Question regarding tripping while walking.

[Tech2237]

Recently I have noticed that my left ankle is kinda sore and when I walk something feel "off" like I am putting more effort into pulling my toes up on my left foot while walking. In the last three weeks I have noticed that on occasion after taking a step, on the swing back down, my toes make contact with the ground first, right below me. Like when I swing my leg to step, my toes are lower than my heel. I hit the bottom of the sole at my toes on the ground, but not the front of my shoe, like stubbing a toe. It doesnt cause me to fall or stumble, but I certainly notice it.

I can still walk on my heels, and toes no problem. I seem to have full range of motion and have no trouble with stairs. The stubbing has only happened maybe 10-15 times but I have been very aware becuase of the odd feeling from that foot. Is this something I should make a follow up appointment with the nuerologist for?

I have had blood work and a nerve study done 4 months ago. On my left leg they taped wires to the outside of my skin on top of my foot and leg and shocked me. They only inserted needles into my skin on the other leg which hasn't had any issues. Regardless, the blood work and nerve study both came back normal. I have had wide spread twitches and was told BFS. The twitching hasn't gotten any worse or more frequent on my left leg.

If I should go back to the neuro please let me know. I am not sure if what I am describing is considered early foot drop, or something that I only notice because I have been freaked out due to the muscle twitches.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has the time to reply.

God bless!

 

[Tech2237]

I guess I should add, if a trip to the Neuro isnt nessessary, I'd obiviously like to know for piece of mind, but I also don't have the best insurance, so its expensive for me to go.

 

[notme]

Start with your GP. He can tell you if you need to be tested further. But--if your tests were fine a few months ago, it's likely they are fine now as well.

EMG/NCV are about 2k out of pocket--so definitely start with the GP. Loss of use is the most common sign you'd be expecting in ALS. With a weak leg from ALS, I doubt you'd be able to walk on your toes or your heels, but I'm certainly no doctor.

 

[Tech2237]

OK, so does my description sound like foot drop then? If so I'll go strait to the neuro if I am going to end up there anyway. I wouldn't need a referal since I've seen her already.

 

[notme]

I can't diagnose anything--but I wouldn't waste money on a neuro when a GP is perfectly capable of knowing if what they see when you walk is foot drop or not.

When my foot acts up--I hit the top of my toes--and more often than not--fall over.

 

[Tech2237]

Thanks notme. Is that how it presented itself initially? Was walking on your heels difficult?

 

[Alyoop]

I think you should see your pcp as well. These things can develop overtime, so don't rush back to your neurologist if you have to pay. Just wait and see if the tripping gets worse, or goes away. You may find that as you get on with your life and cease to concentrate on the tripping, it doesn't happen anymore. If it does in 6 months then you can get another opinion.

 

[Tokahfang]

If you haven't actually tripped and fell yet, it's not worth going to a neuro. You won't show anything new on your clinical evaluation.

 

[notgivnup]

My first symptom of footdrop besides tripping ocasionaly was a slapping sound of my foot when I walked that in no way could I stop no mater how hard I tried, and it was getting hard to walk. I was puzzled till my PT told me I had foot drop.

 

[trfogey]

Try wearing a different style of shoes. Certain shoe styles, especially shoes with pointed toes or thick, platform type soles used to do that to me back in my wayward, fashion-chasing youth.

And, yes, you are only noticing this because your BFS has you feeling paranoid about the possibility of ALS, even though they are completely unrelated medical conditions. Your worst health threat right now is anxiety, which makes your BFS symptoms worse, which raises your anxiety, which makes your BFS symptoms worse, and on and on and on.....

Spend less time reading here and more time reading at a b o u t B F S dot c o m. That's the condition you have and that's the online site where you'll get the appropriate support that you need.

 

[Tech2237]

I actually wear the same shoes I have been wearing for years, (for work) so nothing has changed for foot wear. I wear low top romeo leather boots.

Your absolutely right, I need to spend less time trying to self diagnose myself via the internet. I just got freaked because the tripping issue recently began.

