I’ve noticed that after each walk, the numbness and tingling in both feet is more intense but different than the normal background numbness I’m experienceing. I’ve always attributed that to increased blood flow and sensitivity. It soon wears off and everything goes back to the same as prior to the walk. I thought that with more walking and blood flow, there may be an improvement in the background numbness but so far, I can’t detect anything. The numbness intensity does vary a bit but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason.
It’s been almost a month since I stopped taking amiodarone. I was hoping the overwhelming numbness is a side effect from taking the drug. However, most Internet literature said that is typically a result of taking the medication for a long time, and I was only taking it for three weeks. I swear the numbness prior to the surgery and for first three weeks of recovery is not as bad as I’m experiencing now. It blocks out all other sensations and all I think about is the numbness and stiffness. I had to take my shoes off when I went to my dentist for a cleaning because I could to lie still for 20 minutes with sneakers on.
If this continues, I’m not sure what I’ll do. It scares me to death thinking this is permanent, even after I recover from bypass surgery and receive a kidney transplant. Maybe the endocrinologist has some ideas. My doctor friend recommended gabapentin but that’s another medication with it’s own side effects. My parents are asking around for an acupuncturist and as soon as I get an okay from my podiatrist, I’m going to see about a foot massage. Here is the conclusion from a paper at NIH:
This study demonstrated that reflexology therapy in addition to pharmacological therapy may be recommended in reducing the neuropathic pain and improving quality of life and may achieve holistic benefits to the patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy. However, the evaluation of reflexology therapy as an adjunctive regimen warrants further investigations to be carried out in a larger sample size amongst various communities.
Of course you always mention more research is needed but it seems the conclusion is leaning positive.
Life with chronic diseases 