Living with numb feet and painful leg muscles

[Arthurtom]

Is anyone suffering with this problem it is probably PAD - but how do I live with it?

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Hello and welcome to the forum! Can you say a little more a out yourself. Do you have a heart condition and/or diabetes? I am a PAD sufferer but need a little more information to reply.

[Arthurtom in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi MichaelJH

I’m aged 72 being suffering with heart disease for about 7 years Had 5 stents put in too.

Took long time to feel better!

Developed AF six months ago and have given blood thinner since then !

Feeling nausea and weakness most of the time ....but this numbness and pain in my legs is about two months old now and the quality of my life is going terrible - can’t even walk far now. And starting to fall over too!

[Speakeazi in reply to Arthurtom]

Hi Arthurtom

I do have PAD and some heart disease but I have not had to have any surgery.

Given this pain and the numb feet is having such an effect on your quality of life, n only advice would be to go to see your GP and ask him to look at your legs, measure your ankle brachial index ( blood pressure) and get a Doppler scan to see if you do have PAD.

There are some serious consequences of having undiagnosed PAD, please do go to your GP

Let us know how you get on.

Bw

[Arthurtom in reply to Speakeazi]

Hi Speakeazi

Thanks for your reply — I have reported it to my GP a few times - but now it is getting worse! On top of everything else!

What symptoms do you get please ? I know that it can be serious as a guy I know had both legs removed - but sadly still died !

[Speakeazi in reply to Arthurtom]

Hi

I had difficulty walking without pain. So I first noticed it when I was trying to run in the treadmill- never my favourite. But I could only run -well jog- for 3 mins abc no matter how long I tried I couldn’t increase the distance.

I put it down to being rubbish at jogging. I got in the habit of just walking more slowly than anyone I was out with.

My son noticed it (then a medical student) and told me to go to the go. No one took much notice until I eventually got to a sports dr.

This is a link to the Circulation Foundation where I wrote a small piece a few weeks ago. circulationfoundation.org.u...

The have lots of useful info on the site and it is the patient charity side of the Vascular Society.

The key for me and others has been to be persistent with our drs until we got a definitive diagnosis or exclusion of PAD.

Is there another GP in your practice you could go to?

Hope this is useful.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Arthurtom]

Any diabetic (should) have annual reviews. I was getting slightly concerned but the DSN (diabetes specialist nurse) said my pulses were fine. A few weeks later my podiatrist confirmed there was an issue and wrote to my GP. The rest is history.

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Arthurtom]

Hi Arthur, fairly frequently PAD seems linked with CVD. I was diagnosed with PAD seven years before I developed angina. PAD is more common in smokers (including ex) and those with diabetes.

As others have said you need to see your GP. If you are not diabetic this should be checked for. Also a Doppler test needs to be carried out for an accurate diagnosis. A CT scan with contrast dye can also be useful. The numbness suggests nerve damage. This can be caused two ways; elevated blood sugar and/or lack of nurishment caused by reduced blood flow. People often have dry skin on the lower legs and feet as a result.

Currently the main treatment is for the patient to walk more. I had balloon angioplasty to my left leg but it reverted after eighteen months.

The first thing you need to do is see a GP. Many podiatrists have the facilities to carry out a Doppler test (cost approx. £200) and pass the results on to your GP. Good luck!

[kc1953 in reply to Arthurtom]

You should see a vascular surgeon to properly diagnose this. I was having modest numbness in left foot toes and thought it might be PAD. Turns out I had no plaque in arteries in left leg and only minimal in right, but not enough to cause symptoms. My issue is likely peripheral neuropathy from chemo treatments 4 years ago. Don’t self diagnose, see a specialist.

[seasider18]

I have had funny scrunched up toes that have worsened over the past twenty years that no one has been interested in when I have suggested having them operated on. They all said it does not work. I only seem to have numbness when walking with shoes on. My toes and feet are painful because they are very bony and the toes have become curled up and rigid.

I'm 85 and T2, I persuaded an NHS podiatrist to refer me to a surgeon. He pointed out the dangers of such surgery but first needed a CT scan using dye of the lower legs. The result showed PAD in two of each legs three arteries basically ruling out surgery. He did not suggest any treatment for the PAD. When I last saw my GP he had not had the surgeons letter so I'm waiting till next I see him for any course of action. Being of inquisitive mind I asked him if there is arterial disease in my lower half does it follow there is a problem in my upper half and he said possibly. When I had my aortic valve replaced in 2012 the prior angiogram showed my arteries were clear.

[Arthurtom]

Thanks for your advice and taking the time to reply-Great!

[WardijaWardija]

I'm a long term insulin dependent diabetic and have diabetic neuropathy with severe pain, numbness and burning in my toes/feet and hands, specifically fingers. Seems to have got way worse following a TIA last year and triple stenting just over a month ago. I'm under a Pain Clinic and take Cymbalta 60mgs twice daily, Amitryptline 25mgs three times a day and Tramadol 50mgs PRN but none of these medications do anything to lessen the pain and discomfort. Is there actually anything out there that helps this nerve damaged condition ?