I have some peripheral neuropathy, which actually is way better since I had a huge amount of vitamin B12 after I completed a round of Metronidazol for the tetanus I had.

But, the thing is when there is stress, and there's so much of it, I have a lot of trouble with the feeling in my feet.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, do you ever get that feeling that your foot is slipping out from under you, when actually it's on the ground and not moving at all?

That feeling causes me to lose my balance when I try to catch my balance... it's hard to explain.

In the house, where I can quickly lean toward the hallway wall or catch hold of a cabinet or table I'm not so bothered. But when it happens outside I break out into a cold sweat (I get sort of shivering cold and I also am sweating). It's so scary. (because my feet don't feel secure, and I keep feeling as if I'm falling, you know that feeling when you first lose your balance when you are falling.)

But it doesn't happen all the time.

So I don't carry a walking stick all the time, because I often am carrying plants or garden things.

How do you deal with this... or don't you ever experience these feelings in your feet?

Loss of balance is common with symptoms of PN.
I don't think its an inner ear thing, but the mixed messages and sensations dealing with the feet. That's why the neuros want to watch you walk, unteadiness of gait is a big factor.
With some, its more severe than others (just like everything else "PN" related)
I frequently have missteps and unsteadiness.
Just have to stop in my tracks and hesitate for a moment.
I've grown accostomed to the fact that it happens,
but will never grow accustomed to the feeling.

Hi Nide

I think, but I may be wrong in that thinking, that it is you to whom I owe the fact I now take Antarctic Krill Oil for the fatty acids.

Okay... yes, the neurologist always checked my "gait."

When I went in to the see the doctor well into the privy pit excavation, I had trouble just standing on the scale, I had so much trouble with balance.

But, do you have the slipping feeling? Or do you have the numbness thing where it doesn't feel as if your foot has hit solid ground... or what?

Its mixed feelings, & different feelings at different times.
PN keeps you 'on your toes' (pun intended) all the time.
I've had slipping, numbness, ankle buckling,
missing steps cause the feet don't go where I thought they did, etc.
Sure is fun, ain't it?

I don't really know much about it. I didn't know that it could cause the feet not to go where you thought...

I'm also not sure what ankle buckling is.

During this last summer when there was quite a lot of stress I had some pretty intense, sharp, sudden pain in or around my hip, and that made walking difficult because it seemed to make my leg/legs buckle - it made them just sort of give out. So when that kept happening I hurt my ankle and my wrist, but I didn't fall and hit my head again.

Do you notice if it gets a lot better when you rest?

Do you notice if it gets worse when you are exposed to toxins? (I had several years of pretty intense poverty and couldn't get some leaks fixed... It is really hard to actually get things done properly. I'd pay and people would come in... but the problems would remain to enough of an extent that recently I had quite a lot of sodden wall board removed... black with mold. I had that done because I was beginning to lose hair again, which I now associate with exposure to toxins.

I could tell that my leak wasn't just in the shower, or the water wasn't contained by the shower, because the Saltillo tile in my kitchen, which shares a wall with the shower, was getting damp looking, and my air purifiers were needing cleaning in days rather than weeks.

I guess I wonder how much all of us are exposed to, that we sort of ignore, because we are so overwhelmed by just dealing with the most obvious problems... like walking and staying positive...

I have a different problem. I find that I dont pick my feet up. Some days I have to consciously make myself pick them up. I know there are days my feet really drag and then there are days where I don't realize they are dragging until I trip. This summer I fell up my apartment steps, which are cement (remind me, what was I thinking when I found a basement apartment?)--I tripped on the 3rd step from the top and fell up the other 2. There is tile in my kitchen and indoor/outdoor carpet in my living room. I have managed to trip over the tiny height difference in the tile from the carpet and it's a tiny difference. Some days, it seems like my feet are very heavy. I wear sneakers for work and some days, I trip simply from the tread on the bottom of the shoe and not raising my feet. Yet, no treads are bad too. Constant battle, isn't it? I think the worst are the days that my feet are in such pain I can hardly stand on them and mysteriously, the pain just goes away, like it was never there. Neuropathy is such a weird condition.

Deb

I've had serious balance problems and what is called 'prioperception' [essentially, how your nerves aren't sending the correct signals as to where you are and are going].

Ask your doc, also ask for recommendations of physical therapists [they get feedback and usually list accordingly]. My neuro and other docs have NEVER said I can't have it. My insurance covers a lot of it but it's limited to a number of sessions per year.

Web up ankle sprains, one good site is www.thestretchinghandbook.com but there are others with better graphics. The key is to learn how to do these exercises SAFELY at first. After that you'll find that there are ever so many steps you can take/do that will help you keep yourself upright the way you want to. You re-build strength and re-learn safe walking at the same time.

My last round of PT was for one sprained ankle & a broken foot [both feet] and I'd been off them for 6 weeks. After that round of therapy I was better overall than I'd been since before PN onset! Before I'd started the therapy, I felt I could have used two canes to get around in one piece....I now have 4 pieces of equipment [under $100.,] for home use: theraband {$10}, stretching bands{$15}, balance discs{$30} and an exercise ball{$30} . Most of the workout [not hard really] is resistance and lo-impact, and much safer overall than other options. Just start slow!

Hope this helps - j

I also have bad balance caused by numbness in my feet. If I close my eyes I start swaying or if I walk in the dark my balance is bad, add in stairs and Im likely to fall. My feet are so numb that I was walking the dog last week and noticed that my left shoe was off, I had to walk back three blocks to find the shoe, I never felt that it was off. I dont get that foot slipping thing though. I have sprained both ankles a number of times.

Good thing it was in the house! The OH, MY! Now what do I do? stuff hits you in the head, face AND feet hard! YES when any of the many docs I see ask me to stand w/eyes closed...well I just warn them...to BE THERE! Like you I can REALLY wobble good! Foot slipping I liken to the stair/step thing, only my issue is aggravated by cataract surgery scar tissue...one part of one lower eye is like a fun-house mirror...in that where I think I am putting foot/feetis NOT where it goes. Every time I stand up, especially in places not familiar...I kind of do a 'foot stomp'...I call it my getting 'feet reaquainted' to earth contact. Your feet don't tell your brain where they ARE.

From all I've read, it's all part of how the nerves relay info to the brain, damaged nerves, damaged info. Add to the mix, that when we HURT, we tend to move less...thus lose tone, reflexes and balance in the end. Some nerve balance stuff can be 'reprogrammed' thru the safe learing of exercises and thus strength thru the PT. Nerves can reprogram, regenerate and compensate...but it is a teaching process.. Doing/learning is a slow process as you have to condition/recondition: muscles, nerves and vascular systems. That is a lot to do in a body w/lots of issues already...

Learn Slow, SAFE exercises, using equipment and procedures to be done safely at HOME and well, the NEXT issue is MOTIVATION and discipline...Anyone got ideas here? Besides a buggy whip, I mean?

Look up 'ankle sprain' sites, then look at 'wrist sprain' sites, and then look at pilates stuff ...gotta be able to 'hold' yourself up for the next phases...

Good thoughts! - j

balance discs are a workout! Even after using them for a bit... Talk about a workout for folks who didn't used to be wimps!...First Time, I was soo glad a holiday weekend occurred between therapy session! - j