Leg Weakness and Mobility Issues

Here is a link to a tool that can help you find the rough amounts of glutamate (also glutamic acid and glutamine) in foods. (The body typically can convert glutamate into these substances when it does not need glutamate to function at that moment and transfer it back into glutamine etc when it does not-- but in my case somehow this "shut off switch" is not working properly). I am severely simplifying this process and I am not an expert in this! This is very complicated stuff.

I have printed out a list for each food group and studied it so that I can gauge my glutamate intake a little better. You'll notice that the meats and cheeses and fermented veggies are at the highest levels. If you need to remain on a high protein diet, perhaps there is a way to choose high protein foods with lower levels of glutamate? Also, maybe take a look at how often you consume foods that are cooked for long periods, especially tomato sauces and slow cooked meats? Fermented veggies? Broths? Just thoughts and certainly something to ask a professional about!!

Here is the tool:
https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrient-ranking-tool/glutamic-acid/fish/highest
I too had been keeping on a high protein food diet because I did not want muscle wasting when I could not walk well (but it is hard not to have muscle wasting when you cannot move as you like). I was not choosing lower glutamate proteins and I think that was the biggest part of my problem. So, I continue to explore and expand my diet as much as I can. I hope this chart/tool helps. Maybe bring printouts to a dietician? I wish you all the best!

Hi! I’m a 23F. Since mid-January, I have been experiencing symptoms in my legs including weakness down both legs, decreased range of motion, and lack of endurance which inhibits my ability to walk distances longer than a minute or stand for a couple minutes without getting fatigued/feeling like I just ran a marathon. As a result, I no longer drive. I also struggle getting down/up from the ground due to decreased range of motion/flexibility and can only go up the stairs one by one with my left leg leading and hold a rail going down one step at a time. These symptoms have significantly impacted my daily life.

Some background is I was having bad anxiety/consistent panic attacks in Dec/start of Jan. In mid January I did a Pilates workout targeting the legs (tons of squat variations including pulsing, calf raises, etc) and I instantly knew I overdid it when my legs were shaky and stairs were tough right after. Everyone has overdone it before, but it typically always resolves itself. For me, it became extreme DOMS, I had a heavy sensation as if bricks were weighing my legs down, and even lightly pressing my legs hurt. Probably irrelevant but I also got a really bad cold around that time. It’s as if my body freaked out with everything and somehow turned the DOMS into weakness that never got better.

Since then, I have seen a neurologist, rheumatologist, orthopedic dr., musculoskeletal dr., and primary and urgent care. All are stumped and don’t know what’s going on, saying it’s an unusual presentation and weird I have no other symptoms.

I have had an MRI on my lumbar spine and brain which were both clean and rule out MS. My EMG/nerve conduction came back normal. I have gotten lots of blood drawn 4 different times and everything is in normal range. From my autoimmune blood panel, only my ANA was positive (abnormal), but my neurologist said women often are positive even though they don’t have autoimmune disease. Mine was a speckled pattern and titer was only 1:80.

Since mid-February, I have been going to physical therapy 1-2 times a week and have seen slow, small improvements, but still not close to where I was before all this.

Since I struggle with walking a normal pace/cannot walk far before my legs feel completely wiped out, I only average about 1,000 steps a day if even, and my legs (especially my right which is worse), have visible muscle atrophy.

Any thoughts/suspicions on what's going on? Could my symptoms simply be caused by my lack of use and get better if I gradually start moving more or have someone stretch my legs each day? Or is it some rare autoimmune disease that got triggered from the leg workout/bad anxiety I was dealing with in January? Or does it sounds more like a muscular condition? Thank you in advance, I just want my life back.

Hi! I’m a 23F. Since mid-January, I have been experiencing symptoms in my legs including weakness down both legs, decreased range of motion, and lack of endurance which inhibits my ability to walk distances longer than a minute or stand for a couple minutes without getting fatigued/feeling like I just ran a marathon. As a result, I no longer drive. I also struggle getting down/up from the ground due to decreased range of motion/flexibility and can only go up the stairs one by one with my left leg leading and hold a rail going down one step at a time. These symptoms have significantly impacted my daily life.

Some background is I was having bad anxiety/consistent panic attacks in Dec/start of Jan. In mid January I did a Pilates workout targeting the legs (tons of squat variations including pulsing, calf raises, etc) and I instantly knew I overdid it when my legs were shaky and stairs were tough right after. Everyone has overdone it before, but it typically always resolves itself. For me, it became extreme DOMS, I had a heavy sensation as if bricks were weighing my legs down, and even lightly pressing my legs hurt. Probably irrelevant but I also got a really bad cold around that time. It’s as if my body freaked out with everything and somehow turned the DOMS into weakness that never got better.

Since then, I have seen a neurologist, rheumatologist, orthopedic dr., musculoskeletal dr., and primary and urgent care. All are stumped and don’t know what’s going on, saying it’s an unusual presentation and weird I have no other symptoms.

I have had an MRI on my lumbar spine and brain which were both clean and rule out MS. My EMG/nerve conduction came back normal. I have gotten lots of blood drawn 4 different times and everything is in normal range. From my autoimmune blood panel, only my ANA was positive (abnormal), but my neurologist said women often are positive even though they don’t have autoimmune disease. Mine was a speckled pattern and titer was only 1:80.

Since mid-February, I have been going to physical therapy 1-2 times a week and have seen slow, small improvements, but still not close to where I was before all this.

Since I struggle with walking a normal pace/cannot walk far before my legs feel completely wiped out, I only average about 1,000 steps a day if even, and my legs (especially my right which is worse), have visible muscle atrophy.

Any thoughts/suspicions on what's going on? Could my symptoms simply be caused by my lack of use and get better if I gradually start moving more or have someone stretch my legs each day? Or is it some rare autoimmune disease that got triggered from the leg workout/bad anxiety I was dealing with in January? Or does it sounds more like a muscular condition? Thank you in advance, I just want my life back.

Are you by chance taking gabapentin for pain/neuropathy? After only 3 days taking 100mg 2x daily, My legs became so week I could hardly move. I came off thd gabapenyion immediately and was much better within 2 weeks. Hope you are feeling better. Always be aware of new medications.

I used to take gabapentin and it gave a little more time on feet. However it felt like it was destroying my brain and bones. I feel pretty decent this morning. I have my compression socks on which really quiets the pins and needles. I quit taking my cholesterol medicine awhile back as it can lead to neuropathy. I do drink whole clove and ginger tea with a cinnamon stick. Fresh lemon water is in my sole water drink. All those things should help my blood flow. I will know next blood work which is not for awhile.

I was just prescribed 300mg day of gabapentin at night nerve pain in leg. I alreadt have memory fog and would prefer to not have any more. My Dr. said this was a low dose. How much were you taking that caused you issues?

I was prescribed 300mg twice a day if needed. I would take 300 at night. Same thing, one pill and brain made me feel completely off mentally. Made me very tired. My bones started to feel like they were decaying. I went on/off of this medication for several months until I completely said NO more.