tingling and numbing hands and feet

[panem]

Hello fellow sufferers.  3 months ago I started getting a numbness in my leg. It felt rather like I had a very tight stocking on. Lately this feeling has gone into my other leg too. When I exercise it goes away, but soon returns after a few minutes of sitting. I went to the Doc. varicose veins he said. Tested me for any other possibilities all OK. One week later after taking some pills, the pain, and now tingling, was in my hands and fingers. Doc agreed it was not varicous veins then.  More pills..(this is a bit like starting a difficult engine by hitting it with a hammer!!) These didn't do anything, and now I have numbing in both legs which comes and goes with severity depending what I am doing, and hands which at times are numb, and then tingling, especially the finger tips. Sometime just two small fingers on the right hand. Now, do I have to go to the knackers yard and be melted down for glue, or is there someone out there who can help, and has similar problems, and knows the magic answer...
Right now as I write my index finger is numb, and my right foot is both tingling and numb.  I have heard this can be caused by anxiety. My wife has for some time now been suffering from severe depression, and it has been a constant worry for me. Iam 69 years old, really normally very fit, and never have any ailments.  Would very much appreciate any help Thanks to all

[I8A4RE]

my numbness started w tingling in the fingers and quickly spread to my toes and feet and then by the next day my arms and legs were also tingling and going numb.  Within 48 hours my entire body was tingling and numb. anywhere you touched me would give me the same sensation as if I were sitting on my foot and it "fell asleep".  Chest, stomach, back...its all numb and tingly all the time. 24 hours.  I can still function like walk and type but feels weird.
I just gave blood and am waiting for the test results.
I am only 35 w no other health problems...that i know of.
Someone mentioned pesticides.... I did spray a half gallon of a different brand than what I have used in the past of weed and grass killer around my yard about a week prior these symptoms starting...i dont know if that had any relation.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
I read through your post very carefully and based on that I feel that you could possibly be suffering from glove-and-stocking neuropathy. There are many causes of this nerve disorder including diabetes, hypothyroidism, chronic involvement of liver or kidney, chronic alcohol use etc. Demyelinating peripheral neuropathies like Gullian Barre Syndrome is another possibility. Vitamin B12 deficiency too should be looked into.
Hope this helps. Do discuss these possibilities with your doctor and get yourself examined accordingly. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!

[MiroMiro]

I am 47 years old, male, I have started to experience a similar symptoms back in Sep. it started by numbness to the right hand and especially in the morning. I had a serious of epsiode waking up as if the upper part of my hand is not present. This normally goes aways by starting to shake my hands.  The pattern is now changing and it becoming irritating as my both hands and feet are affected, I have been seen by neurolgist, who conducted a number of tests on me, conductivity tests, MRI, full brain scan, head to toes scans but he is saying i do not have anything. No diagnosis as yet. I have been checked for sugar, it was normal, the glycerine level was slightly higher but nothing to worry about. Recently, I have been bothered by the numbness which is coming in different places, it seems to change pattern. for example one day it starts in both hands, then in the lower feets, sometime takes at least few hours to go away. I am very worried. My neuroligst is a very careful guy, he does not want to misslead me. So he said will admit me to hospital for three days to do all sorts of tests. Including a full scale sugar test, exposure test -  I am not really looking for a diagnosis if it is not the right one. You see human are not cars, we can not just enter the garage to be diagnosed. A symptoms mat take long time to be found. But the trick is to find it early for an early treatment - this how it goes. I am waiting for the hospital admission and I will post of case here after, but until then I appreciate
if someone can give any feedback what it could be? Marvin..

[caregiver222]

You have a very interesting problem, and in all honestly I feel your physician has failed miserably in ascertaining the cause.

As posters have mentioned diabetic neuropathy could cause these symptoms, but usually this problem is focal (not always). That is to say in a localized area, generally the feet, beginning in the toes or a few inches upwards.  You, on the other hand have a systemic problem.

Circulatory disturbances could cause these symptoms. As a example, if an ordinary person applies a torniquit to the hands of if you sleep in a position blocking blood circulation numbness and tingling develops distal to the oclusion. Doppler screening can often help in ruling out vascular disorders. A pulse of sound is send out by the machine and an echo back gives a read-out on the screen.

