About the same time that my toes began to go numb, my legs would
from time to time go out from under me and I would fall down. I felt
no pain at the time but I can recall that I was under extra stress when these
incidents occurred. Can anyone tell me if this might be related to my
peripheral neuropathy - and why?

I woke up one afternoon with my right leg completely numb. When I stood up and tried to walk on it, it buckled out from under me. Luckily, I was standing beside the bed and fell onto it when I lost my balance. I called my GP who said it was neurological and he sent me to a neurologist. He indicated it was because of PN, but no one has yet to explain the why of it. I'm seeing a new neurologist in a couple of weeks and thats one of many questions I have for him.

I'm also interested if anyone knows why this happens.

Have either of you had DNA blood testing for Hereditary Motor Sensory Neuropath (HMSN) aka Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome or Hereditary Neuropathy with Liability to Pressure Palsies (HNPP)? Click on:

http://www.hnpp.org/index.htm

Kitt, thanks for the link. I'll ask at my appointment about this.

You are welcome

I have heard and know my friend with PN has fallen more. Have you been tested for diabetes? I ask cause of the numbness though some without diabetes get the numb problem. Are you off balance? I am and my fear is to fall. Sorry I wish I had more answers.

Daniella, I've been checked for diabetes and thankfully, I don't have it. My GP checks my bloodwork every 3 months to keep an eye on it and all the other stuff. My original diagnosis is for sensory polyneuropathy so I don't think any of the motor ones are a factor. I saw my GP and he said that the nerve gets weak which causes the muscles to weaken and that explains why I also get pains in my opposite leg while exercising and they stop me in my tracks. I have to wait until it subsides to continue.

So, I know the PN is to blame for the pain, numbness and the weakness. Its strange how the nerves behave like this, but it makes sense to me in a strange way. Thanks for posting

I had a similar sensation today. It was like my knees were going to give out completely. I felt like my legs were going to go out from under me.

I saw this thread posting, and decided to add to it as much as I am sure of.

Last week, I got up to go to the bathroom during the night. Just as I finished, my legs suddenly went out from under me, and I took one hell of a fall. Thank God, I didn't hit anything but the floor, although ceramic floors ain't all that soft. Sheesh!!! It woke my wife up, and she naturally came running. There isn't enough space in this small bath for two people to pass each other, and she isn't strong enough to pull me. So, I had to inch my way along out of the bathroom until I could turn over, and then proceed to pull my self over to the bed. What surprised me was that my arms were almost as weak as my legs. It took everything I had to pull myself out of the bathroom. Admittedly, I weigh 228, but that much weight has never stopped me from doing pull ups, and many other exercises. So, my point is, whatever made the legs let go, did almost as much damage to the arms as well. After about 15 minutes, I was able to use my arms, assisted partially by my legs, and pull myself back onto the bed. In about half an hour, everything was pretty much back to normal.

I do however, have the main arteries in both my legs stopped up from the hip, to the knee, so that didn't help. But, the scary part is that I didn't even feel it coming on. And, I never got dizzy, or anything.

As they say, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Anybody have any idea as to the sudden weakness that comes from NP?

That's what I asked a so-called PN expert I saw after I recovered from a broken ankle caused by my left leg giving way. Eight years ago, I was walking to the kitchen after waking up from a nap and out of nowhere my leg folded. I heard a sickening crunch and knew I had a fracture. That break has caused me more grief than PN...the leg/ankle have never been as strong as before. I went from using a cane to using a walker and still do to this day.

The PN expert had no answer whatsoever, couldn't even speculate and offered no causes or theories. Until this thread, I never knew this folding leg/s syndrome affected anyone else w/ PN. It seems to be connected w/ sleep (waking up & going somewhere). Possibly the muscle loses its resilience, strength, etc. during rest. Although my left leg still gives out from time to time, it's not as frequent as it was 9 or 10 years ago. The only way I know to avoid another fall/fracture, is to use the walker or cane even in the house.