My leg has been feeling like it is about to collapse when I am walking off and on for about 3 months. I am always able to catch it so that at worst it is a just a stumble. Sat. I was leaving a friend's house and as I stepped down the stairs on the porch my leg collapsed and I ended up in a heap on the lawn in a fair amount of pain. The fall wasn't that bad - only 2 steps - but my left leg is really sore. I broke my left leg in 4 places and almost lost the leg 30 years ago so it doesn't bend past 90 degrees. The fall attempted to bend it further. The scary part is the leg collapsing. My symptoms, pain, numbness, etc. started 2 years ago. This is just the first fall I've taken because of PN and I'm a little shaken. My DX is Idopathic Polyneuropathy, which means they don't know what's wrong.

Oh, I am sorry you fell.

I had a doozy on Saturday. We went to see the Tall Ships on one of the Great Lakes, and my daughter (who is cognitively disabled) opened the hatch back of my car just as I was going up from folding the stroller (grandchild's) and whomp, the door hit my head and hit me off balance and down I went.

I was glad to get away without the EMS being called....then to make matters worse, I didn't want to sign the stupid pain contract that my clinic has now decided is policy if you are on an opiate....sheesh....I picked a bad weekend to go cold turkey....good thing I see the doc this week, and will cave and sign their stupid agreement.....like that will stop the drug pushers of the world....Gramma and her vicodin....cripes.....this garbage makes me sick.

I have 2 goose eggs and am sore, and I know exactly what you mean.

One of these days I am going to flop over chasing one of my chickens and will freeze out there in the pasture....pfff....whadda way to go.

I am sorry to hear about your fall. I hope things are getting better for you. Falls are never fun. They really shake a person up if nothing else. Take care.

Geez, Hermes -

Very sorry to hear that you fell. Yes, that would definitely shake one up, but lucky you didn't break the leg again.

And hearing the word "idiopathic" would make anybody worry. I will me if I hear it in a few weeks. Regardless, I'm going to insist on more lab work if it isn't suggested. As cyclelops says, idiopathic means there IS a cause - they just haven't found it.

Can you see your way clear to doing the same re: more testing? The fact that your leg actually collapsed and you fell should be a large red flag for the docs to continue looking at your case.

Best wishes,

Sheltiemom

I really feel for you Hermes.

I have been thinking about your symptoms, since I returned.
I know you are not going to be receptive to the "cause" of your problem, but I do think you need another opinion, by a neuromuscular specialist.

There is a muscular problem called polymyositis. It typically affects the thighs and upper arms and trunk, and spares the lower legs and feet and hands/forearms.

Here is a link about it:
http://www.medicinenet.com/polymyositis/article.htm

There are situations where patients HAVE to take a toxic drug... HIV and chemo are two major examples. In both situations
acetyl carnitine has shown protective qualities for the mitochondria that are being damaged by the drugs. I'd consider this for you as well.

I've had my share of falls too. Two of which were very long recoveries. My PN issues create balance problems. I often trip going up the stairs, or when stepping down. I can catch the toe of my shoe on things as well. (I damaged my adductor tendon on my left thigh during one fall, from which I never regained 100% mobility).

I use the hiking poles made of aluminum now when going up and down stairs. They are longer than canes, don't require bending over to use and provide a "tripod" type stability that takes alot of pressure off my legs/feet. I purchased mine at Dunham's for about $15. The rubber tip does wear out, but replacement tips are available (I found the tips at Moosejaw Outfitters). I think the hiking poles are really great. Easy on the hands and arms, very lightweight, and they telescope down to a short size, and I can even use them in the house! And I use them on uneven surfaces like the rocky shore around our summer place.

I hope you are using an ice pack on that leg for the first few days. Watch for hip problems... that is what happened when I fell last time. The tendon pull didn't show up in the groin right away, but after 2 months it blew out suddenly. Lots of physical therapy, IFc electrostim, and ultrasound, worked pretty well. But that tendon is now stiff and won't allow me the mobility I once had. The pain in my knee resolved very quickly when I fell, and hit it. But the hip/groin thing was there all along. So be vigilant of that leg all the way up to the hip too.

Just a question mrsD. Are you saying that a person bends over to use a cane? I'm not certain that that is what you are saying. I do not - bend over that is. Although I have seen many who do. In that situation I don't think that they are using the cane properly.

Those poles sound great for anyone who can use them. Thank you.

When I do steps I do. Just like leaning over to a railing. Going down is much worse for me balance wise, and going up is when I catch my shoe toe and trip up.

We have soooooo many stairs here...they are KILLING me!

I swing the hiking pole forward ahead of me on flat stretches and walk INTO it sort of, and it tends to take some pressure off the spine as well. One does not need so much weight shifted to the poles. For someone with very short steps, or who needs to put more weight on the pole, a cane may be better. I think the hiking poles are fairly new...hubby thinks they started in Europe. Some of the manufacturers are European in fact. Whatever, though people don't stare like they tend to do when you use a cane, for some reason.

I used to use a cane for my FEET... but the hiking pole seems better for leg and back mobility than a cane for me. I have so many canes!

I started with the pole in the winters... because my PT said another fall would rip the tendon completely off and need surgery. So DO NOT FALL...was her parting advice! Now I've just expanded it to long distances, stairs, and gardening. (it helps me get back "up" when I bend for a while, etc).

Yeah, DO NOT Fall. That's a good one I forgot to say that my cane is adjustable, not one of the wooden kind, and it has foam type stuff on the handle so that makes it comfortable for my hand.

However, I do not like using a cane either. It is not great for me since by balance is not good due to muscle atrophy in some of the calf muscles and some of the muscles in the feet. That wouldn't be a problem for other people who still have all of their muscles working but just need something to help them along. I know it's hard for some people to understand the difference. They still have all of their muscles working even if some are a bit weak.

I originally started using the cane years ago just so that I had something to lean on if there wasn't something available like a counter, etc. when going to flea markets, etc. But then of course CMT progressed and so that is where I am at the present time.

Those poles sound really interesting and would be worth a try for sure. Thank you.

I have an adjustable aluminum one like you describe I keep in my car all the time. Years ago, someone left it in a shopping cart in our parking lot at work. I brought it into the store and we kept it for months, behind my counter, waiting for the person who lost it to come in looking for it. When that did not happen, I took it home.

There were times late at night when I came home from very long days standing that I had trouble getting up the outside stairs.
So I used the cane for that. When I think back on being in my 40's and keeping it for that back then, I don't feel too badly now!

When I fell last and had to have the 3 months of PT, I used a quad cane. I needed that to get up out of chairs, etc for about 6 weeks. As soon as the treatments started however, the quad cane was not necessary any more. I found walking with IT very difficult tho.

The hiking poles range in price from what I think is the lowest-- at Dunham's sporting goods for $15 up to over $100 each for the graphite high end ones hikers use for doing the Appalachian Trail and other mammoth events. Mine is aluminum, and while it got some poor reviews at Amazon.com, mine has lasted over 3 yrs, of heavy use! And is still going!

This is the one I have (it is a little bit more $$ at Amazon). You can see that serious hikers found it "flimsy", but I am far from being a serious hiker! LOL
http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-802-25...3819138&sr=8-1

My biggest problem on vacation was forgetting where I left it!
Lots of trips to that outhouse you know!

Thanks very much for the information. It is appreciated.

I, too, had a very bad fall where I fell on my left foot. The foot was swollen, black and didn't look like a foot. It has never been the same of course, but not too bad considering. I used a manual walker for six weeks to keep the weight off of it. Thank goodness for upper body strength. I've had other falls too. Just part of this wonderful game. Thanks again.