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I'm a nurse, so I've always had a job that requires me to be on my feet. About 9-10 months ago, I noticed that when I got tired of walking, my left leg and foot started bothering me. My foot gets so bad that I can't physically move my ankle at all to pick up my foot. As I swing my leg around, I'm basically just slapping my foot on the ground, if I haven't just tripped over it from dragging on the ground, and this movement also causes too much stress on my knee (which has been hurting occasionally the past few months). I just started a new job two weeks ago, and it's at a bigger hospital than my last (although I was only there 4 months and the previous place was just as big as where I'm at now). Between my terrible balance and my bum leg, I am such a hazard to myself just getting up anymore. Yesterday I went to stand up and my leg gave out. This has been happening a lot lately, only yesterday I couldn't catch myself and I fell at work. I lied to my coworkers and said I didn't know how it happened because it all happened so quickly. The honest truth is I think my symptoms are getting worse. I need a new neurologist, and the soonest one can get me in is 6 weeks, after I get a referral from my last one I saw, and it's not easy to get anything accomplished when I call her office. Hopefully my third neurologist will be the answer for me because the first two have been terrible (the first referred to my symptoms as minor when they're not to me and the second totally ignored every symptom I told her about, even when I told her I wanted to do something about it). I've read that regular daily exercise can help you increase your distance, and I've also just started a new low saturated fat diet. Is there anything else I can do to help maximize my walking ability? If anything, it seems this new job has only made it worse. I feel like it's only a matter of time before people notice my disability and I end up getting fired over it. I'm single and live alone, so it's not like I have anyone to depend on to pay the bills if I can't. I know that stress only makes things worse, but it's hard not to stress about it every day as I'm constantly bumping into the wall as I walk down the hall to leave work because I'm tired and my balance is very poor.

I'm so sorry to hear that things have not improved, Jamie. As I tried to explain to your earlier post, I think such symptoms as you describe are initiated by excess insulin, specifically insulin resistance in the skeletal muscles. I encourage you to see an endocrinologist (or your GP) and ask for #1 a test of your cortisol level, #2 thyroid testing – TSH, Free T4, Free T3, Total T3, Reverse T3, and antithyroid antibodies, most important: #3 a fasting blood INSULIN test.

If you (as a nurse?) have had a vaccination against tuberculosis (BCG vaccine) or numerous TB skin tests (Mantoux test) – the skin tests use tuberculin derivative PPD (purified protein derivative), I urge you also to request a blood test for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (This bacterium is weakened in the vaccination; Dr. Denise Faustman of Harvard University believes the TB vaccine causes the pancreas to increase production of insulin.)

If your physician diagnoses insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome or even type II diabetes (based on test results), he may prescribe metformin, which seems to help some people.

If you are found to have BCG in your bloodstream, perhaps the appropriate antibiotic would help. There is an antibiotic forum here at ThisIsMS that you may find interesting – again, some people have reported improvement with antibiotics.

All the best to you.

Thanks for the info. I know I don't have an issue with my thyroid because I've had it checked recently. As for the other tests, once I get my insurance card in the mail, I'll have to look into. I've never heard that about the TB skin test before, but I do get them every year. This year, I've had three though and I'm about to get one more. Unfortunately though, my symptoms started long before I decided to make a career out of switching jobs. I am going to continue eating healthy and doing whatever I can to make things better. Hopefully things are about to change.

lostgrl85 wrote:Is there anything else I can do to help maximize my walking ability?

I've been using Ampyra (the MS walking drug) for about a week now, and am pleased with the increased stamina and strength I feel in my lower body.

You might consider giving it a try.

--Tracy