MUSCLE WEAKNESS CAUSED BY PRN

[parasann]

Just want to ask others with Peripheral Neuropathy...has anyone developed muscle weakness with it...eg..extremely hard to climb stairs....and cannot do it without holding a rail....and even getting up from the floor...can anyone relate,,,and if yes...what can I do....I have lost weight but am still suffering...I try and avoid stairs????

[Swallowpoint]

Dear Parasann, I am 76 and have had a mild case of foot non-diabetic PN which has been stable. As with everybody--no idea the cause or the cure, but mine is stable as I say. As for weakness--I have none I would associate with PN. You should look toward other causes. I maintain a good diet and take nearly all supplements known to do "anything?" Mine (PN) is NOT associated with any muscle weakness or wasting. In answer to another person, I recommended much plain NIACIN. It is medically known to help circulation. It can reverse "intermittent claudication!" Start with one 500mg Niacin (nicotinic acid)/day and increase to many. I have taken niacin for thirty years. In the first week or two you will come out with a temporary very disturbing hot red skin flush. Endure that for a few weeks and you will barely know you are taking niacin. "You are as young as your arteries!" ---Eric-

[parasann in reply to Swallowpoint]

Thank you I to keep fit I had muscle weakness whilst doing regular gym...but will talk to my doc about Niacin..take care

[Swallowpoint in reply to parasann]

Niacin is recognized by allopathic medicine such as the Merck Manual. I have taken it for over thirty years and now take them throughout the day. Doctors prescribe it and when you buy it by the pill in a prescription--the druggists pour it from a 1000 pill bottle (500mg) by a pharmaceutical company called Rugby. Buy that size bottle yourself for $20-24. for the entire bottle--from places like Swanson in ND! There are other benefits to niacin---but it is for improved circulation. But don't get scared off by the flush. It scares most people away--but you need the straight Niacin to do the job. Not niacinimide.

----Eric

[chriscameron48]

Yes, I also have muscle weakness, but I attribute it to lack of exercise rather than PN. I've gone from being a fit PE teacher to ME, which evolved into PN & arthritis over the last 30 years. Any movement involves pain & stairs are a no no! I'm very aware of weak leg muscles, but if we don't/can't move much, never mind exercise, then it's inevitable surely. We're all different & have different bodies with different conditions & we each have to find what works best for us. Good luck on the hunt. You are not alone!

[rory1957]

Sorry, not much to add. I have no obvious weakness - but I'm 60 and can still exercise so I'm fighting it pretty vigorously with complete body workouts, running, and I'm taking B12 supplement tablets (just because I know that low B12 is sometimes the underlying cause) . However, my Neuro keeps asking me if I'm dragging a foot (feet), having any trouble on steps, any unsteadiness...so it is common with PN patients. And, now that I think of it, I miss a step and consequently drag a foot about once a week. Hoping it stays stable. Good luck.

[Judmilla]

That's hard to say. I'm 75, and my PN began 30 years ago, or so. It wasn't painful for the first 20 years, but I couldn't feel my feet. If you can't feel your feet, you become cautious. If you're too cautious, you move less,and take fewer steps. If you move less, you don't work your muscles as much. You exercise less. If you exercise less, your muscles will weaken. Thirty years of that downward trend takes its toll. Yes, my muscles are weaker than they were 30 years ago, but I'm 30 years older, and I don't move like I did when I was younger. I can't say that it's due to the neuropathy. An indirect result perhaps, but probably not a direct result.

[Swallowpoint]

I put in my two cents some comments above. I am seventy-six and my PN came on suddenly. That was a decade ago and has not worsened. I asked an long-experienced surgeon what might have been the sudden cause of my PN and he simply said: "There are too many cause to consider." ---and moved on to another topic! So--that is the state of things when it comes to nerve damage. So, in my case---Was it cold feet in the North woods?-(which is about the time it started) Did something fall on my feet--but it is in both feet? ---who knows? I have already given a plug for supplements and particular some I have taken nearly all my life----like niacin and (aspirins ---four a day---merely as a prophylactic against GENERAL INFLAMATION! ---Eric

[Lizziesview]

Dear Parasann.

Yes, I have P.N. and muscle weakness. Stairs are very difficult, but I keep going, as the alternative is too frightening to think about. I have quite severe drop foot on the right and slight drop foot on the left. My muscles are getting gradually weaker and of course, the less exercise I do, the weaker they become - a nasty vicious circle.

Both my Consultant Neurologist and my doctor, have warned me of muscle weakness. There are 3 types of P.N., I have both motor and sensory P.N., (I can't remember the third type), so I presume that each bring different symptoms. Also my balance is deteriorating.

I wish you well and hope that your P.N. is slow to progress.

Lizzie x

[Valerie58]

Yes I have peripheral neuropathy and muscle weakness. At its worst I couldnt walk up slopes, put on my coat or get out of the bath. I had developed spasticity in my leg muscles. The physio gave me stretching exercises and said I had to do resistance training at the gym 3 times a week. This has made me a lot better but it reverts if I miss the gym for a few days