Hello, I am a 64 year old woman. I am about 70 lbs. overweight. I have had 2 vitreous detachments in the past year, one resulting in a torn retina.
I had arthoscopic surgery on left knee 4 years ago. I get cortisone shots in knees 2-3 times a year. Several years ago I had traveling burning pain in one finger joint for a few months, which would then disappear and being in another finger joint; it then disappeared and has not reocurred. About 3 years ago I started having numbness in the front of my thigh when standing or walking slowly for too long of a period, which would disappear when I sat down. It has not occured in the past 2 months.
I have stomach digestive difficulties; my Dr. said it is consistent with IBS, except that it is not frequent enough for that diagnosis.
I have been on anti-depressants for about 20 years, Effexor for the past several years 150 mg a day. I have been on Losartan HCTZ 25 mg. a day for about 3 years. I take about 1500 mg fish oil a day. I use 2 tbsp. ground flax seed a day.
I get my blood glucose tested every year, most recently 10 months ago, and it is normal.
My cholesterol is high but my Dr. does not recommend medication for that. I have lab work once a year, and except for the cholesterol, everything is always normal.
In the last several months, I seem to have had a reoccurence in hot flashes, which I thought had finished about 5 years ago. (last period was at age 54.) I also have had a bit of a reoccurence in migraine headaches, which also had tapered off to almost none after menopause.
My complaint today is a feeling of slipping, as if I'm stepping on ice, in my left foot, when I walk on hard surfaces. This started about 10 days ago. At first I thought it was anxiety, as I've struggled with this all my adult life. (Controlled with the medication and counseling.) But I realized it is not anxiety. My mother was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in her 70s.
I almost forgot the worst symptom! My hair has been thinning on the crown for several years, my hairdresser is now recommending rogaine!
Where do I start? What lab tests should I have? Could there be a connection between the thinning hair, the numbness etc. in thigh and foot?
Thank you