numb foot. Any idea what might cause this?

[Kenworthington]

Ive noticed a few days ago that the side back of my foot (iykwim!) towards the heel is numb, it's not pins and needles but that weird rubbery sensation to touch (like when you e had an anaesthetic), After a couple days it now seems to have spread to include the underneath of my heel and I've noticed the other foot feels the same.

Ive not knocked it or had any other injury to either foot, but I am overweight (bmi says borderline obese but at 5'9 and a size 16 I don't really look it). Does anyone else have any thing like this orang idea what it may be? I guess I'll see the gp at some point, currently it doesn't seem to affect my walking but I guess at some point it will if it continues to get worse. Dr Google isn't helping ME out with this- can you???

I think it's called peripheral neuropathy. It can have many causes but basically it's disruption to either the nerves or the blood supply to the foot.

Not a medic; I think you might be best to go and see your doctor, I don't think it's an unusual thing by any means but it's good to know what's causing it.

Ok, thanks I'll look that up. Wonder what causes that? Does it just affect feet I wonder or also fingers/hands?

I think that would depend on what was causing it - there are some things that can affect both and some seem just to be feet.

Maybe a compressed nerve or something like that? I also wondered about Reynauds syndrome but I know even less about that one

Its defnitely not Raynauds. That is vascular, this is neurological. See your GP, it could be any number of things.

Appointment booked for weds. I now appear to have it spreading to my hand and also my face . Bit scared now actually

This is a really random thought- I stopped smoking last weds (after 25 years ) and have been vaping. Could it be the vaping causing it??????

It could be a vitamin b12 deficiency.

Could be as simple as anxiety OP. Stopping smoking can do that, particularly if you used smoking as an emotional crutch.

Hmm I dunno. Maybe. I don't feel anxious (although now I'm a bit anxious due to the weird symptoms!), smoking for me was definitely habit more than anything, I mena I was addicted obviously but I smoked at certain times and places iykwim, like driving the car or walking to school. I've also cut right back on my alcohol consumption , I recently turned 40 and it's all been a big wake up call to sort myself out. And now this. Bloody typical!

I meant to add that up til maybe December I had had symptoms of anxiety (racing heart being the main and obvious thing), but since I dropped the wine I've actually had no problems at all.

I have peripheral neuropathy as part of a neurological illness - there really are 1001 reasons you could have this, but the pattern of feet, then hands and face is common to lots of different things. Mine turned out to be a immunological syndrome but it can be anything from stress to B12 to any number of rare things - some quite scary so beware of Dr Google!

If you can remember, write down when the symptoms started in different parts of your body. Also are you dizzy/unsteady on your feet, unusually tired, have pins and needles or tingling or anything else unusual?

If its been spreading you really want a referral to a neurologist and Id expect your GP to want blood tests for e.g BVit deficiencies, but you do need to be seen by a specialist (my dh is a GP and had never heard of whats wrong with me!!).

Hopefully its something common and easily treated. Feel free to ask me any questions though, Ive been investigated for an awful lot of stuff!!

Thanks weegiemum, yeah Dr Google has thrown up loads of stuff! Other symptoms, well it's hard to know whether things are connected, longer term I have had bladder and bowel problems and often extremely fatigued, recentry have been quite dizzy physically and a bit kind of woolly in the head- forgetting stuff, not bein able to find words Etx it's difficlut to know if these all combine to point to one thing. On and off I've been to the doctor a lot with odd thinks and rarely turns out to be anything. They prob think I'm a total hypochondriac 😩 fortunately the doctor I'm seeing on weds is a locum so won't be annoyed with me. The thing is I never go about run of the mill stuff cos well what's the point?! I always seem to need 'investigating'!!!

If it carries on getting worse quite quickly, perhaps you ought to get an emergency appointment tomorrow rather than wait till Weds?

Yes I shall see how it goes tomorrow and if much worse I'll see if I can get seen

I would definitely mention the dizziness - with me, I ended up in A&E as I couldn't stand upright (hadn't been to my GP as I don't like doctors - yes I see the irony given Dh's profession!). I began to get very wooly in the head at this point as well, real brain fog!

Like dodo says though, keep an eye overnight and if its getting significantly worse, affects your tongue or swallowing or strength in your limbs, or opening and closing your eyes then ring ooh or go to A&E, as these symptoms mean it is something more serious than just B12 for example.

Take care.

Sounds like plantar fasciitis

It's actually very common - more so in women apparently. I have it too - it started when I began line-dancing, despite the fact that I walk a lot - but I am 3 stone overweight.

I haven't been to the doctor's about it - too difficult to get an appt

Isn't plantar fasciitis painful? This isn't painful at all. Just numb. And also not just in my feet now 😩

But if, as you say it has spread to hands and face and pins and needles then it's not PF - though the dizzyness & numbness could well be anxiety as pp say.

PF can be painful - especially in the mornings - but it isn't always.

I have cauda equina syndrome I have numbness in lower half of body due to nerve damage but I'm also type 2 diabetic I'm sure the doc will know .

anxiety could be causing some of it plus it could be something as simple as a vitamin deficiency weirdly my hands go numb when im dehydrated so drink more water?

Gosh the body's a funny old thing isn't it! Thanks all, I'll update when I've been to the doctor

How did you get on at the doctor, OP?