Bizarre... Issues with pain/numbness in my legs/ankles/feet

[thewink]

Hello all,

I am a 25 year old, healthy male living that just relocated from Nebraska to Massachusetts.  I have been here for two weeks and for the last six or seven days have had the following problems:

It started with severe pain in the area behind my knees and my hamstring.  It felt as if my muscles were constantly strained (like the muscles were being stretched).  The pain was so extreme that I was not able to sleep at night... by the third day of this, I learned that I could temporarily ease the pain by stretching these muscles (by standing up and bending over trying to touch my toes).  I am usually flexible enough to touch my toes in this manner with no problems but with this condition, I was struggling to get within 6 inches of them.

Now that pain has gone away and now from my calves to my toes, there is a permanent sensation (as if I had sat on my legs and cut off the circulation), especially in my feet.  Also, my feet are numb and feel very cold compared to rest of my body.

I have chalked these problems up to stress and/or my change in climate (it has been around zero degrees all week in MA), but I am starting to wonder if I should consult a physician before this gets any worse.

Anyone else had this happen?  Any advice???

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-JT]

As I have not personally examined you nor have I reviewed your clinical history in detail, it is extremely difficult to give an accurate medical opinion that is specific to your particular case.  Having said that, the symptoms are a bit concerning for an acute peripheral neuropathy (problem with the nerves going to your limbs), especially if the numbness is continuing to ascend above your ankles and up to your hands. Consider getting in to a neurologist or primary care doc to have it looked at just to make sure everything is ok. Unless you lay down or sat down on a hard surface in the lotus position for a prolonged period of time, have some kind of tumor in your pelvis, have had hip surgery, or had gunshot wounds or injections in the buttocks it would be unlikely that this is a primary sciatic nerve problem.  THe more common use of the word sciatica usually refers to the back pain that radiates down the leg when nerve roots are compressed by things like a bad disc.  But again, you would have to have pretty bad back disease to catch nerves coming out from both sides of the spinal cord.  As for now, keep your feet warm and be careful where you step especially if it's numb. Good luck.

[thewink]

Just a clarification on the current condition, the sensation that I am constantly having in my calves/ankles/feet is the tingling (almost electrical feeling) that happens when you have been sitting on your leg and it had 'fallen asleep' and then it begins to 'wake up'.

[EpilepticInAlabama]

I have been having numbness and tingling in my hands and feet.  It seems not to matter if I'm walking, laying or whatever.  It feels like they have went "to sleep."  I woke up last night scared to death because my whole arm was asleep.  You know how you can get in those positions that your hands or whatever might go to sleep but usually don't?  Well I had my arm around my husband last night and all the way to my shoulder was numb.  It scared me to death.  As the numbness comes back... I have that pins and needles thing.  I was experiencing alot of deep muscular or some type of pain in my left arm.  I can't even sit with my feet flat on the floor without them going numb.  Anyone have any idea what this may be?  I don't experience alot of pain but this is very annoying.

[thewink]

After some research and checking with a few friends, it is looking like I pinched my sciatic nerve.... going to see a doctor tomorrow to check on it...

[Sherry2]

I don't want to alarm you as I'm sure your symptoms could fit many different ailments, but my mom started out exactly as you've described and unfortunately it took the doctors almost a year to diagnose her with CIDP.  Just be on the lookout if your symptoms continue or worsen.

[The Crusader]

WARNING:  DO NOT GET ANY STEROID EPIDURAL NERVE BLOCK INJECTIONS!!!   GO TO:  http://groups.msn.com/DepoMedrolDidItHarmYou/depomedroldiditharmyou.msnw

[thewink]

I went to see a doctor yesterday... she didn't think it was the sciatic nerve.  She asked me about my family history with diabetes and took some blood.  She put me on Naproxen for a week and I am to come back next week....

[thewink]

Thank you for your responses everyone.  I appreciate it very much :)

I would like to add that when I do stretch my hands to reach for something, I will feel the sensation of electricity going up my arm to the fingers.  But, this is just a quick tingle and nothing like the permanent problem in my lower legs and feet.

It has been a week now and the condition is not going away... getting worse if anything - I have an appointment to see a primary care physician on Monday morning...

Take care,

Mark

[nobodyhome]

I would go another route because of personal experience and I would not delay in seeing a vascular specialist.  If, for some reason, you have blocks in your circulation, it can cause numbness, tingling, cold (white to blue-white) feet, pain, etc.  If the circulation is stopped for a prolonged period, it can kill off some of your nerves (since they aren't getting the oxygen and nutrients they need) and you may end up with a permanent disability.  Not all numbness starts at the nerve level.  Again, this is from experience not research.

[fiddy]

for the past three years i have had numbness in my legs and feet.  when it started it was numbness and very painfull.  it started to go to my hands also.  i have epilepsy, for 31 years...and have been on the same meds all this time with slight variations.  i could not sleep or concentrate, but i did do research....causes diabetes,poor nutrition(protein)  toxic levels from meds or alcohol abuse.  i lost alot of weight fast causing protein levels to drop and dilantin levels to soar.....     no one would listen...they tried sleeping pills (3 at night) but the pain plus numbness was awfull........until they put me on neurontin and one sleeping pill....neurontin 3 times a day with other meds....i have the numbness and can deal with this..but the pain is gone.  good luck

[thewink]

I have made a second visit to a primary care physician and have been diagnosed with 'peripheral neuropathy'.  I will begin seeing a neurologist next week and hopefully figure out a treatment... in the meantime, I am to not use alcohol and get alot of fruits and vegetables.

A main cause of this condition is diabetes but they say I tested negative for that.

[fiddy]

that is exactly what mine is diagnosed as.  i see a neurologist on a regular basis and have had nerve/shock testing(basically to see what nerves are damaged .....i do not drink any alcohol and do not have diabetes..so good luck with a very frustrating situation ...

[lappdog]

i have been trying for over a year to get rid of tihs agonizing
pain in my left leg to no avail.  pain is in the left side of shin and in ankle, behind knee and some times in buttocks area
if sitting for a long time. i have heard of a prcedure called microlaserdiscectomy which requires hardly any hospital time and 90%success rate for relieving pain. has any body heard of this
procedure and how effective is it for real?

[Firstborn]

Hi, three nights ago, I went to bed, and nothing was wrong with my right leg. I woke up in the middle of the night to horrible pain, as if I had broke it. The pain was from the knee down, and more concentrated in the area of my ankle which had been broken over twenty years ago. Its now from my hip down, behind my leg, in my knees, my ankle, I'm in great pain as I write this. Nothing seems to work. I put some icy hot on the whole leg and ankle and took some regular tylenol, which doesnt help much, I've got very little sleep because of this. HELP!

[AD0521]

A related discussion, Numbness in arms and legs was started.