Hey guys, I'm new to this board and had a few questions. 2 Years ago I started experiencing burning and numbness in my toes/feet. I went to see a doctor and all he said was "Put some cream on it" so I never really got any answers. I recently had my blood work checked and it came back normal. I'm not even pre-diabetic. I'm starting to get some weird sensations in my feet and legs now, if I had to describe it, feels like electrical pulses going off or something crawling inside my skin. My legs are also starting to feel a little weak. I have an appointment with a neurologist in a couple weeks. Any suggestions on what I should ask my doctor? Do these symptoms sound familiar to peripheral neuropathy?

Thanks,

PDXBigfoot

Do you consume alcohol? PN can be from so many issues. Mine is from nerve damage from hip replacement. A friend is mostly from radiation and chemo for skin cancers. Sugar consumption and higher carbs make the issues worse, I believe.

--but it's likely you'll need more extensive and advanced testing.

I highly recommend becoming familiar with the following paper--"An Algorithm for the Evaluation of Peripheral Neuropathy"--to help guide the testing, as not every neurologist is a neuromuscular specialist or would be familiar with the protocol:

An Algorithm for the Evaluation of Peripheral Neuropathy

I'm 47 and I do not drink or smoke.


PDXBigfoot

Welcome, PDXBigFoot,

You asked about what kinds of questions to ask your doctor. It would be a good idea to track your symptoms--write down when you have each one and how long long it lasts and especially the time of day or night when you experienced it. It might be helpful to note down what you were doing at the time when the symptom came on too because there are triggers for some symptoms.

Before your visit to the doctor, look over your notes and see if you notice any patterns--and mention them to the doctor.

If a symptom is constant, you should note if there are times when it is worse than at other times.

Welcome PDXBigFoot.