Peripheral Artery Disease and numb foot.

[Ladylovesmilktray]

is getting a numb foot when walking a typical symptom on Peripheral Artery Disease?

Also, for people who only have Peripheral ArteryDisease and NOT CAD, can I ask what medication you are on? Thank you warriors!

[Bluehope81]

The numb foot is concerning, that could be a symptom of the rare condition whereby statins attack the nerve sheath (myelin) you need to go back to your doctor ASAP. It may well be the PAD, the cause needs to be ascertained, I replied recently at the bottom of your last post.

[Ladylovesmilktray in reply to Bluehope81]

Thank you; I’ll mention it to the GP when I have my review.

[Bluehope81 in reply to Ladylovesmilktray]

When is your review? It is highly unlikely it is this as it is so rare, but if it is, it is something that cannot be left for more than a week.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3103035/

[Wooodsie in reply to Bluehope81]

Cheers Bluehope, I'm calling the Dr today! 🤷‍♂️😂😂

[Bluehope81]

Not medical advice, opinions and suggestions only.

I know it is UNCANNY how this has played out,

No one should panic it is an EXTREMELY rare side effect.

But if you start statins and then you develop a numb foot, that is one of the main symptoms of this side effect, here's why:

As the myelin sheath degrades, it starts at the extremities, this means symptoms begin at the extremities, numbness in the feet and hands.

Why is such an emergency, here's why:

The PNS, (Peripheral Nervous System) has the ability to repair itself, unlike the CNS, with CNS injury, people regain function due to the elasticity of the nerve fibers, and the information being able to be rerouted through the intact parts.

PNS however the regain and function is an unknown quantity.

There are cases of people with this side effect who took Statins for many years, and ended completely destroying their PNS, and after a few months of Statin cessation regained full function.

There are cases of people who took Statins for one month with serious effects, stopped the statins and regained no function, and ended up disabled.

We do not know to what degree PNS will repair.

The point is what is causing the numb foot, most likely it something else, but it should be investigated, and did the numb foot come on after starting the statins.

jfootankleres.biomedcentral...

thelancet.com/journals/lanc...

Just to reiterate it is an extremely rare side effect.

[theolo]

It looks like you've got the same condition as me, I have mild CAD but a blockage in my right femeral artery. I have a scan booked at hospital on Saturday to determine exactly where the blockage is, then hopefully a stent to cure the problem. I'll post next week , with an update. PS I've had a numb foot and calf for about a year, since a hip replacement, so it may be linked to that.

[Ladylovesmilktray in reply to theolo]

Any update?

[theolo in reply to Ladylovesmilktray]

No not yet, I keep looking at my NHS app hoping for some news 😩 . How are you doing?

[theolo]

Hello again, I’ve finally got a response from my hospital scan. I’m due to get a pre op phone call next week, with a view to perform an angioplasty to improve the blood flow to my right leg. It’s apparently a 20 min op, so it looks like I’ve been lucky. Still taken over a year to get here though. How are you doing?

[Ladylovesmilktray]

I have been diagnosed with a severe narrowing of the LAD and am awaiting more tests, I’m worried sick, anything to do with my heart makes me very anxious, which probably doesn’t help!

[theolo]

Sorry for the late reply, but I think you’re correct that being anxious is a problem. Have you tried mindfulness meditation and breathing exercises to help?