Nerve damage w/correct levels!

divacat80
divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
Hi everyone!!!
I just wanted to remind you all to always be aware of your body positions. Don't keep a position that is uncomfortable for long or that compromises uour blood circulation, even if you think it's not too bad. Hypothyroidism makes it easier to get accidental nerve damage because it affects every body tissue so much.

I had this "accident" on Monday. I was trimming hubby's hair and i was on my knees on the bed. I was aware that my left foot was bent in a weird way but it wasn't uncomfortable and it allowed me to lean to a side to get a better angle for the task. I kept moving to keep the blood circulating but the position was essentially the same for some good half an hour (hubby was never happy with the hair length and i had to cut it several times). When i tried to get up my left knee was failing and i couldn't feel my left foot.
I thought it was just that it had fallen asleep and i tried several things to wake it up, but none worked. The feeling was unusual, i wasn't getting that typical crazy tingling you get when a limb falls asleep due to lack of circulation. It was numb as if i had had local anaesthesia inyected some time earlier and the effect was about to fade but never completely gone. And what scared me the most... I couldn't bend my foot upward so i couldn't walk properly.
I spent 8 hours in the ER the following day, I had a CAT scan, blood tests and a neurologist evaluated my case. They all concluded that it is all due to the thyroid, even when my levels have been recently checked, my levothyroxine upped, and i'm feeling better than ever. My doctor is considering giving me some vitamins but she thinks it won't make a noticeable difference.

Next week i'm going to have an electromyography and i'll be asessed again by a neurologist to see how bad it is. They don't know if it's permanent damage to the sciatic external popliteal nerve or not, but we all think it's just a temporary thing. I'm crossing my fingers because i can barely walk and i'm usually very active and love exercising so much as it helps a lot with the thyroid symptoms.

So please be always aware of your bodies to prevent this!

Replies

  • betsy179
    betsy179 Posts: 34
    Thank you for posting this. I am new to thryoid problems and didn't know about this side effect. Hope it will get better for you.
  • VastBreak
    VastBreak Posts: 322 Member
    Wow, thanks! I've never heard of this before, very useful info!
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    I'll do a Google search in English later and i'll post some info about it. I'm aware that mine has to be a freaky accidental case but the doctors did tell me it was related to the thyroid so i immediately thought of coming here to share my experience with you guys.
    Even if a nerve damage can be from painful to merely annoying it's not fun not to be able to walk due to a stupid domestic accident.

    :smile:
  • sandhillsmom
    sandhillsmom Posts: 319 Member
    I'm being monitored for neuropathy issues related to my thyroid. I'm on Meloxicam for the neuropathy pain and see the Rheumatologist against. in August for a re-evaluation. Hopefully ifmy Thyroid number are more pleasing to him then, I can get some better answers. So far they have ruled out Gout. Lupus is a maybe and permanent damage has a higher than average chance right now.

    My Hormone levels have been every where. from the lowest in full blown Hyper state (TSH of less than 0.01) for over a year. to a lovely hypo TSH level of over 100 for 3 months.

    This month at least I can move and feel, it's close to being normal for the first time in over a year. I'm hoping with time and balanced hormone levels I can stay feeling "normal" for a while.
  • VastBreak
    VastBreak Posts: 322 Member
    When I do certain cardio machines at the gym my feet go numb after about 20mins, now I wonder if this might be nerve related?? I went back to my show store a few months ago and they traded my shoes for a wider shoe. He thought my feet might be swelling and causing the numbness. The shoes feel very wide now, I even wear thicker socks but my feet move around way to much in the wide shoe. The bottom of my feet still go numb even in the wider shoe so I'm pretty sure something else is the cause.
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    I'm being monitored for neuropathy issues related to my thyroid. I'm on Meloxicam for the neuropathy pain and see the Rheumatologist against. in August for a re-evaluation. Hopefully ifmy Thyroid number are more pleasing to him then, I can get some better answers. So far they have ruled out Gout. Lupus is a maybe and permanent damage has a higher than average chance right now.

    My Hormone levels have been every where. from the lowest in full blown Hyper state (TSH of less than 0.01) for over a year. to a lovely hypo TSH level of over 100 for 3 months.

    This month at least I can move and feel, it's close to being normal for the first time in over a year. I'm hoping with time and balanced hormone levels I can stay feeling "normal" for a while.

    Thank you for sharing your experience! When thyroid levels get so out of control nerve damage chances are higher ;( I hope your doctor and rheumatologist find an answer and solution for you!
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    When I do certain cardio machines at the gym my feet go numb after about 20mins, now I wonder if this might be nerve related?? I went back to my show store a few months ago and they traded my shoes for a wider shoe. He thought my feet might be swelling and causing the numbness. The shoes feel very wide now, I even wear thicker socks but my feet move around way to much in the wide shoe. The bottom of my feet still go numb even in the wider shoe so I'm pretty sure something else is the cause.

    I had this happening when i was overweight/obese so I THINK it's not related. You can always ask your doctor about it, and I would definitely try to avoid the numbness by choosing other cardio machines or finding ways to position your feet/body better. Don't let the numbness happen for long please!!!

    I had this you describe happening a lot with stationary bikes (of any kind), and it happened less often on the elliptical. The numbness stopped happening when i reached a healthier weight, but i also tried to buy wider shoes as it can help. Sometimes it's just because of the way our weight distributes on our feet. Have you told your gym monitors about it?

    I wouldn't get too worried unless you're on a healthy weight (if you are, consult a specialist in orthopedics/back issues to see if yours is a posture problem) but after what happened to me i would really avoid anything that can cause prolonged numbness.