Neuropathy and feet feeling heavy.

NJed your comment about having flippers for feet is what I tell people about my feet. They just flip around when they are naked! It’s really hard for others who have never heard of neuropathy or dropped feet to understand how this can happen to them. I, myself, have trouble understanding this at times! Hugs and all the best.

Where does one get the AFOs? Physical Therapist or other? Good that you can walk without a walker even if you walk funny. A neighbor used to walk without a walker given her neuropathy and walked like she had flippers on. Unfortunately she passed away. I don't know why she passed away.

My AFOs (ankle foot orthosis) came from the hospital I was in when I was ill with neuropathy. I am from Canada so if you are an American you may not be able to get them this way. I would ask your physiotherapist about this, if you have one. If not, get your doctor to refer you to one. They work very well for weak ankles and for foot support. I also use the Billy shoe which accommodates the AFO so well. They are zippered along the side and the toe so getting into these is so easy. The whole top of the shoe opens up and you just put the AFO in along with your foot. Hope this helps you! Hugs and all the best!

Good am!
I’m going to add a bit to your string of comments, if that’s ok?

I was dx with late onset MS at age 65 in 2015. I presented with a tingling/buzzing sensation in my torso and a “tightness” in my feet. I was evaluated by a neurologist and prescribed gabapentin 3x’s daily and the use of Avonex, an intramuscular self injected autoimmune modulator.

In 2018 I was dx with bladder cancer. Was seen and appropriate treatment was/is provided.

In 2020 I was dx with breast cancer. Eval, lumpectomy, chemo and then radiation.

After chemotherapy my feet began to feel worse and I experienced additional tightness and numbness up my left leg to my knee and some numbness on the right. I describe it thus, “I feel like my feet are wrapped in duct tape, tight, rough and scratchy and my leg feels like I’m wearing a shin guard. The pattern is up the outside of my calf and around to my shin and just under my knee.”

Everyone except the neurologist seems to think there no connection with chemotherapy to breast and this PN condition and more likely it is the MS. Very hard to know since MS can be all over the place. I am still freely ambulatory, though my balance can be a bit off and I do experience that “heavy foot” and leg sensation, but very little pain. I do get the occasional nerve “zap” and the “crawling” under the skin sensation. I have been on 1800 mg of gabapentin since 2015 (built up, of course), but I’m not sure what it’s actually doing because I haven’t gone off of it to see the change it makes…I am made aware that there is little to do for the neuropathy except to 1) live with it & 2) treat symptoms with whatever prescribed agents are available or 3) find something that makes you as comfortable as possible, which may mean medical intervention, PT, etc.

Thanks for your time.

Feeling heavy on your foot/leg? For me is is heave cause the feeling is cone, if I walk too long… is there anything can help me? No. Soon I’m going to another doctor and fix or, at least, can check what’s in there. Another doctor was look*ng close to the bottom of my butt found a nevrve (sp?) right next or on was liked “glued” on my leg muscle/bone.