leg muscle heaviness and burning stiffness

[jjoanne]

What would cause my leg muscles to become very heavy (like cement) and have burning stiffness as a result of standing or walking for a short time? The pain stops when I sit down, but the heaviness takes hours to subside. If I stand for more than 10 minutes, my leg muscles get so heavy that it's hard to walk. I drag my legs because I can't lift them. The are burning stiffness is throughout my legs. So, I can not walk too long, and am becoming disabled.

I also have constant stiffness and soreness at the bottom of my spine between my hips. And it is always worse in the mornings.

This has been going on for five years, and getting progressively worse. The doctor did not know what was wrong. She took blood tests for MET PANEL and CBC and said they were normal. What should I ask the doctor to do? I feel frequently sick and dizzy, also. Please help.

[Unregistered]

I have a very similar complaint. It emerged at the same time as a rare skin condition (pyoderma gangrenosum) that has an autoimmune cause.

For a short while prednisone was excellent, but after a couple of weeks my condition became resistant to it. I have been on methotrexate now for about 6 weeks. Initially it was very effective too but recently the leg weakness, burning muscles, fatigue etc has returned again.

Hope this helps.

[Greg Sylvestre]

I have a similar problem....heavy cement like legs as aresult of walking or standing more than 10 min. Legs fell heavy and it is hard to walk. They will ache a lot at the end of most days. Climbing more than 2 flights of stairs makes them really rubbery. Right out of bed in the am there isn't much leg power! I get burning sensations in forearms & upper back.
Waves of fatgue hit me too. Way worse in the morning. Do you have any fatigue issues?
It's been 2.5 years - seen all kinds of doctors. My neuromuscular guy says he'll tell me what it is when he knows.

Greg

[Sylvestreg]

I have a similar problem....heavy cement like legs as aresult of walking or standing more than 10 min. Legs fell heavy and it is hard to walk. They will ache a lot at the end of most days. Right out of bed in the am there isn't much leg power! I get burning sensations in forearms & upper back.
Waves of fatgue hit me too. Way worse in the morning. Do you have any fatigue issues?
It's been 2.5 years - seen all kinds of doctors. My neuromuscular guy says he'll tell me what it is when he knows.

G.

[Unregistered]

I also have the same problem with poor leg and arm control. It comes and goes, but mostly during exercise. I can no longer jog, and walking long distances is a problem.

At night I get spasums with my legs and hands. At times this wakes me up. I'm trying vitamims and staying in shape to beat this, but it's no better.

The problem occurs on my right side. My foot feels as though it's asleep. my hand coordination is also affected.

Has anyone received a prognosis and possible cure. I went to the University of MN Nuerelogical Dept. Meet with the head of the Dept. to make sure I do not have Ataxia, or MS. The latter is a possibility, but overall he was stumped. Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Joel H.

[Unregistered]

Hello, New to the website, but neuropathy is definitely a consideration. Try a neurologist, and get NCV/EMG test. Hope this helps. I'm currently having drama in my own family concerning a particular neuropathy. (there can be many causes).

[Unregistered]

I am replying. I forgot my password. This is jjoanne.
Yes! I also have severe fatigue. I thank everyone for their answers. I will also try a neurologist. My doctor does not help.

[A_Tick_In_Time]

In 1998, I ran my last Marathon. From that point on, numbness and stiffness in my legs and hands progressed dramatically. Three years later, walking became so bad; I was reduced to hobbling with a cane for no longer than a city block.

I also have the morning weakness; incomnia. Brain fog; etc.

I visited several neurologists who insisted that I first had Progressive Myelopathy; and later on insisted that I had MS. The Antifuerons they prescribed only made my situation worse.

Purely by accident, I ran in to an old friend who suggested that I may have Lyme disease. Never having seen a tick or gotten a rash, I thought she was nutty.

On a long shot, I visited a Lyme specialist who sent my blood to labs that specialize in detecting Lyme. My results were off the chart positive. I have since been treated with daily IV antibiotics and the results are positive.

I have not fully recovered, but I am extremely optimistic.

[penmc]

Do you have joint pain also? I always thought lyme includes joint pain which is why I ruled it out from hubby's symptom research.

[fyrefox22]

August 2008 I had open heart surgery and about 4 weeks after I was experiencing heavy legs and arms and unable to walk some days and some days unable to have any coordination. The heart surgeon put me on predinsone for a week and told me it was Dresslers syndrome (pericarditis) and after the week the symptoms came back. She put me on 5 weeks of prednisone and all it did was make me gain 30 lbs. she released me back to my cardiologist because she didn't know what it was. My cardiologist didn't know either and gave me sarcasm....I since switched cardiologists and new one gave me a full work up said I was fine didn't know why legs heavy. Referred me to rhumatologist and I went on my own to my family doc who did blood work (I am anemic) sent me to GI doc who did upper and lower said iron deficiency and put me on Iron. Still having heavy legs (good days and bad days) went to Neuro and he did MRI of brain and spine (spondylosis of cervical area with bone spurs and bulging disks) went to Chiropractor and he put me in traction 2x a week for 3 weeks and I can walk again. Still have some heavyness but not as much as before. Do some research on spinal stenosis or spinal sponylosis.