Now I don't want to go to the hoosegow prescribing medicine, so please don't take my advice.

But if I were writing a novel, I would give you some sublingual nitroglycerine while you were laying down and experiencing symptoms. You have to be lying down. I am assuming you have a normal blood pressure with an upper number of at least 120. If the numbness IMMEDIATELY goes away, you have defined the etiology of the disorder as circulatory. The nitroglycerine is a systemic vasodilator.

I would also use an infrared thermometer to take the temperature of your hands and feet while you have no symptoms and when you have symptoms. I would give you a thermal scan with a third generation night vision device while you were naked in my office. I would look for coloration in areas of the skin where there is tingling.

I have a suspician I know what your problem is, but I don't want you to go down yelling some poster on an internet site told you this was your diagnosis and then having you complain.

I would suggest an evaluation at a teaching hospital or a diagnostic center.

Your physician has not proved up to the job.

As far as insecticides go, exposure can cause such symptoms, particuliarly to the class of insecticides known as organophosphates. Similar substances are used in the military nerve agents V and VX, These are acetycholinesterase inhibitors.  I would recommend a test for acetycholinesterase levels.

Good luck.

[slburns]

I also have numbness in my hands and feet.  I have a handout about women having these symptoms as part of heart problems - blockages really.  I would check that if I were you.  I am definitely going to now.

[NervousSystemGuy]

Hi I'm 42 and otherwise healthy (I think)
Over a year ago I had facial twitching. It started with my left eye then progressed to my forehead, nose and lower part of my right eye. My mouth twitched sometimes as well. Those lasted a couple of months and then subsided and returned to a lesser degree from time to time. Doctors couldn't find anything, had an MRI, didn't show MS. Now I'm experiencing numb hands, with tingling, feet and even my scrotum gets numb. It has lasted over a week and I'm hoping it will go away soon. I have a referral to see a neurologist.
Any thoughts or help would be appreciated.

[Jaye007]

I seem to keep getting like an electrical pulse in my left foot, it is quite regular like a pulse... Anyone know what this could be?

[helpinhand]

bug sprays are poison, for both bugs and humans. inhaling them gets them into your system, and sure enough, your system, especially your nervous system, can react. mine does to various toxins. i had some kind of a leak/smell in a car, and if i was in it for even an hour, when i stopped and got out, my entire system would be shaking. one time, i thought the car was still turned on and vibrating, but then realized that it was turned off, and it was ME who was "vibrating". they are all poisons. it wouldnt surprise me to hear that your tingling is a reaction to the ant spray. READ THE WARNINGS ON THE LABEL. check for any listed info about what happens when you inhale it. hck the internet for symptoms of inhaling ant poison. chalk is supposed to work to keep ants out. seriously. supposedly, if you draw a line of chalk ,the ants wont cross it because they hate it. i would have crushed chalk and spread it around , or drawn lines of it, before i used ant spray. in our apartment building, they sprayed for bee's one year around a window, and we couldnt be in the room where they sprayed it for 8 months. it made us so sick. you said the doc gave you anithistimimines--are they helping you any at all? CALL THE POISON CONTROL CENTER- THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU TO DO THAT WORKS. YOU GUYS HAVE TO CLEAN THE ANT SPRAY OFF OF EVERYTHING HE SPRAYED. GET IT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE.  sorry you are going through this. i wish you the best of luck with your health! that's the one thing we need the most in this life- good health. :)

[toalem04]

I am 35 years old and right after my husband sprayed ant poison in the house last week, I have had occasional tingling in my feet and legs, and also some sporadic tingling in my hands.  Could this be something that affected me nerologically?  I went to the dr., and he gave me an antihistimine, and said for me to watch it.  What do you think?

[panem]

Thanks for all the info. plenty to think about, so will be doing some more tests I think...will keep you posted.

