Neuropathy Progressing - No Answers
 

I've posted here previously with some odd symptoms, but my main symptoms are tearing pain when moving my left foot that refers from ankle / top of foot area down to the front of the foot.

Tinel's sign positive - under ankle (sural nerve) can tap and feel toward little toe, on top of foot down to big toe, and recently (as of the past week) terrible pain when tapping above my ankle, referred down to the top of my foot under the 3rd/4th toes.

Numbness along the sural nerve - a small dime-sized spot, but numbness nonetheless. As well as pain beneath it.

The tearing pain now coming from above my ankle is concerning to me. I've recently been walking/cycling 5-6 days a week. I also have varicose veins only on the left leg. My left leg tends to swell (it has for 15 years) in a seated position or if I'm on my feet too long - I've been wearing compression socks to fix that at work.

I emailed my doctor, who wants to see me next week to talk about the new symptom and do a thorough exam.

I've had:

EMG / Nerve Conduction - only slight fascillations, likely due to tarsal tunnel, but no worries

MRI of brain - fine

MRI of back - bulging disc / degenerative disease between L5 - S1 but no one saw any nerves being pressed

Blood work - all fine, normal SPEP, CRP slightly high, SED slightly high, no ANA markers - I have PCOS so they put my inflammation up to that (and obesity), normal CMP / CBC, low b12 (288) at one point but has been corrected, vitamin d was 23 - taking supplements — but no oddities

My doc has mentioned Small Fiber Neuropathy, but I wonder - would that cause a positive Tinel's sign? To me, it really feels like there may be a growth there, or something inflaming my nerves (Ultrasound showed a size increase in nerves on left foot). It's ONLY on my left foot - not my right.

Of course, I've been googling. While this has been an issue for nearly 2 years now, I see things like paraneoplastic syndrome, amyloidosis, myeloma... and I'm terrified.

Because of the progression, I'm just... feeling lost and scared. It's just one foot (and some diffuse prickling on the same left leg, front of the leg), it's not debilitating, but I worry it may become so. :(

Does anyone have any advice? Support? Thank you so much.

Update:

I saw my neurologist this morning, and after a thorough exam, she believes my issues to stem around vascular insufficiency rather than with a neurological root. Vascular insufficiency can lead to nerve pain, due to lack of blood flow and swelling. Which I do have on that one leg (varicose veins, a bit of Raynaud's suspicion) - so that makes sense.

Because it's so isolated, she does not think there's any cause to assume systemic disease, even with my higher than normal SED / CRP numbers, as those can be attributed to PCOS/obesity.

She's referring me to a vascular surgeon, and if that is uneventful, to an ankle orthopedist to assess for structural issues that are causing referred nerve pain from ankle area to toes.

The pain is searing - but only in the one foot. I can tap my ankle or just accidentally touch it when putting on socks, and the pain refers down to the top of my foot near my toes, and it's intense. But that's RIGHT where my swelling occurs... so I guess, while I don't have answers yet, I feel like I'm on the right path.

Thanks for bearing with me, y'all. The internet is a scary place when medical issues go unanswered! :)

One of the major health issues Grape Seed Extract addresses is Vascular Insufficiency and I'm trying to find links on this and not coming up, WHY?, I have no clue, it always has come up. I've been taking Grape Seed Extract for over 25 yrs and my veins are good.

So do some searching and I will do some later on this, why it's not coming up, boggles my mind.

Well, it was a computer glitch and I got it fixed...here is a good link on Vascular Insufficiency and Grape Seed Extract,

The Benefits of Grape Seed Extract | HuffPost Life