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I Have Had A Lot Of Issues Handling Stress ,
Question: I have had a lot of issues handling stress, but my most recent problem, I'm not sure if it is a symptom of how I handle stress, but I am a bit over weight and have had numbness in my thighs. It has been off and on but I started a new job and the numbness has increased and also feels like a burning in my thighs. It can be very painful with shooting pangs of pain.
Brief Answer:
maybe peripheral neuropathy, different possible causes
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Though stress can worsen or cause certain symptoms, numbness, burning and shooting pain, can be due to different causes.
Numbness, burning and shooting pain are commonly due to abnormal function of the nerves that supply the area. This abnormal function of the nerves is called neuropathy.
It can be temporary or permanent.
The nerves that supply the thighs and legs come from the lower back.
Some of the most common reasons for neuropathy include: (1) trauma to the nerves- eg arthritis or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the passage way) of the spine or any other changes to the bones of the back . An x ray or other imaging of the spine such as MRI, would probably be the first type investigation that need to be done.
2)diabetes- high blood sugar from diabetes can cause damage to the nerves
(3)liver or kidney disease- blood tests can determine if there are any issues here
(4)thyroid disease
(5)infection such as shingles
(6)neurological conditions such as ms, stroke- these are not as likely
(7)side effect of medication
(8)exposure to toxins
(9)autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus
(10)low levels of vitamin b 12 and folate
An x ray or imaging of the back, along with some bloods (checking for diabetes, complete blood count , ESR (checks for inflammation in the body), thyroid test, kidney and liver function tests)- can be done to determine the exact cause
There are meds that can help nerve related pain eg amitriptyline, tegretol, lyrica, gabapentin
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
maybe peripheral neuropathy, different possible causes
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Though stress can worsen or cause certain symptoms, numbness, burning and shooting pain, can be due to different causes.
Numbness, burning and shooting pain are commonly due to abnormal function of the nerves that supply the area. This abnormal function of the nerves is called neuropathy.
It can be temporary or permanent.
The nerves that supply the thighs and legs come from the lower back.
Some of the most common reasons for neuropathy include: (1) trauma to the nerves- eg arthritis or spinal stenosis (narrowing of the passage way) of the spine or any other changes to the bones of the back . An x ray or other imaging of the spine such as MRI, would probably be the first type investigation that need to be done.
2)diabetes- high blood sugar from diabetes can cause damage to the nerves
(3)liver or kidney disease- blood tests can determine if there are any issues here
(4)thyroid disease
(5)infection such as shingles
(6)neurological conditions such as ms, stroke- these are not as likely
(7)side effect of medication
(8)exposure to toxins
(9)autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus
(10)low levels of vitamin b 12 and folate
An x ray or imaging of the back, along with some bloods (checking for diabetes, complete blood count , ESR (checks for inflammation in the body), thyroid test, kidney and liver function tests)- can be done to determine the exact cause
There are meds that can help nerve related pain eg amitriptyline, tegretol, lyrica, gabapentin
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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