[JSHNKY]

The feeling of the "lead stocking on your lower leg" is troublesome as this may be indicative of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) which can be a potentially serious matter. Have you mentioned this feeling to your MD? If not, please do so right away. Also, stress and anxiety can cause the muscles throughout the body to experience the "fight or flight" response where much of the bodies blood supply is directed away from the arms and legs and into the bodies "trunk." Normally this sensation will be felt as numbness and weakness in the extremities and will subside once the anxious episode subsides. Your description may also fit into a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy which describes damage to the peripheral nervous system which transmits information from the brain to every other part of the body. It is important to note that there are over 100 recognized types of peripheral neuropathy each with its own set of symptoms and prognosis. Impaired function and symptoms depend on the type of nerves -- motor, sensory, or autonomic -- that are damaged.  Some people may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction. Peripheral neuropathy may be either inherited or acquired. Some chronic neuropathies worsen over time, but very few forms ever prove fatal. Good luck!

[panem]

Hi and thanks for the comments.  The veins do protrude a little but only at the time of numbness, or I should say a feeling of heavyness as if I had a lead stocking on my lower leg, thats the best way I can describe it.  Yes I might get blood flow checked out. Obviously activity allows the blood to flow, but at the same time, when Im active and thinking of other things, anxiety takes a rear seat, so its still a possibility.  I think one can be suffering from anxiety and not really be aware of it. cheers.

[adelaide]

Stress can certainly cause problems with tingling and circulation, but I'm not sure why you notice that the veins are more pronounced when you are numb or tingling.  Are they just more noticeable or do they protrude?  If they protrude,  perhaps the physician should check your arteries, just to make sure that there's no blockage; nothing interfering with the blood flow.  Just a thought; good luck, and please keep us posted!

[panem]

Hi and thanks for your  comments.  Yes I have had blood sugars checked and its normal, in fact everything appears to be normal except the symptoms Iam presently getting. Now today I went into town and I was busy and moving about all the time, then I noticed....no numbing or tingling.  Later back home the numbness returned.  I notice that when the numbness is present the veins in my legs are somewhat more pronounced, then the numbness subsides and the veins are once again as normal. This happened at the Docs, but the blood pressure, when tested, was normal. What do you think about the stress angle, can these sort of things happen coz of stress? Problem is when do you know, if, and when you are stressed?  Thanks for your thoughts.

[adelaide]

If it goes away when you exercise, I wonder if this could be a problem with the vascular or circulatory system.  Also, you mentioned the stress.  Do you worry less and enjoy yourself more when you exercise?  Are you more likely to think about things that worry you when you are sitting still.   For me, exercise is almost a necessity for my mental and physical health.  When I hike or take my brisk walks, I feel great.  It's what I do to relieve stress, to temporarily forget what worries me, and it's a time when I can "let go."  I think that if you had MS or Limes, you'd have more symptoms.  I think that something is happening with your circulation, and maybe stress is the cause.  I agree with having the blood sugar checked out.  That can sure cause problems with circulation.  Keep us posted.

[panem]

yes I had the check for sugar etc.  All ok and otherwise fit.  The numbness moves around all the time. Hands then legs, soles of feet. If I walk and exercise it goes, its like the exercise is increasing the blood flow and no problem.  Sit still for a short while and it comes back again....thanks 4 yr letter

[bengalcats]

did you have you sugar checked? the tingling can also be from stress as well as many more serions health problems. did you see a neurologist? i have been having tingling for several months almost nonstop in my legs, hands and my arms,i have a little numbness in my feet that the dr called neuropathy, i think i may have MS because i have so many other symptoms of it and will be getting a lumbar puncture tomorrow to find out for sure. Lyme disease causes those symptoms as well, i doubt at your age that it would be MS, it is uaually diagnosed at a much younger age, how ever i do have a co worker who is 60 yrs old and was diagnosed last year with MS, her dr told her that at her age she will most likekly die from old age verses the MS. did you have a MRI done on your brain? hope this helps , take care.

[bengalcats]

did you have you sugar checked? the tingling can also be from stress as well as many more serions health problems. did you see a neurologist? i have been having tingling for several months almost nonstop in my legs, hands and my arms,i have a little numbness in my feet that the dr called neuropathy, i think i may have MS because i have so many other symptoms of it and will be getting a lumbar puncture tomorrow to find out for sure. Lyme disease causes those symptoms as well, i doubt at your age that it would be MS, it is uaually diagnosed at a much younger age, how ever i do have a co worker who is 60 yrs old and was diagnosed last year with MS, her dr told her that at her age she will most likekly die from old age verses the MS. did you have a MRI done on your brain? hope this helps , take care.