Left Leg - Constant Pain .. ideas?
 

if I could cut my left leg off at the thigh - I would be normal (well, close to it) .. the nurse called back (had to refill on copax and up the gabby, if possible) .. the pain doesn't go away, the tramadol doesn't take any edge off ... and when I walk - I have to "think" to move my left leg forward ... anyone deal with this?? is this how MS comes about? I haven't been pain-free with this leg for over 3 weeks now ..

my left side and my right foot drop, and some other issues - threw me into the MS category ...

thanks - any ideas? or vitamins?

Sorry to hear about your leg pain. I hope someone here has some ideas because I'm experiencing the same with my right leg. This isn't new.....and I suspect it's the cool weather and/or barometric pressure changes causing it.....but it seems like it's always throbbing.

Does your leg ever just give out from under you? Mine has been doing this quite frequently and this is a new thing. I can be walking along and it just gives out. No warning.....nothing. Just like it decides to quit. Strange and a little scary. :confused:

Hi Vonn :) It could be that an improper gait is causing your pain. A little PT may help?
Sometimes you have to learn to walk again.

I, mostly just transfer now, not much walking and when I do it improperly....OUCH for days. :mad: I hate taking drugs for pain, unless it's excruciating pain.

I do stretches (laying down) straightening my legs and the bringing my knees up slowly to my chin (sometimes I have to help with my hands to bring my left knee up). This helps strengthen your back, too.

Good wishes. :hug:

I have no advice, just hugs :hug:

Hey Kelly - sorry to hear about your right leg issues .. I'm so glad that it's my left leg .. then I can drive and stretch it out or bring my knee up ... I have to sleep with it elevated ... and it hasn't happened yet about giving out - but it's a weird sensation and you just want to 'slap' it or something! that's why the gabapentin again .. but, I'm tired of having these pills always have 'weight gain' issues ... working on that!

Sally - I do alot of stairs (the computer is in the basement) ... and leg lifts at night .. but, nothing seems to help ... and I'm not giving up - and understand how your leg can hurt if you're on it too much .. I just have to sit ... at least for a little while .. then I can stand and walk .. but, just standing is a killer! hope you are doing fine

thanks for the hug, Deb - THEY are always a help!! and laughter!!

No advice. i have no ideas!
will be following the thread to see if anyone has any ideas since i'm in the same boat as you...

hi vonn,

i have a similar problem with my Lt leg. and thankfully, i can drive too.
i used to be on neurontin, then switched to lyrica and that helped a lot. i still have pain in my leg and foot but much better.

and this is weird but my pain starts to escalate about 5 pm.
heat and massages help but that's minimal.
did you share this with your neuro?

i agree with a PT consult. and if they find something like a gait problem or drop foot they are more apt to have weight when they report to the dr. i think there's also some brace you can wear for drop foot.
:hug:'s from me too.

it's so hard to deal with all these problems.

Jim has this all the time but he doesn't walk like you do. The only thing that really works for him is medical cannabis.

This is weird and a little off topic. Today he got a cortosone shot in his shoulder and he got feeling back in his hand. :confused: He hasn't had feeling in that hand for years!

hey Pud's Friend .. always welcome ..

NurseNancy .. thanks!! I was on Lyrica for a little while - and it wasn't 'for' me .. didn't like the weight-gain side effect, either ..

Sandy .. not there yet for shots .. and the medical cannibas - would work if in tab form!! :o

UPDATE: I took 2-300mg of Gabby last night before bed .. and 9mg of Melatonin to sleep .. and slept pretty good ... and that helped SO much ... and my L-leg is practically pain free ... we'll see how the day goes!!

thanks for posting!!

make sure to stretch that whole side...

1)Lying down,lift leg up with both hands under knee, bring to chest, hold for 3-5 sec. do each leg 5 times.

2) Still lying down, lift legs to chest, slowly twist from waist until left leg touches floor (if possible). Hold for 3-5 sec. do other side; repeat 5 times.

3) if you have a yoga strap or long band, put under foot and, lying on back, bring leg straight up, pulling band to straighten leg. Hold for 3-5 sec. Repeat on other leg.

Not sure if you have a nerve being pressed, or if it's spasms. Either way, stretching will help lenghten the muscles; if it is a pressed nerve, this will also help take pressure off of nerves.

