Meralgia parasthetica

[BonnyB]

Had this numbness and tingle in my thigh for months. Started size of a grapefruit. Now it's from my hip to my knee. Numb but highly sensitive too. Burning and scolding. Had gp appointment today for swabs, smear etc as I am still have urinary problems. I winced and she thought she was hurting me so I explained my thigh symptoms.

Can anyone tell me if this is symptom of lupus, connective tissue disease, sjogrens?

I did ask gp. She said I'm writing to your rheumatologist.

Thanks in advance x

[Chris21]

hi BonnyB

I had same feeling, which also went on to an excrutiating pain in my back and also started to get feelings of insects crawling on lower legs and arms. This all happened slowly and I hadn’t bothered going to GP but in the end my daughter nagged me to mention to the rheumatologist who ordered an mri scan and prescribed pregabalin. In my case it turned out the back and leg pain is caused by bulges along the spine and posture from compensating for pain. The pregabalin has helped with the crawling and burning/electric shock feeling which the rheumatologist is thinking may be neuropathy. The pregabalin has taken the sensations away.

It doesn’t mean this is what is causing your problem but as my daughter always says ‘best to get it checked. You never know what it is!’ 😁

Could your numbness be caused by pinched nerves? Hopefully you’ll get a quick response from your rheumatolist.

[BonnyB in reply to Chris21]

Thank you for your quick reply Chris. It's a really odd feeling. Not unbearable at the moment but definitely getting worse. The sensitivity is so hard to explain. Even bed sheets hurt.

Reading online this condition is do with an area in the pelvis. And with connective tissue disease inflammation can cause this trapped nerve. I've not strained anything and back only has dull ache.

I'm phoning occupational health tomorrow for advise.

I'llook up the meds you took.

Thanks again Chris.

Just when I think I've sorted one problem ,another starts x

[Chris21 in reply to BonnyB]

there are all sorts of medication that can help with nerve pain, most seem to be anti depressants so if a different sort is suggested it may be the correct one for you. I’m not a great fan of medication but sometimes it’s what we need to help with the weird things we have to deal with.

I get the bed sheets. I spend some nights cover on/cover off/cover on.

If like me, you look online for all the possibles, I’ve found so many things my symptoms could be but half the time the actual doctors don’t agree 😂 I also had investigations around the pelvis, unfortunately in my case it came back no problems there despite me actually having bad pain in the pelvis. It took a locum to give me an antibiotic which was like magic and it turned out to be inflammation of the pelvis! Im Touching wood as I say, I’ve never had it again. Hope occupational health have an answer.

[BonnyB]

I'm glad to hear the antibiotic worked for you. Yes, I get what you are saying about medication. I'm very fortunate as I've managed to get by without steroids during the covid outbreak. Lost a lot of weight so this pain is really frustrating as I should be bounding about 😀but life does work out how you plan it does it x

[Chris21]

hi Bonny B ,

Have you had any suggestions from occupational health to help your pain or am I being to optimistic too soon ? Hope you’ve found something to give some relief.

[BonnyB in reply to Chris21]

😆not yet. She's usually good. I left a message Friday afternoon. Typical but it has eased slightly in the last 24 hours. Xx

[BonnyB]

Quick update Chris. Occupational therapy( not health, honestly brain in a whirl 😆) called me Tuesday. She said we only deal with your hands and arms. Advised me to let rheumatology department know, which my gp already has so I'll wait. Xx