!  I am so sick of all of this **** and all I want is a solid answer for a change instead of all of this ducking and hiding that I have been getting from the world of medicine!

[Rena705]

Thanks to all of you so much for your help!  I have never felt pain like this and I will look into all of your cures for sure!  It seems so strange that all of these things seem to happen at the same time as a flair up of MS...it makes it pretty hard to discern what exactly is what!  Thanks again for your help and here's hoping it all works!
Rena

[Super_sally888]

Could be from MS.  Could be plantar fascitis.  Could be a combination.  

Try icing the painful parts.  Freeze a plastic bottle of water and then roll it under the arches of your feet. Do this for about 5 minutes each session, 3 or 4 times a day.  

Arch supports should help, as should not walking barefoot, without supports.  Anti-inflammatories should also help if it is plantar fascitis.

Sally

[Michela11]

Apologies for my excruciating spelling!! ... :(

[Bopeep777]

hey i used to have the same excruciating pain.  where you can't walk on the heels of your feet.  i use arch supports and that helped a lot, cleared it right up.  i just use the regular old dr scholl's kind, but get the arch supports, not the heel cups or anything.  not sure what's causing your pain, or what caused mine, but the arch supports helped.  guess it's only about 7 or 8 dollars to try.

[Michela11]

Hey rena not the same but similar. Fire in legs and feet - very intense Lhermitte's down legs
.

I had to stop wearing shoes if I could, coz i oculdn't stand it. Cool water foot baths and panadeine forte was the only thing that kept it tolerable - because yes it is excruciating. Your poor thing - know where you are at.