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Hi, Nancy @nct12 I spent a half hour writing a long detailed reply.... then it failed to go through. Note to self: Always copy the text before hitting send.... so. it won't be lost if there is some glitch with the site. I was diagnosed with lumbar stenosis in 2021. I jumped through all the hoops required by insurance.... I had steroid injections.... I did PT.... As nothing helped, I had a laminectomy in Nov. 2022 (L2-S1). Immediately following that surgery, I could WALK again, which was great! But I also began to notice the burning and tingling and numbness in my feet. I went through several months of PT but I was still have problems with balance. The surgeon suggested an MRI of my Cervical spine. There he found a disc pressing against my spinal cord. He felt this was causing the trouble with balance.... and I had a fusion of C4-5 in May of 2023. That did NOT resolve the balance issues. If I'm out walking in the neighborhood or on a track in a straight direction, not much problem. The balance issues are worse inside my home or in a store setting where I have to maneuver around corners or furniture. So far, no major falls, and I often use a cane or hiking sticks just to insure balance. I have found that Barefoot shoes (I ordered mine on Amazon for around $40... brand Grand Attack) give my toes more width to spread out and their thin soles allow me to feel the floor/ground better.... thus helping proprioception... and balance. I do have steroid injections in my lumbar spine several times a year.... and those help for a short while. I took Gabapentin (made me loopy) and Lyrica (gained 30 pounds) and neither one was really a help. As I said, I don't have real "pain" .... rather just numbness, tingling, burning.... and I am thankful I don't suffer from the excrutiating pain so many describe. I began taking RALA and Benfotiamine.... and also Acetyl L-Carnitine and Magnesium supplements shortly after learning about the neuropathy. I did finally see a neurologist in February, and after a number of exams in his office he concluded that I more likely had radiculopathy rather than neuropathy. Radiculopathy is compression of the nerves in the back "after" they exit the spinal column... and radiculopathy can mimic the same symtoms of numbness and tingling as with neuropathy. The neurologist had no solution to offer. At 73 years old, I'm not ready to stop living.... and I know I need to keep moving. I try to exercise each day, either in the pool, or by walking. I need to keep moving. I did have my PCP check my B6 levels and they were HIGH.... and B6 toxicity can also cause these same symptoms.... so I do not take any supplements that contain B6. I do take B12, just as you do. Through several different health issues during my lifetime, I have learned that I have to be my own advocate for my health care. I don't hesitate to read and research and ask my doctors about new treatments or techniques. I am more than happy to answer ANY questions you may have. Connect is a great place to find others who truly UNDERSTAND. You are NOT ALONE!!! Hang in there... My best wishes! Mike
Replies to "Hi, Nancy @nct12 I spent a half hour writing a long detailed reply.... then it failed..."
I have a similar situation. I'm 77 now. Since COVID, I was unable to walk, sit and stand for any length of time. It was frustrating because I used to hike miles. I tried everything non surgical, epidural, nerve block, acupuncture, chiropractor, and spent thousands on physical therapy. Finally I had surgery, fusion L3and L4 , the surgeon put a spacer in, whatever it means. He came highly recommended. Supposed to be very conservative. It's been a few months now, I'm still having the same problems. Everyone around me said I am doing great so I guess I'm just impatient??? My PCP ordered an ultrasound for my legs for claudication. I'm on gaberpantin 300mg 3 times a day. I cannot tolerate any opiods, my surgeon recommended alpha lipoic acid, B12 and magnesium. He did say I can try epidural. He also said if I had neuropathy before, surgery can sometimes makes it worse. I would like to hear from anyone with the same issue. Any advice would be much appreciated. I'd like to think I have some good years left to spend with my grandchild, and visit my daughter who has retired to another state. I went on a plane in June for a wedding in Canada, three hours sitting was very difficult.
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Interesting that you mention radiculopathy verses neuropathy. Now I need to have a talk with my chiropractor and neurologist . I'm 74 and floundering around doing endless research and documenting my daily symptoms and food intake. When you have 15 minutes with a doctor, and they want to send you away with drugs and tell you "see you in 3 or 6 months", you know your screwed. My PC doctor calls me the "medicine minimalist" and I refuse to take Gabapentin. It's not pain, just a pain in butt to have tingling/numbness of feet and calves. Also I took time to learn what supplements to take when and with what. And I bought a scale that measures body composition, take my BP everyday. I take pictures of every crumb I ingest so that I can feel and see any changes in foot numbness, calf numbness, and this debilitating imbalance. I won't say dizziness. It's immediately misinterpreted as an inner ear problem. And on my own I asked to have an Insulin blood test and it was over the limits. 30.8 < 18. So I'm guessing there's insulin resistance, so I'm addressing this. 4 small meals within 9 hours then 15 hours fasting. No sugar, coffee, white refined flours and foods, no boxed or preserved or processed foods. And I had a chiropractic adjustment 2 days ago, and this morning the burning is almost gone. Our bodies are mysterious and miraculous. I'm losing 1/2 lb a day and drinking teas I made myself from the Quince Shrub and Mulberry tree growing in my organic gardens. I've intuited these leaves would help me and didn't know why. Trust yourself. Google benefits of Mulberry leaf and Quince leaf tea. My cardiologist is ignorant to anything I've told him about these teas. He wants to give me a drug for plaque. The ct scan shows some but nothing to be considered life threatening and I'm going to clear the plaque out myself. Lower cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL. I have a strict food plan and can't wait for the next blood work in December. I love this connect discussion board. Thanks for your insights and health journey. Linda pictures are crushing Quince leaves that I dried in a fine mesh bag and made my own teabags.