I think the reason I have such anxiety is my grandfather died from alzheimers and undiagnosed parkinsons disease. (unrelated to ALS I know)

He lived on a farm with my grandmother who is blind due to macular degeneration. The doctors felt he would suffer a great setback if he were to be moved to a facility so I spent from age 15 to 18 working every weekend and all summer long to keep the place up so they could continue to live there. I watched him go from a strong man who I deeply respected to not being able to do a thing for himself. It really broke my heart.

My mother was adopted so I am not concerned of inheriting parkinsons. I think the fear of all my symptoms just hits me due to things I've never gotten over from when I was younger. Thanks to google, muscle twitches point directly to ALS.

Being that I had a nerve study in Feburary and it was clean, that should mean I can't have foot drop. I think I've read here that the EMG machine can find abnormalities long before they manifest into physical symptoms, right? If thats the case, I guess I have nothing to worry about. I just get fearful when my body does things abnormal, or doesnt do things its supposed to.

I honestly mean no disrespect or any harm to anyone here by asking these questions. My heart goes out to anyone suffering from this disease.

Try wearing a different style of shoes. Certain shoe styles, especially shoes with pointed toes or thick, platform type soles used to do that to me back in my wayward, fashion-chasing youth.

And, yes, you are only noticing this because your BFS has you feeling paranoid about the possibility of ALS, even though they are completely unrelated medical conditions. Your worst health threat right now is anxiety, which makes your BFS symptoms worse, which raises your anxiety, which makes your BFS symptoms worse, and on and on and on.....

Spend less time reading here and more time reading at a b o u t B F S dot c o m. That's the condition you have and that's the online site where you'll get the appropriate support that you need.

 

[Alyoop]

I am always amazed that people G.....gle twitches and find they are taken directly to ALS, you are also taken directly to benign fasciculations, where it explains that they usually subside and disappear weeks or months after they begin. You need to focus on that!

If you continue to trip over the next few months, get it checked as I said. You did not have an EMG of the tripping foot, so IF it gets worse over time, get another opinion. In the meantime, just try and stop focussing on it.
I have foot drop with no LMN signs and can still walk on toes and heels, going up stairs however trips me up frequently.

 

[kmendsley]

If you think about walking...you will have more problems actually walking. Do you have all feeling in that foot? Could it be that you are experiencing a sensory issue of feeling in foot or trouble figuring out where your foot is in space(ie priopoception?) Either one or all of these point away from ALS obviously. I would take notme's advice and stick to the diagnosis you have of BFS and focus on that. Obviously if it gets much worse or you start to frequently fall from your foot 'weirdness' see your gp who can refer you on to neuro if need be. You don't want to pay for that out of pocket...go through the medical tape nonsense for insurance, just so you won't regret the bill later.

 

[trfogey]

I actually wear the same shoes I have been wearing for years, (for work) so nothing has changed for foot wear. I wear low top romeo leather boots.

You didn't happen to start wearing a new pair of them recently, did you? The soles on those are pretty thick and they stick out beyond the toecap of the boot about 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch. I used to have to scuff down the very tip of boots like that, either through wear or deliberately, to prevent catching the toe while walking.

Thanks to google, muscle twitches point directly to ALS.

Actually, G88gle doesn't point anyone to ALS. People with health anxiety point themselves to ALS, using G88gle. Then, they talk themselves into thinking they might have an "early" or a "mild" case of it, even though they don't have a clue how it starts, how it progresses, or what the disease does to the body.

Being that I had a nerve study in Feburary and it was clean, that should mean I can't have foot drop. I think I've read here that the EMG machine can find abnormalities long before they manifest into physical symptoms, right? If thats the case, I guess I have nothing to worry about.

You don't have ALS to worry about. However, ALS is not the only condition that can cause foot drop (if that is indeed what you have) and, the longer you wait to treat it, the lower the chances of having a complete recovery are.

I just get fearful when my body does things abnormal, or doesnt do things its supposed to.

Being concerned about things that go wrong with your body is normal. Jumping to the conclusion that you have a very rare and terminal disease based on some twitching and some poor quality Internet research is most assuredly not normal and is something you need to consider getting some help for.

 

[olly]

tech i think if you had footdrop you would not be able to walk on heels or toes,i can not.
footdrop is actually caused by clinical weakness in the lower leg and nothing to do with the foot itself.