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I Am 78 Year Old Female , My Legs And
Posted on
Tue, 19 Mar 2019
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Tue, 19 Mar 2019
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : I am 78 year old female , my legs and feet are always hot, but at night sometimes 4 times my feet and legs burn like fire whats going on .
Brief Answer:
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
When people feel a burning sensation, it is often due to nerve inflammation. Treatment depends on what might be causing the nerve inflammation as there are multiple causes. If no cause is found, certain medications can help the nerve pain. These include gabapentin (Neurontin) and also the class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants (for example, amitriptyline), as these medications can work at the nerve muscle cellular junctions and decrease nerve inflammatory pain.
The most common causes of nerve pain/inflammation are diabetes and alcohol.
Other causes include: Chronic kidney disease (uremia), deficiency of some of the B vitamins (B12, Folate, sometimes B6), hypothyroidism, infections that involve the nerves such as Lyme disease, excessive exposure to lead and mercury, some medications and supplements (including too much B6), and some autoimmune disordres (vasculitis, sarcoidosis).
Problems with circulation which cause peripheral arterial disease can cause a burning sensation, but usually then the legs are cool rather than hot.
I suggest asking your doctor to do some preliminary tests including a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, urinalysis, vitamin B12 level. If you have symptoms of thyroid problems, a TSH should be done too. These are all blood tests, except for the urinalysis.
If none of this provides any answers, the next step would be to get a consult with a neurologist.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
Information
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome,
When people feel a burning sensation, it is often due to nerve inflammation. Treatment depends on what might be causing the nerve inflammation as there are multiple causes. If no cause is found, certain medications can help the nerve pain. These include gabapentin (Neurontin) and also the class of medications called tricyclic antidepressants (for example, amitriptyline), as these medications can work at the nerve muscle cellular junctions and decrease nerve inflammatory pain.
The most common causes of nerve pain/inflammation are diabetes and alcohol.
Other causes include: Chronic kidney disease (uremia), deficiency of some of the B vitamins (B12, Folate, sometimes B6), hypothyroidism, infections that involve the nerves such as Lyme disease, excessive exposure to lead and mercury, some medications and supplements (including too much B6), and some autoimmune disordres (vasculitis, sarcoidosis).
Problems with circulation which cause peripheral arterial disease can cause a burning sensation, but usually then the legs are cool rather than hot.
I suggest asking your doctor to do some preliminary tests including a complete blood count, comprehensive metabolic panel, urinalysis, vitamin B12 level. If you have symptoms of thyroid problems, a TSH should be done too. These are all blood tests, except for the urinalysis.
If none of this provides any answers, the next step would be to get a consult with a neurologist.
I hope this information helps. Please let me know if I can provide further information or clarification.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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