[chris85]

Hi I am 28 years old and male, 9-10 months ago I started doing more yoga than usual (from 30mins to 2hours a day because I was staying at a yoga centre) and I started getting tingling in my knees. It got worse, then spread to my arms. Lots of tingling, some sharp pains, typing and walking is often painful now. I don't have fatigue or brain fog etc. My rhumatologist ruled out arthritis with blood tests etc. He said I was just getting a bit stiff. I don't think he really got to the bottom of things. It seems to me this condition is very much like peripheral neuropathy or other neuropathies, so I am wondering about going back to my GP to ask for a referral to a neurologist... I was also wondering if it is worth taking b vitamins or lipolic acid for the nerve pains to see if this helps. I was vegetarian for 7 years and I am concerned I could be deficient in vitamins or something. Something went wrong anyway. Not currently getting much help with this. NSAIDs don't help. Would welcome any advice or comments. Thanks. Chris.

[Neuroproblem]

Originally Posted by chris85

Hi I am 28 years old and male, 9-10 months ago I started doing more yoga than usual (from 30mins to 2hours a day because I was staying at a yoga centre) and I started getting tingling in my knees. It got worse, then spread to my arms. Lots of tingling, some sharp pains, typing and walking is often painful now. I don't have fatigue or brain fog etc. My rhumatologist ruled out arthritis with blood tests etc. He said I was just getting a bit stiff. I don't think he really got to the bottom of things. It seems to me this condition is very much like peripheral neuropathy or other neuropathies, so I am wondering about going back to my GP to ask for a referral to a neurologist... I was also wondering if it is worth taking b vitamins or lipolic acid for the nerve pains to see if this helps. I was vegetarian for 7 years and I am concerned I could be deficient in vitamins or something. Something went wrong anyway. Not currently getting much help with this. NSAIDs don't help. Would welcome any advice or comments. Thanks. Chris.

you should request b12 testing as well as other vitamin deficiency test, b12 deficiency.

[pinkynose]

Originally Posted by chris85

Hi I am 28 years old and male, 9-10 months ago I started doing more yoga than usual (from 30mins to 2hours a day because I was staying at a yoga centre) and I started getting tingling in my knees. It got worse, then spread to my arms. Lots of tingling, some sharp pains, typing and walking is often painful now. I don't have fatigue or brain fog etc. My rhumatologist ruled out arthritis with blood tests etc. He said I was just getting a bit stiff. I don't think he really got to the bottom of things. It seems to me this condition is very much like peripheral neuropathy or other neuropathies, so I am wondering about going back to my GP to ask for a referral to a neurologist... I was also wondering if it is worth taking b vitamins or lipolic acid for the nerve pains to see if this helps. I was vegetarian for 7 years and I am concerned I could be deficient in vitamins or something. Something went wrong anyway. Not currently getting much help with this. NSAIDs don't help. Would welcome any advice or comments. Thanks. Chris.

Chris this may seem strange to you but I would look at yoga. I know it can be a wonderful form of exercise but there are plenty of articles that have shown it has potential to cause harm for some.

I had an experience some years back when I was taking yoga. I ended up in horrible pain and could hardly walk. It turned out that I had a cyst in the top of my hip and doing weight bearing exercises on that hip inflamed the area so badly I was in horrible pain. Inflammation imo is a big contributor to nerve problems.

Now I'm not saying you have the same issue. You could have a problem in your spine. (Imo the emphasis in yoga put on lumbar extension is dangerous.) The point is I would go to a musculoskeletal doctor to check you out. I suggest this over an Orthopedic Dr as I went to one first and he wanted to do a hip replacement. The musculosketal dr sent me to Physical Therapy and in a few months I was fine.

As far as not being able to type, your problem could stem from all those yoga positions that require you to perch on your hands causing stress on your wrists. I say this because I have been certified in Pilates for 20 years and have had clients who had hurt their back, hips, shoulders and/or wrists in yoga.

[chris85]

Yes I didn't know all of this until I looked into the safety of yoga after the injury, I don't think it is the best form of exercise I could have been doing. I'm doing gentle tai chi now. Although the yoga triggered this, I do wonder why it doesn't get better and what the underlying issues were. I am currently thinking it could have been a nutrition issue because I had some gut issues before this started. So I'm doing the paleo diet which is supposed to be good for nutrients. I also wonder if it is autoimmune so hopefully the paleo diet should help this as well. If not I intend to supplement with b vitamins and lipoid acid for a while before starting on the medication because I know that will be a long term thing and cause side effects etc.

[mrsD]

Vegetarians get low in B12... 7 yrs is a long time. You probably used up your stored liver B12, after 5 yrs.

Vegetarians also do not get methionine from the diet unless they eat eggs, and dairy.

Zinc is also a nutrient that is lost. Males lose zinc with semen ejaculation and can become low in zinc if no meat or seafood is eaten to replace it. Zinc is the mineral most likely lost by males, and iron by females. Some males may lose up to 5mg per ejaculate.

You need to get a B12 test, and it should be at 400pg/ml at least. (other countries have different concentrations reported so you need to bring that result here so I can convert it for you if necessary.)
Some doctors allow below that, but that is old old treatment, so if you are below 400 you should supplement at least 1000mcg of activated methylcobalamin daily on an empty stomach. This is quite inexpensive and easy to do.

Zinc should be measured with a blood test too, as its own level and also in the zinc/copper ratio.

Vit D needs measurement too, and magnesium. These are commonly low or deficient in adults today.

[chris85]

Thanks! I will be tempted to try supplementing with B vitamins anyway, because the alternative is taking prescription pain killers potentially for a long time.

[Neuroproblem]

Originally Posted by chris85

Thanks! I will be tempted to try supplementing with B vitamins anyway, because the alternative is taking prescription pain killers potentially for a long time.

you should get tested before taking b12 vitamins, to see where you deficiency lies.

[chris85]

That makes sense. In the UK I expect the NHS will give limited tests for free with long waiting cues, so I guess I will have to find a private nutritionalist or naturopath.

[mrsD]

Stop taking all vitamins and minerals about a week before any testing, or the results may show artificial elevations.