Left foot suddenly numb on top

[whimsicalmoon]

Hi everyone,

Looking for a hand hold and some advice as I'm sitting here on NYE alone in tears.

Basically have been through the mill this year mental and physical healthwise. Just a non-stop slog of issues that seem to have mostly resolved now, or managed. I have one more referral in January for what is suspected to be a breast cyst, and then I was hoping to finally get a long-awaited holiday in the sun. Except...

Two days ago, I suddenly felt very sick a couple of hours after lunch. Felt queasy and horrible and eventually vomited. I thought I'd feel better afterwards, that maybe lunch hadn't agreed with me (it was a bit sickly and I was stressed when eating it) but I kept vomiting for 4-5 hours. It was absolutely grim, couldn't keep anything down, vomiting up water, bile, etc. It eventually stopped around 9pm, and I was able to go to bed at 10pm and get a solid 10 hours' sleep. Woke up feeling very rough, obviously, weak, dizzy and headachey. Spent the day sipping water and eating dry crackers, woke up yesterday feeling quite a bit better but still very weak.

I was sitting on my laptop yesterday with both feet up on my computer chair (I know! Terrible for posture and will never do it again!) as I usually do, and I noticed that my left foot kept getting very numb, much more than usual. When I noticed, I put it on the floor, then subconsciously lifted it up again, and so on. Thought nothing of it, just assumed I was dehydrated and that was why. I went to bed and noticed that the top of my left foot was still numb and then started to panic and spiral a bit, googled some really terrifying things, and worried a lot. It felt the same in the morning when I woke up, but when I sat at my desk (with my feet on the floor!) I felt like a pulsing in my foot and pins and needles, as if circulation was returning, and I thought the numbness had improved a bit. However, it did feel weak, and I had trouble balancing on that foot and when I took the bin out, I had trouble walking. I could walk, but it felt strange, as if I consciously had to pick the foot up or something. Tried to think positive, and did some housework, and it seemed to be continuously getting better, but then sat down for an hour and it seemed to get worse again. Obviously now I'm totally focused on it and can't think of anything else, which isn't helping. Right now, when I poke at the top of the left foot with my nails, I can feel everywhere, so there's no actually completely numb area, but when I rub the top of my left foot with the heel of my right foot, it all feels a bit numb, if that makes sense? Doesn't feel normal, like when I rub my right foot with the heel of the left.

I still haven't eaten much at all - on flat Coke with ice, pints of water, crackers and bananas today, so haven't had a full meal since Thursday lunchtime when it all started. Planning to have some dry rice for dinner. Every other symptom I had yesterday is much, much better today, as I keep hydrating and having sugar, but now I have the foot thing!

I'm not in a great place mentally right now, not sure I can deal with any A&E (or if it would even justify going), and I'm wondering if there might be any chance that it's some minor thing, like dehydration combined with sitting in an awkward position too long, or if it's likely to be something terrible? I'm spiralling badly, as through everything I've experienced this year, the one thing that got me through it was walking, long walks around my area, hikes in the countryside, coastal walks, and the thought of not being able to walk has sent me into a terrible spiral.

Hey op, can you walk a few steps on your tip toes? Can you walk a few steps on just your heels? Do you have any back or leg pain or just numbness?

I had a similar numbness a few years ago, completely out of the blue. GP took a look and said that it was not blue and had no pre-existing conditions ie diabetes so it was just one of those things.

Took 4 days for the feeling to return. And I am still not convinced that it fully has.

Hopefully it will resolve itself soon.

Tip toes yes, heels, the left foot drops :( Is that really bad? :((( I was feeling like it might all be OK until I tried this.

No back or leg pain.

@whimsicalmoon

Are you in the UK? Can you ring 111?

Chances are, you're fine, but you're past being able to calmly assess that
And if it is something serious, the sooner it's dealt with, the better

let us know what they say, and in the meantime, drink some water slowly, and make sure you're relaxing your shoulders down and breathing steadily

AND STAY OFF GOOGLE

So I'm pretty sure that this is some degree of foot drop. I had a slipped disc at L4 a year ago, which I'd apparently recovered well from, and from my research on Google, this numbness and inability to walk on my heels corresponds to that. I'm guessing that the combo of the dehydration from the vomiting on Thursday and my poor posture last night and the fact I'd been bending over the loo every 20 minutes for several hours all came together to cause this. I've been trying to convince myself it's getting better and that the more I walk, the better it gets, but I cannot walk on my heels at all. I can move my toes upwards with my feet on the ground if that counts for anything.

