So, went to see the neurologist yesterday about the numb, burning feet (both of them) and the neuralgic pain in the thigh. Really, I just wanted to ask if it was OK to keep taking the vitamin B complex and for how long, but he got out all his little instruments. . a sort of prong which vibrated on my ankle, and then . . a hammer! A hammer which was fast approaching my operated knee . . . Uh huh . .this is going to hurt! I thought, but surprisingly it didnt hurt at all. However, my reflex went so high I nearly kicked the poor chap in. . . well, least said the better! However, the right leg didn't react at all . Not sure if that means anything at all! Anyway, in spite of my insisting that it's definitely post operation, he says he doesn;t think it is and wants me to have tests which i fear I shall not bother with. He confirmed what i thought that the pain in the thigh is meralgia, and I said I thought it was probably cuased by the tourniquet, but he muttered about it more likely it was because I'm a bit overweight. . right! that ALWAYS gets the blame for everything in this life! Anyway, prescribed Lirica which I may try and see if it sends me as insane as gabapentin did a few years ago! it's all fun, isn't it. . . .
Wow, you've got an interesting life. I hope you will do the other testing and also try the Lirica. Obviously having the numbness and burning is no way to go about living life. And my guess is that most of us need to work on the weight otherwise our knees wouldn't have given out (not all of us, but a fair number). Keep us posted.
Hi Tenerife, Did you kick him before or after the mumbled weight catch-all comment?? Hang in there!
I have two friends on Lyrica for 2 different diagnosis.......diabetes and fibromyalgia. One swears by it for pain control and the other is rather ho hum about the results
but neither complain about side effects. I know all of the massive TV and printed ads list a variety of side effects. A doc recently told me that many of the listed side effects are there because people have something going on before the take a drug and that gets put on the side effects list and it can be 0ne or two people out of a 100000. Hope it works for you. If it doesn't you can go back and finish the physican kicking. BTW, got my next surgery date to get the knee reinstalled, June 22. They want me off the vancomycin infusions for 6 weeks so they can make sure there is no infection lurking. 6 weeks + of dragging this leg around.
Still quite a while to wait for your new knee then! That persistent infection should have been resolved by then. Regarding Lyrica I worry that it may affect me the same as gabapentin which turned me into a different person! If I try Lyrica, it will be when I can be sue I don't need to drive for three or four days! I didn't know it was used for fibromyalgia. . another of my problems, although I am very lucky compared with many people, and the symptoms are not as severe as a lot of people. Hope the next six weeks fly by for you!
That's really a tough call.........you hate to try something that might affect you negatively yet miss an opportunity for relief. I never had any of the drowsyness that supposidly is one of the most previlent but then again, most narcotics don't zap me either. I guess the theoy is, if I wait six weeks without antibiotics and the inflammation markers stay in the desired parameters, the infection is cured and they can whack away. Last time I took the infusions for 8 weeks and then took high dosage antibiotics orally. After 10 months the suppression meds quit and .........boom, the infection was alive and well. Don't mind the delay if they get it right My old body has about had it.
Martin-I had terrible itching and sore red feet but it is to do with the Lyme disease-have you any other symptoms-I was told I need new knees but Surgeon reluctant to operate due to Lyme-20yrs ago had 2 ops on feet-bunions and bones in toes messed with-I now have to have boots and special insoles made at hospital-not much fun
You were very kind to reassure me about a "wet" feeling on thigh but it was not wet! You had had similar feelings. =My knee is going for an mri scan but it might take 4 to 6 weeks for appt.! Dr. has no theory about wet feeling and thigh feeling heavy and like you suggests weight loss always helps knees!! my arthritis is "moderate" so I do not believe I am anyway near an op!! Cheers, Cath.149
Strange you should mention Lyme disease! About three years ago I had an undiagnosed condition which included paresthesia from the waist down, blurred vision, loss of nails on hands and feet and hair loss . . and they did check for Lyme disease, although it came back negative. However, I know the blood test is not very accurate for Lyme . . Eventually, (four months) feeling came back, and hair and nails finally reappeared!
I think you may find this is the nerve sending the 'wrong' signals to the brain. I had a similar problem with an undiagnosed nerve problem a few years ago. there is a test it's called an EMG over here, but not usre of the english equivalent. they stick little blunt needles into the nerve, and then when you move it makes strange noises in a machine which the neurologist understands! they did it on my head too. Not painful (well, sticking the needles in the scalp was not that nice, but the leg was no problem!) I should avoid the TKR until you do really need it and maybe try the other possibilities! Do you get the'wet' feeling a lot???
Strange you should mention Lyme disease! about three years ago I had a strange, undiagnosed illness which caused numbness from the waist down, blurred vision, loss of all my nails (feet and hands) and loss of most of my hair . .altogether lasted around five months . . they tested for Lyme disease, but the result was negative. however, I know that the blood test is not always correct for Lyme disease! In the end, because they really didn't have a clue, they just said it was a 'frustrated Guillain Barre '. . but I don't really believe that! It's gone, and that's what matters!
My wife had Guillian-barre in 1977. She was the 454 case reported to the communicable disease control in the US. She was paralyzed from the middle of the torso all the way down. We had a friend who was not completely paralyzed but badly affected his mind for some time. My wife was in the hospital for nearly 8 weeks and had to be retrained to walk. It took about a year before most of the leg weakness left. The litmus test is a spinal tap. Hard to imagine professionals just taking a guess. We knew of 4 people that died from it.
Yes . .By the time they referred me to a neurologist it was too late to do the spinal tap, they said. . .the neurologist said he 'thinks' it was what he referred to as a 'frustrated guillain-barre . . If it was, I am really glad that something frustrated it! I was never paralysed . . only lost the feeling, and had that tight elastic band feeling around my torso just above the waist . . so I shall never know what caused it! the other possibility, they said, which fitted in well with losing my nails and hair, was poison! (heavy metal poisoning) . . . .I'm just so glad it went away finally, after about five months, and so far I don't seem to have any effects from it!
I may do the test . .but the burning/tingling sensation in my feet is not that bad. I can live with it easily! I don't really want to start any treatment which may have bad side effects for a problem which is not really too bad. . .
get it every day if I stand peeling veg, or at the sink or cooker, but not when I am walking or resting or asleep. very odd. maybe I should try a neurologist? Will look up "meralgia" Bye, cath.149
Full name is meralgia paresthetica ..