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Trouble walking

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
I went to the shops with my wife today. Not a long walk but alot for me from the nearest carpark. When I got there I started having problems with my right leg. It was sort of dragging behind - I couldn't fully lift it, and it was hard to bend it. I think the muscles were all tensed kind of locking it straight. Had to abandon the trip. Very disconcerting. Anyone else experienced this?
 
Messages
15,786
Yes, though for me it's just muscles that stop functioning, not locking up. Usually with walking it only affects some muscles, so I stagger around like a sailor. But I've also had a major leg-lifting muscle give out for an hour or two while I was on an airplane, after having to walk way too much in the airport.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
I mentioned it to my GP today, when I went in to have something else non-ME related, checked out.
He checked my reflexes on my legs. Interestingly he struggled to get a response out of my right knee. I was lying down with legs straight. Hit it with the hammer about a dozen times without a responce. Left knee - first time.

Then he tried me sitting up with my legs hanging over and my right knee crossed over my left one. That worked, got a response.

He said that he couldnt really be sure what had caused it, and told me that they would need to have to investigate it if it happened again, but that it might be a one off for some unknown reason.

Fair enough, I think. But still, seemed odd that my knee didnt react to the hammer at first.
 

penny

Senior Member
Messages
288
Location
Southern California
I used to get something similar too. When I was tired/overexerting, sometimes it would feel like I'd reach a 'breaking point' and my legs would stop working normally. I described it to my husband as feeling like the muscles in my legs just weren't getting the messages from my brain to move, though I think the first time I really noticed it being bad I was with a family member with a MS like disease so I might have been translating my experience through that model. I could still walk some when this would happen though I would have to lean quite heavily on my husband (which I don't typically do when walking) and basically just try to make it to the nearest sitting position (preferably the car). It was scary.

I haven't had this symptom in a while. I guess it improved with my general improvement, not sure if it was related to a specific treatment (b vitamins, ldn, ...) or what though.

Good luck Snowathlete.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
That used to be a common symptom for me when my ME was very neurological (with just the one leg, in my case the left leg). Fortunately I havent had that symptom now for a while. Watch out, its very easity to trip and fall when a leg is being like dragged behind like that.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
thanks for the replies. Im at the point where i think i need to get a stick or something to help me with walking.
But im going to try and hold off on that if i can - im only in my early 30s. Im seeing Proff Meirleir in January and will be trying a treatment hopefully, so i will see how that goes first, if i can.
 

Marco

Grrrrrrr!
Messages
2,386
Location
Near Cognac, France
Same here.

When I've been overdoing it, physically or mentally, just before I fully crash I develop a limp in my right leg only and my walking overall slows to a very slow crawl/stagger.

Like penny said it feels to me as if the messages from my brain are just not getting through. Other times I have really no difficulty at all walking.

Overdoing things leads to everything just shutting down.
 

taniaaust1

Senior Member
Messages
13,054
Location
Sth Australia
thanks for the replies. Im at the point where i think i need to get a stick or something to help me with walking.
But im going to try and hold off on that if i can - im only in my early 30s. Im seeing Proff Meirleir in January and will be trying a treatment hopefully, so i will see how that goes first, if i can.

Think about getting yourself a cane chair (like a stick/cane which folds down into seat ) so you can also then sit down also when needed. Many of us are using things such as this. My cane chair was quite cheap ($25-$30)
mycanechair.jpg