I'm in floods of tears. I've made it through the past year, all the health issues, all the bereavements, all the misery, dreaming about my sabbatical, and now I'm going to have to cancel it, aren't I? I've gone from researching which Canary island to go to in January to wondering if I'm ever going to walk normally again. I was so hoping last night that it was just a bit of numbness caused by dehydration, and that it would resolve itself, but that seems very unlikely if I can't walk on my heels. I've done a few of my back exercises that I got from my initial slipped disc, and my foot feels weird and weak.

I can't get over my bad luck. I don't understand what I've done to deserve all this. Is there any chance at all of resolving it quickly or am I just completely fucked? I'm sobbing my heart out. I was so hoping this would be some silly non-issue. How did I go from my foot feeling a bit numb to this?

You're catastrophising. call 111 - you'll feel better when you take some action, although I expect this is a same-day GP appointment when they reopen

Love, no one on hear can tell you with certainty what's going on.

Please ring 111 and get some proper advice. It could be lots of things, many that aren't serious but it could equally be something that will only improve with prompt medical treatment. For example I have sciatica and it can make my foot feel a bit funny.

Do you think there's any hope? One of my hobbies is salsa dancing. Right now I can't even do the basic steps because my foot just isn't moving fast enough. The thought of not being able to do any of my hobbies is devastating. I'd happily give up my entire sabbatical and work 7 days a week for the next six months to be able to walk and dance without feeling like my foot is made of lead.

I have managed to get an appointment for next week, but I'm feeling extremely sad and low and worried.

Do you think it's a good sign at all that the numbness is turning more into pins and needles and that I'm finding it easier to balance on the bad foot than I was earlier? Or am I grasping at straws? When I initially slipped the disc, they did all the tests like telling me to raise my toes and walk on tip toes and said it was very good that I had no feet/leg issues, so I imagine this is not great at all.

I've managed to get an appt Tuesday morning at my GP. I was thinking I wouldn't be seen much sooner if I rang 111, with it being NYE. My main worry was that it was some dreadful rare paralysis. I was shocked when I was unable to walk on my heels, as I wouldn't have even thought to try that, but it now makes sense that it's a nerve issue

Should I still ring 111?

Good going arranging the GP visit! I do think you should call 111 snd get their opinion. You should never worry alone! Altigether these dymptoms are concerning so if ghey send you to A and E just just a bag and go.

I don't think I could stomach it on NYE on my own honestly. My mental health is battered. I've seen more of the hospital than anywhere else this year. I've gone from looking forward to a quiet, chilled NYE alone with wine and Netflix to accepting that I'd be on water and crackers but at least relaxing at home, to this.

Everyone I asked IRL told me I was being paranoid and that there's no way they'd consider going to A&E or making a GP appointment over something like this unless it went on for ages, so good to know I'm not crazy anyway. I have to say I was hoping to be reassured and told I was being silly and to give it a few days but I know deep down something is wrong :(

Gp appt is spot on op, that’s great news that your balance is already feeling better. These symptoms can quickly resolve as mysteriously as they started, but chat it over with your gp on Tues if they are still there.

You’ve pinched a nerve or something. If it was serious it wouldn’t improve that quickly. You’re catastrophising and worrying, and anxiety can cause these symptoms too.

I hate that answer - "anxiety can cause xyz!"

It's so dismissive and reductive.

@whimsicalmoon maybe wait until tomorrow and if it's still mot right give them a ring?

I'm not saying this is what you have but I've done these stretches for sciatica and they have helped!

https://www.healthline.com/health/exercises-for-peripheral-neuropathy

It's still not great! There's definitely some real weakness in my foot. I can raise my toes up when sitting down and I can do it with difficulty when standing, but if I press my left foot over my right to give some resistance, I can easily lift my right foot - the strength is perfect. If I ty the same with my left foot, it's very difficult. I still can't walk on the left heel. I think there might be some improvement, but not a lot. The top of my left foot still feels numb. I'm still crying and miserable and so anxious, but thanks everyone for your advice and support. I appreciate it a lot.

I mean, it hasn't really improved? It's got worse since last night. It started off as a bit of numbness, and I now have weakness in the foot. I think it's better than it was this morning, but it's way off normal.

"Pinching a nerve" can be quite serious from what I understand. I think that's what it is, but it doesn't mean it's nothing!

Yes and also largely not true! I know this isn't anxiety, I've done tests myself that show that my foot is weak :( I've got an appointment in a couple of days. Hopefully that won't be too late.

Thanks for the stretches - I've been neglecting my back with everything I've had going on! I had a good recovery from the initial slipped disc so didn't keep up with exercises like I should have. Did you have the same issues as me?

I didn't have numbness but had horrible burning pain down the back of my leg, pins and needles, it felt weaker than the other leg and it did make me very anxious too! Stretches, walking and heat on my sciatic area really helped.