Hello, and thank you for taking the time to read this. For the last couple of days I've been experiencing a strange crawling sensation in my legs. Not every part of the legs is affected, just certain areas or "patches". It is occurring in both legs, from thigh to calf. It's not severe, just annoying. There is no pain, no cramping, no weakness or numbness. I am walking fine and can bear weight down on both feet normally. Sometimes the crawling is accompanied by a chilly feeling, like the legs are cold.
It's usually at its worst when I am seated, and sometimes migrates to my butt. I've been at my computer quite a lot the last couple days and have a large chair in which I tend to sit cross-legged. When I am standing and walking, the sensation are much less and sometimes vanish completely.
Me being a hypochondriac with five formally-diagnosed anxiety disorders, I am obviously thinking the worst...like MS, ALS, brain tumours, etc. Apart from the usual symptoms stemming from the anxiety itself (faintness, fast heartbeat, hyperventilating, etc), I am experiencing no other symptoms physically at this time. But I am still very worried that something is wrong, that I'm in the "developing stages" of something ominous. I've never taken the best care of my body; I'm not overweight but my eating habits are terrible (junkfood, desserts, etc), I've been severely lacking in sleep time (thanks to my new iMac that I have trouble tearing myself away from at night) and I've been sitting for long amounts of time (tinkering with computer again...d'oh!)...so I'm trying to convince myself that the circulation in my legs just sucks at the moment and that's what's causing the crawling, chilly sensations. Needless to say, I'm having a hell of a time believing it.
Do you think this is something I should go to the doctor for? Might I start to develop more symptoms that signal something terrible is happening? Is it really poor circulation only, nothing more? I need some reassurance. I am visiting my psychiatrist this Thursday but until then I know I'll be crapping my pants with worry. Any & all answers are greatly appreciated. Is something awful happening to me?
Mind you, I am NOT a doctor, but in my opinion and experience you need to simply get up and move more. I get tinglies if I sit for too long, 'cause I am compressing my sciatic nerve. BTW, tinglies indicate nerve, not circulation.
Regardless, if getting up and moving around makes it feel better, then logic would dictate that you need to move more. I have arthritis and bursitis in my hip and compressed disks in my spine, and I find the best thing that I do ALL DAY is my early morning dog walk.
Good luck. Try it if you will, or go to the doc if you're really freaking out.
No need to actually crap your pants here Bysshe.can you remember if these sensations actually started around the time you got that new PC?if you have been sitting more than you used to espescially for long periods of time,it is just probably some sort of nerve affectation that your body isn't accustomed to having.something could be being pinched or slightly compressed just from the long periods of sitting.
i would just,for now,try getting up from the PC like every half an hour and do something else while standing,just walking around the house or taking out the trash or anything else you can actually do while standing may help with this.just give that a try and see if it makes any difference in these sensations you are having.if these continue,i would consult your doc about them.they DO sound very much nerve related and that could be from many different possibilities,nothing really ominous.ALOT of people have some sort of lower back nerve issues,me included.it just happens over time and doing things to your body over the years that eventually catch up with you.this really doesn't sound like anything really major so you can relax about that.just try what i mentioned for about a week and see if there is any difference and let me know and we can go from there,K? good luck on the experiment.FB
__________________
3-22-01,herniated C-6-7
11-20-01,placement of hardware for failed fusion
9-22-03,removal of cavernous hemangioma that was inside spinal cord. Neuro damage to L hand L leg and R leg.
