Please diagnose me

[lyrapie]

Hello 😊 Please can you diagnose my foot pain.

I have an intermittent burning pain starting at top of left foot which radiates up shin - sometimes to hip.

Sometimes it happens 4-5 times per hour. Sometimes 4-5 times per day.

It can happen when I am walking, sitting down or sleeping.

It leaves me with tingly numbness and weak toes. It is very painful.

I have seen 2 physios. The private one said diabetic neuropathy perhaps? Had bloods, not diabetic. The NHS one referred me for 2 scans;bone and soft tissue. Awaiting results.

Does this sound familiar to anyone and any ideas on exercises I can do to make it go away while I wait for scan results?

All suggestions gratefully received. 😊😊😊

@randomusername2019 I think you are right about misdiagnosis of fibro. It was always the diagnosis given when nothing else could be found. One thing I will add is that as a MHP I have seen a lot of people diagnosed with fibro, not one of them was male and all but one was 40+. Having gone through the menopause I suffered a lot with muscle and joint pain, HRT helped but not completely. Unfortunately after being diagnosed with breast cancer I am now taking hormone blockers. The pain I suffer both muscular and skeletal as a side effect can be very debilitating and is well documented. It’s difficult to say whether is is a direct result of the drug or the result of very low oestrogen and progesterone.
I take a number of supplements, magnesium, B12 and D3, deficiency of these minerals and vitamins are known agonists of skeletal, muscular and neurological pain. In addition I take antihistamines and a diuretic. Without the extras I struggle to function.
Fibro is most likely a complex combination of hormone and nutritional deficiency. And as such a complex problem to diagnose.
I have accepted that there is no definitive solution but hopefully in 3 yrs I can stop the hormone blockers and life will become easier. Most women taking hormone blockers for breast cancer have problems and up to 30% give up taking the drugs despite the increased risk of their cancer returning.
But it is an indication of how the loss of oestrogen affects our bodies and may be the underlying cause of fibro. The trouble with HRT is that absorption can be very variable and what works for one woman doesn’t for another.
All I know is that I when I wake up tomorrow, having taken a hormone blocker tonight, it will take an hour or two before the pain eases. Sometimes it doesn’t, currently I’m really struggling, but in a few weeks it may ease and I’ll enjoy an easier time. That may sound familiar to those with fibro.

Thanks all. Really interesting.

Don't worry @Surreyclaire, my primary guidance is from the NHS and am solidly working my way through the medical tests etc. It was a flippant headline. Do find other people's exleriences/perspectives re pain mgmt helpful though.

Unfortunately when I experienced some very new symptoms for me in 2012, I googled, then took a couple of weeks to see my GP as I was scared. So I can totally get OP’s need to find out what could be causing her symptoms. Google was 100% correct, in my case. Saw GP urgent referral to Neurologist, MRI, chest x ray, blood tests. Led to confirmed diagnosis of Transverse Myelitis, then told Neurologist thought it was an acute first attack of Multiple Sclerosis two years later Multiple Sclerosis, was confirmed after a further MS relapse. One of the most difficult times in my life was accepting I had MS, my children were very young at the time. My life has changed so much. Mobility is poor. But I get on with life and remain positive. Getting a quick diagnosis meant I could access disease modifying therapy, no cure for MS sadly.

@Roselilly36 So sorry to hear that. It must have been very worrying when you were diagnosed. I hope your modifications are supportive. Thanks for responding.