Weakness in Muscles

[twiztc]

Legs.... can't live with em....can't cut email off.
I had weakness in my legs. It's nothing to do with my muscles, well not lack of them anyway. Everytime I've been to a Physio I've always been told I have good strong muscles. Then why am I weak? I have no idea, and they don't seem to know either. I have herniated disc but it herniated in such a way as not supposed to be the reason. I also have that thing where you are walking along quite happily, no warning pain or anything and it's like one of your legs has just vanished and the next thing you know is you're trying to pick yourself up out of the tomato section of the supermarket!
Tizz all one of life's mysteries.

 

[1sweed]

twiztc,
You mentioned having a herniated disk, I was wondering which disk it was? I have a area of low signal that is within the L5-S1 intervertebral disk space, which they say indicates early dessication. I wonder if this is what is causing my lower leg muscle weakness. I mentioned this to several different neurologists and was told it was nothing. Just wondered if yours was something similar, that was pressing on nerves or something.

It is so embarressing to land on your face anywhere's, but in the tomatoes would be drather messy I would think.





























































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[SulaBlue]

twiztc,
It is so embarressing to land on your face anywhere's, but in the tomatoes would be drather messy I would think.

Better the tomatoes than the pineapples! Talk about a rough landing.

 

[twiztc]

I can't remember the name of the vertebra but it's low in the back andgives that sciatic nerve a nice tweek now and then just to make sure I'm awake. When it goes really bad I get loads of sensations down my legs. Tingles, shooting pains down to my toes, numbness and deep aches. There have been a few times I can't walk at all.
I have fallen loads of times, some because of my legs and sometimes those weird dizzy almost passing out head things. My first hubby didn't believe me until he was with me as it happened and that was the time I nearly knocked over a stack of crated tomatoes but the guy restocking the shelf caught me just in time. Nice Chap.
I don't think I'd want to fall on pineapples, something soft and squishy is much more preferable
Fibro certainly makes life interesting.

 

[1sweed]

I used to have the sensation of water running down my leg or up my leg. First I had to check for you know what, but whew, it was only a feeling of that not the real deal. When I spend time out in the yard in the warm weather i get that sudden weakness and heavyness in my legs. It comes on so sudden and I have to drag myself back to the house. It makes me mad because I want to do a little bit of gardening and weak limbs makes it hard to do anything. My mom is stronger than I am, and that is hard to deal with cause she is up in years and I am a ways behind her.

Having fibro is such a train wreck in a otherwise happy life.

 

[nikilee]

I know you mentioned having muscle and nerve testing, but did it include a muscle biopsy? I ask because I had similar symptoms and it took the biopsy to find my diagnosis. (Dermatomyositis) An autoimmune muscle disease...

 

[1sweed]

I had ask the neurologists about your dermatomyositis, and was told that since all other testing was normal and blood work was normal, and MRI's did not show anything nothing was wrong as far as they were concerned. Later I got diagnosised with fibro. My legs will not strengthen with exercise and when I had physical therapy, even there they noticed the problem but I got tired being treated like a crazy loon, plus I was out of money so I gave up looking for more answers.

nikilee, Could you share a bit about dermatomyositis, and how it affects your life? Thanks for your comment!

 

[graham]

I have experienced the same "folding" symptoms and you are right it makes me nervous to go out alone. I have always loved to walk and run so this has been especially upsetting to me. I also tried tai chi and agree that it has helped me along with walking every single day even when I feel weak. I've got a treadmill so that I can have more stability and step away and sit down if I do feel weak. Some days I am just too tired or I feel weak & can only do a few minutes, but overall I think the strength I have kept in my legs and the circulation helps me have more good days. I am not sure if this helps you? I understand the days that just seem like it's too much. I am still nervous if I am out alone running errands or anything that I might not be able to make it through them.

 

[1sweed]

Since fibro affects nerves and muscles then I guess we can figure that it can mess with anything or any place it wants too, and we just better get used to it and deal with it. But it is wearing when you want to do things on your own and by yourself, and yet unless you wear protective pads on every end, you best take a friend with you. lol

 

[crsnmagy]

For some reason I have a lot of pain constantly in my hands and arms from fibro and the most weakening I have is in my hands. I can barely get the cap or lid off of a jar. Lifting my arms is very difficult and even painful. I feel like I have no strength in both of them. It is very frustrating.

 

[Donna10112]

Hello. This is just a shot in the dark and perhaps you all ready know this, but myofascial trigger points can cause muscle weakness. If left untreated, they can affect entire muscle groups. If you haven't yet, l would suggest you find someone who KNOWS how to treat "Myofascial Trigger Points". My resource is Dr. Devin Starlanyl. Good luck.
Donna10112

 

[twiztc]

HEY- im going for my first trigger point imjections next wednesday (17th)im hoping it does something good

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I think that I just keep getting progressively weaker. I used to be able to get up if I got down on the ground, but not anymore. I have to crawl over to some kind of step, or something strong enough to hang on to, and then slowly pull myself up with that. When my knees went bad, I could no longer get down on my knees to work in the garden, but if I got down on the ground, I could at least crawl along and get weeds pulled. Now, I don't dare even try, unless I am close to the porch where I can get ahold of something to pull my self up.
And if I get the least bit off balance, I am going head first onto the ground. There is no such thing as getting a leg or foot ut there to catch myself, and usually, not even my arm, just crash on my face.
So I try to be very careful.

 

[1sweed]

Wanted to mention a trick I learned to open smaller capped bottles. I use my nut cracker, as it has ribs that catch hold of the caps and make it easy to turn and remove bottle caps. Since it is "V" shaped it works great on the ones that have that extra plastic ring to seal the bottles, as it snaps it right off. Another trick is to use a piece of rubber or that non-slip material that keeps rugs from slipping.

Weak hands made any household chore hard to do.

 

[nikilee]

I had ask the neurologists about your dermatomyositis, and was told that since all other testing was normal and blood work was normal, and MRI's did not show anything nothing was wrong as far as they were concerned. Later I got diagnosised with fibro. My legs will not strengthen with exercise and when I had physical therapy, even there they noticed the problem but I got tired being treated like a crazy loon, plus I was out of money so I gave up looking for more answers.

nikilee, Could you share a bit about dermatomyositis, and how it affects your life? Thanks for your comment!

I'm so sorry I'm just now seeing this, I've had a lot going on. Well you're not alone, I've talked to many people who get tired of being treated like they are crazy, I hope you don't really give up!

A bit about the dermatomyositis; my immune system attacks my muscles and skin. So when I'm in a "flare" (which is basically always lately), my legs hurt and are very weak, I can't squat down or I fall. Stairs are hard to climb and walking long distances is tough. Arm and upper body strength is also badly affected. Fatigue is indescribable, but I think you probably have a good idea! I get so tired that I want to cry if I don't get a nap right then and I will find myself falling asleep like I have narcolepsy.

Some of us with DM show high CPK numbers (muscle damage) when we are in a flare so it "proves" something is wrong, but some have numbers that are perfectly fine but experience all of the symptoms so the doctors look at them like they are crazy. I'm "fortunate" enough to have my numbers back my symptoms up.

I wish you the best, and will make sure I follow this post more closely!

All the best!