Muscle Atrophy in Legs - Can it Cause Difficulty Walking and Standing?

@gaboslastresort That's a long time with no answers. Some medications or combinations can cause the heavy legs you describe. Certainly, not having used them for six months is part of the atrophy issue as well.

Since most other causes have been ruled out, may I ask what meds and supplements you take? These may provide a clue.

in reply to @gaboslastresort Like the saying, "if you don't use it, you lose it." I mean no offense. I saw this happen with my demented friend who stopped walking, and as a result she can barely walk. Do you have any spinal issues that need to be diagnosed? For example, I have tarlov cysts in my sacral spine, which will be surgically removed at some point; as a result I am unable to sit more than 30 minutes without my legs going numb. I am very sorry that you are having a difficult time. Can you use a walking stick to support you on your walks, and try to increase the steps little by little?

I started with weakness in my lower legs a few months ago. I couldn't figure it out! I could barely push the foot rest down on the recliner and had to push it with my hands. My legs were stiff, weak and heavy feeling.

I was due cortisone injections from my Orthopedic doctor. Guess what? The cortisone injections took care of the weakness in my legs.....so that tells me, it is inflammation or perhaps coming from my arthritic knees. My doctor agrees. I have some exercises he gave me to strengthen my lower legs. I question if Long COVID has caused this as I have more inflammation since having COVID twice.

Wishing you the best with this and praying for you a good outcome. Blessings & Prayers....

Thanks for the response. I am only a 23 female and do not take any meds. All bloodwork and repeat panels the past few months have indicated normal, healthy levels. I know deficiencies in Vitamin D and B-12 can sometimes contribute to weakness, but mine are normal.

Thanks for the reply! I am just a 23 year old female and have never had any spinal issues or other health issues in general. I have done a lumbar and brain MRI, both clean. I got a cervical and thoracic spine MRI done last week, but awaiting results. As all my tests so far have come back normal, I feel like those MRIs also will, but we'll see.
I will try to start walking little by little each day and track my progress to see if that helps. I've just been scared/traumatized from past times I have tried, then ended up completely wiped out unable to do anything the next week.

Thank you for sharing. Interesting cortisone injections were enough to take care of the weakness! I too have wondered if I had Covid and that affected my legs/mobility, as I did get sick a little after this all started for me but I thought it was just a bad cold.

in reply to@gaboslastresort Have you given thought to one of those small stationary bikes that sits on the floor? They are not really a bicycle, but a small set of pedals that operate like a bicycle. This might help you build up your strength and you can "exercise" while sitting in a chair. Best of luck

Muscle is critical to our health and moving. Muscle loss makes it difficult to do what we want as our muscles weaken as we lose more and more.
I highly recommend getting a trainer to help you with the right exercises for your overall body, not just your legs.
It is not uncommon to see elderly people who look frail. They look frail because they have lost a lot of muscle. Muscle strength is critical to our longevity and being able to do what we want.

That's a good idea! I'll look into getting one and maybe just gradually add more minutes every couple days to build endurance that will hopefully translate to more endurance walking/standing.

I am wondering if you have any other symptoms of any kind that have gone along with this muscle weakness. Examples- severe fatigue, joint or muscle pain, hair loss, anything at all even if it seems unrelated. Have your muscle enzymes in blood been checked? These are specific tests that are not usually ordered. (CK, aldolase). These are elevated in muscle inflammation (myositis) which can cause muscle weakness and atrophy as the only symptom. It’s uncommon and may not have been thought of. General inflammation markers may also be helpful to provide a clue to cause. (Sed rate, CRP). I would get a copy of labs you have had and look for those or ask Dr if they have been done.
Doing what exercise your can is essential to prevent worsening and hopefully will improve your strength but I would not give up on searching for the cause. Have you seen a neuromuscular specialist who works with nerve and muscle disorders? That’s essential.