Question:
Help! I am losing stregnth in my legs, and bruises bruises bruises!!
I'm not sure whats going on here. I hope someone can shed light on this. In the mornings, not every time but a few times lately, when I stand up from bed, my legs have no stregnth. My mattress is on the floor, so I am low to the ground. I can move my legs no problem, I have no pain, no numbness, they just give way. I have to crawl and shake them, then I can stand.. its wobbly at first but then ok. I am fine throughout the rest of the day. I also have bruising. Once, I counted something like 25 or so on each leg. I have bruising elsewhere, but no NEARLY as much as on my legs. <p> I am 15 months post op, at goal with 130 pounds lost. I'm not sure if this is B-12 deficientcy or something else. My mind is sharp, I'm not foggy and can recall anything. The last time I had labs was back in June, and they were all normal. So says the doc. I do not take B-12 suppliments, or any suppliments except for my multi vit. I am on Welbutrin though. (Would this be a side affect?) Oh, And I'm bad on getting my protein in. Some times I get it in, sometimes I might get only 25 or so. Any ideas? Thanks a ton, love you all, Annie — Annie R. (posted on November 16, 2002)
November 16, 2002
Get thyself to the doctor!!! Maybe you aren't getting enough protein, or
B-12 or whatever. But honey, this is NOT normal. The sooner you go see a
doctor.....at this point any doctor......the better. Good luck and God
Bless. Katie.
— Katie E.
November 16, 2002
No Calcium Citrate supplements?! That can't be good for the bones in those
legs... or any of your other bones for that matter.
— KelBurt
November 16, 2002
I had a problem with weakness in my legs and it was a potassium deficiency.
I would definately get a blood test to find out. If is is potassium, it
could be very dangerous! PLEASE GET IT CHECKED OUT.
— Sharon Neva
November 16, 2002
I agree with the previous posters -- get thee to a doctor right away. And
get copies of your prior lab reports. Even if your lab values are still
within the normal range, I'd bet they've been steadily declining since you
were a pre-op based on your statement that you're taking only a
multivitamin since your surgery, meaning you've not been taking calcium
citrate supplements, or protein supplements -- which you'll need if you're
not even getting 25 grams of protein a day, as you report -- and no iron
supplements, and no B-12). Your doctor should act BEFORE your lab values
drop before the normal range, based on where they're heading compared to
past performance, and not wait until AFTER they've declined below normal
and you're in deep trouble. Maybe you should consider changing docs, too,
IF this one didn't tell you to take supplements (if he/she did, be honest
about the fact that you haven't been doing it). Meanwhile, get your
protein gram intake up NOW, and start taking calcium citrate (1500 mg. a
day, in three doses of no more than 500 mg apiece, at least a couple of
hours apart), as well as a good iron supplement (not taken within a couple
of hours of your calcium or multivitamin, as iron tends to block absorption
of those supplements). And yes, the bruises could be potassium
deficiencies. Please know that getting potassium through an I.V. can be
very uncomfortable (it burns for some people), so get going on your
potassium, too, before you're a hospital case!
— Suzy C.
November 16, 2002
Yeah...what Suzy said! I couldn't have said it better. You NEED more
protein and supplementation than you're getting so please don't wait to
begin fixing this. Let us know how you are doing. Take care....Jeralyn
— Jeralyn Merideth
November 16, 2002
This could also be a Vitamin C issue (or a deficiency of several
vitamins/minerals), or something more serious, such as Muscular Dystrophy,
and only partially related to malnutrition. Can't believe you are posting
here rather than sitting in a doctor's office. GO!!!
— Chris T.
November 16, 2002
Easy bruising has to be checked out right away. It could be dozens of
things. I am surprised that you state you take no supplements....you HAVE
TO take AT LEAST 1500 mgs. of calcium citrate daily and B12 shots or
sublinguals FOR LIFE. Did your doctor not impress upon you this fact? You
HAVE TO take them, or you will become very ill. Just because your labs,
especially calcium levels, are fine....this does not mean the calcium is
not being "leeched" from your bones/teeth in order to give a
normal level on your tests. Also, as everyone has already stated, your
protein intake is way too low. I hope you can get back on track, Annie.
You've done well with the weight loss, but I'm afraid your body, especially
your bones, may be highly at risk right now. Hugs, Joy
— [Deactivated Member]
November 16, 2002
It can take awhile for a B12 deficiency to show after post-op since the
body will use B-12 stored in the liver if no additional source of B-12 is
available. But once pernicious anemia starts, it cannot be reversed.
<p>
As others have said, you should be taking calcium citrate daily as well as
B-12 either sublingually (500 mcg daily) or intramuscularly (1000 mcg
monthly). As a woman, you should also be taking iron and if you are of
childbearing years, folic acid. You should also be getting at least 50-60
gramsof protein in every day....JR
— John Rushton
November 16, 2002
Hi everyone, I'm the poster to this question. Thanks for your suggestions,
I just got back from the doctors and he took 4 huge viles of blood. He
thinks it could be any number of things, other than the nutrient
deficiancies.. since i got bit by a tick years ago, (but tested negetive)
it could be Lyme disease, then he said MS, then he said Fibromyalgia since
my mom has that. THEN.. we were talking more and we discovered that my
weakness started a month ago.. when I started my increased dose of
Welbutrin. He thinks there is a direct correlation. Who knows, he went
back and forth, at least the blood is getting tested and I'll wait and see
what happens.
<p>
Thank you all so much for your advice, it helped by getting my tush in the
doctors. I'll let you know what he said.
Annie
— Annie R.
November 16, 2002
Glad you saw your doc. I had a friend who got out of bed and fell flat on
the floor, and her legs weren't "asleep". She had it checked out
and she had a Vitmin B6 deficiency related to another med she was taking.
Good luck.
— Dana S.
November 16, 2002
hi there! :) i never experienced the leg weekness but i did the bruising!
wow alot of them too! i also had alot of charlie horses in the beginning as
well. my cousin also had wls and we experienced the same things. i figured
my bloodwork would come back low iron or b 12 or something but all was well
for both me and cousin so i dont know what caused them. they were really
bad at 2 to 4 months out but all is well now. best of luck to you:)
— carrie M.
November 17, 2002
hi
i had pain in my legs before surgery and after surgery the pain is in my
muscles now in my legs. i am 6 mo po so i had my labs done and it came back
that i am low in potasium and they told me to eat more bananas and green
leafey vegtables i just couldt belive it because i am eating saladsall the
time but they said to at the dark green ones so i am concentrating on that.
i go to my neuroligist this week i will see what she says good luck
rosemary
— ROSEMARY A.
November 19, 2002
I was bruising a lot in the summer. My potassium was low and they put me
on 2 potassium pills a day. My bruising stopped about a week after that.
I mentioned it to my doctor and he said it had no correlation but I still
have to wonder...
— Patty H.
November 20, 2002
I agree with Patty, I done the same thing, I was all bruised up and my legs
hurt all the time. My Dr checked my potassium and It was low so she put me
on 4 a day and I have had no prob since.
— Lynda T.
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