Keep us up to date on how you're doing...:hug::hug:

That is very good, Deb, thanks, but if you are having spastic pain, then just do a light version of this and also, right before bed. Otherwise you'll be all revved up and ready to go, instead of sleep.:eek:

Vonno - At PT they wrap legs/arms etc in big chilled wraps-it really soothed my aches and pains. Plus at PT while the ice pack is on they attach electrodes to exercise the inner muscles to help - so at home when my legs or arms are real achy I have bought a number of "flexible" ice packs (found at Walgreens) that chill and then wrap them on sore muscles when Im at home.
Very soothing...I had always used heat wraps before with no relief - but the coolness does help me.

thanks, Deb & Tresa!! both options sound great ...

and Deb - I've started working my legs more ... and it's been helping!!

Tresa - the ice packs make sense!! I was holding something cold from out of the freezer (I think it was a gallon of ice cream!!) ... and my leg calmed down and felt better ..

UPDATE:
have pain when standing brushing/fixing my hair ... or doing the dishes ... not too bad ... the nurse from neuro's office increased the gabby ... and hopefully that's making a difference! possibly a flare?? onward, right? :p

thanks for taking the time to post!!

Stretching Exercises...
 

Go to the National MS Society site and look for stretching exercises in their search bar. Print out their drawings and instructions. It is very important to try to do them daily.

Their exercises were put together by therapists and stretch all your muscles. After you do it a few times, it takes around 10 to 15 minutes to them.

You can also go to your NMSS's Chapter Meetings or 'just' find out when their swim classes are held. Most offer free swimming classes to their members. You do not have to have a definite MS diagnosis nor to you have to give money (donations) to the National MS Society.

Take care.

Dear All: :grouphug: All I can say is that I used to be unable to walk...had sore pain in thigh muscles and upper arms always...went to PT where stretching exercises and muscle building exercises began after using muscle stimulation for six weeks.

THEN I bought a dog...today Buddy and I went for a 2 1/2 hour walk up on the boardwalk!!! Cool, crisp day with frost on the ground. Deer were running about as were the bunnies-Buddy's favorite chase of course.

I got home and could not believe we had been out walking for that long. It was such an exciting adventure.

I'm not going to say it was easy...it was hard...really hard to keep going day after day. And, for the last two weeks I have been in a flare but not anywhere near as bad as they used to be.

The only thing I can honestly say is that it was like trying to learn to walk all over again and then to keep on walking, and walking.

I could never have achieved this level of independence (so much atrophy, pain and imbalance issues) without my dog. A cheerleader through and through and I HAD to have a cheerleader.

I am still in shock over the progress and really cant explain it. I do know that if I stop walking I would decline rapidly so I push myself to keep going.

Great thing is that my muscles are no longer screaming in pain and the tiredness is a good tiredness.

For me, the signals are sluggish in the brain and its as if I am trying to get and keep the brain working. I also have to "think" to move a limb - not as much anymore but in the beginning-I had to retrain my brain to work again.
It felt like there was nothing but a heavy weighted swamp of mush up there.

This has been my experience...hope it can encourage or inspire others. Oh, and I'm 60 yrs old too. So you are NEVER too young to try!

Each day I push buddy and I to go farther. Today I felt as if I had gone to the Olympics!!!:eek:

be careful of pain meds
 

I have left leg pain and have had it for several years, due to surgery---a flap graft closure of a hole in my leg made by a dr. who was removing a sterile abcess and dead tissue from an injection of phenergan. I also have nerve pain in the soles of my feet due to MS. I started on Lortabs, then they sent me to a pain dr. who gave me Kadian, fentanyl patches, and now years of MS Contin. I am trying to get off the MS Contin but am getting withdrawal symptoms and the pain is worse. I've managed to decrease the amount of the morphine by 2/3's the dose I was on, but am stuck at still taking 120 mg/day to stave off withdrawal symptoms. PLEASE try everything short of narcotics to deal with your pain. It isn't worth getting dependent on drugs!

Drug compound 4-ap has helped me with left leg weakness.If you try it start out slow with 5mg 1x aday.(Slow release).

Leg Pain
 

Sounds crazy, but make sure your hips are straight. Bad gait can make your hips uneven and that can cause things to feel much worse.

Try: Laying on your back with left leg outstretched and left knee only slightly bent. Bring right knee up to about stomach area. Put both hands against right knee and PUSH your knee forward but PUSH your hands back against the knee. (Tug of war) Push with knee toward head and push away with hands away from torso.

Now with the right leg relaxed, bring left leg up and bent at knee. This time grasp the knee with both hands and try to push the knee away while hands fight to bring knee towards torso.

Alternate this excercise to push each side of the hip into place.

AND: Ask your doc for some lanacaine (or ladacaine... not sure how its pronounced) patches for when the pain is stubborn. Its the same stuff they numb the mouth with at the dentists and it comes in a nice size patch great for the quadraceps.