CONTINUATION (have seen doc)
 

Zorrro, my GP said it was not related to my back as it was in both feet and now ankles and shins. He said if it was related to my back it wouldn't be in both feet....Saw him again yesterday and he said he'd refer me to a neurologist as he was a gp and couldn't say why I was getting these symptoms = which is fair enough. Last night I got a bit of burning in my feet but it passed. Today it feels like I'm walking on lumps and my toes are really puffy and can't bend, but they can. Doc has given me citalopram as I just don't feel like facing each day. This isn't me. My feet don't feel "real". What I'm most scared of is this feeling going right up my legs. Also yesterday I cut my toe accidently but it didn't hurt. That was frightening to. My gp said it isn't a brain tumour as that is what I'm, most frightened of. The neurologist appt will be in a few weeks x

Sarah, before you see the new doctor please read this thread, on drugs that may cause PN:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread122889.html

If you have taken Cipro or its cousins in the past, Flagyl, or are taking statins now, this needed to be considered.

Doctors may not take this into account when evaluating you.

When you go to the new doctor request blood work for B12 and Vit D. Fixing these when low, often leads to improvement.
Don't accept "normal" from your doctor, get the numbers and come back here and post them.

Also get thyroid testing. Low thyroid can cause numb feet (this happened to me when I was 30). This is because tissue under the ligaments (see the link I gave you) swells and compresses the nerves in the top of the foot.
Plain old edema (from heart issues or kidney issues) will swell there too. Anything that causes bilateral swelling in the foot can come from the heart or kidneys. Often an ultrasound of the heart will show more than just an EKG.

Cipro and thyroid
 

What is cypro? My thyroid levels have always been ok. Ive had them tested a few times in the past year due to one thing and another. I'm on thyroxine 75mcg and have been for a number of years due to hypothyroidism but my results have always come back negative for problems. ATM i'm taking only citalopram for depression but only started this yesterday. And my feet haven't swollen thank goodness!! Thanks anyway for writing to me x

went to neurologist today and he thinks i may have small fiber neuropathy. he had a patient a year ago with the same symptoms as i and he sent her to a sfn specialist in rochester. he now has a list of things that were tested on her for her dx. today i had tons of blood work drawn: cbc with diff. with plat., sedimentation rate, complete metabolic panel, vitamin b12, folic acid, 25 OH vitamin d, thyroid antibody panel, lyme disease, ACE level, ANA, serum prot. electropharesis, immunofixation elect., anti RNP, anti SSA and anti SSB, serum immunoglobulin ? fractions (can't read that one too well). i was tested last summer for lyme disease. i had the classic bulls eye rash on my shoulder and full joint pain making it difficult to walk. i was given the antibiotics for it and it cleared all that up. problem is i didn't take the lyme test until everything was already cleared up, oops. i'll repost when i find the results of the blood work. he also ordered emg's for both legs. i already had both arms and they look good. he said depending on what the blood work and emg's show he may order more tests from his list. finally got a doctor who listens. i'm not liking what i have read online about small fiber neuropathy. it's basically pain control. will i ever be able to do the things that i used to, like work as a nurse, do my crafts or even make supper without having someone else have to finish it for me? till then i guess the mask on my face, stiffness, numbness and incredible ache in muscles are going to be around for awhile.

Sarah & Snookie? Yep its scary along the way? But
 

If you didn't eat too much junk food before THIS awful roller coaster ride, you'll be OK!
Sarah? Have you had your 'autoimmune T3 & T4 levels' tested? I'd been hypo for a dozen plus years and then it all went sideways! That was happening concurrent with a pneumonia and that use of 'antibiotics' which all caused havoc in a 1,2,3 sequence...took a year to happen? Took 2 years to diagnose [Hashimoto's] ! Don't take it litely... can you go see a good endocrinologist? These docs 'DO GLANDS'! And, nothing but...so they'd see things a GP mite not?
Snookie? Sounds like your doc is not doing 'just' the basic testing. Good for you and thank him/her! That you'd been tested for possible 'Lymes'?' Could make things more complex or maybe, because of prior testing? Easier.
Both of you? Keep your heads clear as you can and LEARN as much as others here have to offer! And then? Avoid PANIC at all costs! Keep it all in perspective? YOU can still walk talk and eat! You are not on a respirator or worse? Soo, fight for what you've got? HARD. And don't ever despair, if you do? Folks are here!
:hug::hug::hug::hug:'s!!!!!!!!! - j

Thanks so much
 

Yes I'm so glad I'm on this site. Thanks again to everyone whose been kind enough to reply. Will keep in touch x

Snookie--
 

--Lyme is a known generator of neuropathy, even if the infection was "cleared up". It is, of course, notably difficult to accurately diagnose Lyme---it likes to hide, and mutate, but if you had a positive diagnosis, it's certainly possible that a lot of your neurological symptoms stem from this, even "post-Lyme" (if, you are indeed post-Lyme--it is also difficult to completely eradicate).

You should search out some of the post by Lizajane here, who has gone through her own battle with Lyme, concurrent infections, and misdiagnosis. And also take a look at the Columbia University Medical Research Center for Lyme and Tick-borne diseases:

http://www.columbia-lyme.org/

And Sarah--
 

--I don't know why a doctor would dismiss foot/leg symptoms as not coming from the back/lumbosacral spine just because the symptoms are bilateral, as so many types of degenerative disc diseases and other compression problems of nerve roots from the spine can lead to such symptoms; MRI of the lower spine is supposed to be on the short differential diagnosis testing list for such symptoms.

Symptoms of spinal/nerve root compression can be exactly the same as those resulting from a more systemic condition that effects the lower extremity nerves.

Since I had the same experience - repeatedly - my SWAG would be that someone is teaching them that. But I'm with you on your point.

Doc

Thats why I asked. sounded odd to dismiss it on that basis.