why can't i walk

Brain and nerves
1

I need some help. So I've been going to internal medicine and podiatry doctors for several weeks now trying to get this neuropathy under control. I'm now on gabapentin 300 milligrams at night. I know other people who have neuropathy but none who are like me. I can hardly walk. I wake up in the night sometimes almost crying with pain. Both feet are numb and sometimes the numbness or pain goes up into my thigh. between bad knees and this and I highly frustrated. Does anyone have any thoughts? the podiatrist says she thinks a back problem could be the source of the neuropathy since no tests have shown signs of diabetes. Help please if you can.

 

2

Back problems can sometimes be the source of neuropathy. A scan would help to identify it.

3

go for the back tests MRI yes. Rule out spinal stenosis or any pinched nerves.

Get a full blood panel, its good you dont have diabetes but make sure you dont have any vitamin deficiencies.Make sure theres no problems lurking in the weeds..... I had a blood panel done and to my amazement I was positive for Lymes disease and apparently I had had it for years....and it never affected me for years until slowly the neurapathy began.And got worse and worse. A hole punch biopsy in both calves showed 0 small fibers in each sample, which explains why my feet feel like they have been shot full of novacaine{when they arent incredibly achey and sore}

After a month of doxycycline to kill off the lymes  I felt a little better but still had a lot of nerve damage....so I have been taking fish oil, alpha lipoic acid, tumeric, Vitamin B6 and 12  plus folic acid, by the way, Im 61,  so this improvement for me wasnt  going to happen overnight...it took three months to see any difference.but Im greatly improved, and can actually last the day  walking and running aaround and tending to my life {instead of collapsing on the sofa by 1 pm and lying in an exhausted fog}And the pain is under control with gabapentun.

Id discuss a higher dose with your doc, the standard dose is way higher for most people up to 1600 a day, he obviously was starting you off slow to see how well you tolerated it. I take 600 mgs at night, sleep like a baby and in the morning Im very good..I do feel some stiffness and numbness but no pain.

Some days ARE better than others, but I feel the vitamin therapy has been  very helpful, and hey, cant hurt. There are very few options open to people with this problem as its such a new science but  get that blood panel, rule out as many problems as you can, and hopefully, as you improve to ANYTHING you can to excercise....your weight should be right for your age and height  and you need to work those nerve endings and keep them well nourished with blood and oxygen. Even at night watching TV flex your toes or massage your feet and legs as much as you can. And when you can stand it, walk, swim or bike{whatever your doc  recommends} but I can tell you one thing, neuropathy gets a LOT worse lying on a couch all day.

Good luck!!!!

 

4

What type of a scan? Also is neuropathy related to back injuries any more curable or treatable? I am desperate to be able to walk again.

5

Hello, 

You should ask for MRI so they can scan your brain, lower back, upper back to determine if they can find anything. Also, emg is to test if you do have any abnormalities with ur muscles and nerve. 

Also a question for you any thought on gabapentin ? 

6

Well your foot doc will probably recommend you to a neurologist .And theres a lot of different scans, the MRI one is the one where they put you in the tube for 20 minutes and takes an image of your back and spainal cord  to ascertain whether you have pinched nerves, or if a disc is out of whack{sometimes all it takes is a teensy millimeter  to cause excruciating pain.}

Then there are tests where they insert small needles here and there on varios parts of your feet and legs to give you a very tiny shock in order to measure your nervees respponse. Its uncomfortable, but not bad, and honestly nothing like the pain you live with.

All this of course is to rule out IF its a back problem, in which case you deal with it...maybe meds, maybe physical therapy, maybe surgery{last resort}

If Its NOT a back problem, well, the search goes on.

Neurapathy is a miserable uncertain thing to deal with, and So many factors affect the out come, the causes,age ,weight, sex, genes, lifestyle, mindset, and to an extent, finances....sometimes people have to be able to afford to stay home from work awhile before they get better. Lets hope you get better soon.

If possible, rule out causes, itentify causes, fix causes....and then work on growing back those nerves!!!

Do discuss the gabapentun with your doc, its one of the better options in a pretty sparse field.

7

I believe you need to consult a neurologist and ask for a nerve conduction test. You also will benefit from working with a pain management group. All of the symptoms you are experiencing are a right on description of neuropathy issues. Keep on top of this as it is possible to do much damage that can make matters worse! Best of luck! 

8

Ask for an MRI of your spine.  Sometimes numbness or pain   in your legs can be related to your back.  My neuropathy is in my arms and hands; you can get it in different places.  I have a back injury and now and again I feel pain in my left hip and I often wonder if it is related to my back. Since these problems go away in hot weather, I just rely on that rather than taking toxic medications and stressing myself with going to doctors.  I can’t afford to flare up my IBS with anxiety.

There isn’t a lot you can do about neuropathy.  If you have a back problem and have it treated, it may help the neuropathy but you would reallly have to ask your doctor about that.  I haven’t heard of many people getting rid of neuropathy.

9

You sound like me. I can barely walk not just because of pain but because i can not feel my feet because of the numbness. I scream in pain at times yet also can not stand to have them rubbed. Night time is usually the worst. I get up every 2-3 hours and take a Percocet so I can sleep only to get up and do it again. Getting a nerve conduction test will only confirm that you have neuropathy and the test was VERY very uncomfortable/painful for me (I had 2 done and refuse to have more done because they only conform that it is getting worse and I can tell that on my own). It is almost like doctors do not care or have given up. It is like there is no relief in site. I have been on Gabapentin but it really didnt help and it made me gain ALOT of weight as did alot of the meds I have been on, yet the docs want us to exercise and lose weight so we can feel better.SMH! Sometime I want to give up and have told my husband I want to end my life because I can not bare another day. It is just aweful to be in so much pain. I hope you find some relief and if you do let me know. As of right now I am looking into Medical Marijuana. AND since most my doctors are against it I am thinking it actually may be my best bet. Since it is a very natural and very cheap remedy no one will want it to work....but I am hoping it does. I will let you know.