foot went numb

[anachronistic]

well, for the background of the situation, i have not worked out or ran or anything since december. i notice that i have put on a few pounds since then, i am a little self conscious about it, but i really don't care, i just notice.

my buddies (who are also out of shape) invited me to go running with them tonight. so i went, and holy shit. i made it about 1/2 mile without stopping or walking. i thought that was pretty good for me. but when i did have to finally slow down and walk (the rest of the way by the way) my friends kept going. so i kept walking, i was very winded, starting to black out, actually. i had just eaten (pizza) when they came into my room and invited me, so i think that may have been a contributing factor. well, i just kept walking because i didn't feel very good.

i arrived at the arts and sciences building, which is on the other side of campus. that was about 1/4 of the way back. i had to sit down on the bench there because my feet were becoming numb. by the time i had reached the bench, my legs were numb from the foot all the way up to the top of the shin. i sat there for about 5 minutes thinking about this phenomenon. maybe i am worrying, and this is nothing to worry about. maybe it is normal for someone to undergo this numbness when they are out of shape. but i have never felt this before. maybe it's just because i am old. i don't know.

well, i got up, feet still numb, and i walked all the way to the library, while blacking out. i thought i'd make the trip worthwhile and print something out for class, since my friends ditched me, which by the way, i am a little offended about that. well i just got back, i am sorry for the lack of punctuation and perhaps anything i said that didn't make sense, but i am half here. i should take a nap now, but i have a lot of work to do. maybe someone can give me some input about my worries.

[Tommy]

Sounds like a lack of oxygen problem, slow circulation possibly?

Are you anemic? Do you feel faint/dizzy whenever you do this type of activity..

Any pain or tingling associated with the numbness and how long did it take to subside?

[IndiReloaded]

Too much too soon kiddo. Try fast walking first before running like that. And maybe get some new shoes if you're going to do this on a regular basis.

Don't let this put you off, btw. Exercise is important. Good for you that you went. Try again, but a bit easier to start next time.

[anachronistic]

Sounds like a lack of oxygen problem, slow circulation possibly?

Are you anemic? Do you feel faint/dizzy whenever you do this type of activity..

Any pain or tingling associated with the numbness and how long did it take to subside?

Come to think of it, I did notice that I was getting dizzy when I was working out in the fall. I thought that it was perhaps because I didn't eat beforehand, but I don't know. I am not diagnosed with any problems related to this dizziness/numbness.

The symptoms did not subside completely until I got back to the dorms and called it quits. I would say 20-30 minutes. Every time I sat down before I came back, it subsided a little.

Too much too soon kiddo. Try fast walking first before running like that. And maybe get some new shoes if you're going to do this on a regular basis.

Don't let this put you off, btw. Exercise is important. Good for you that you went. Try again, but a bit easier to start next time.

Well, my friends haven't done anything for just as long as I have. I was the only one that experienced these strange symptoms. I bought a pair of new shoes at the end of last semester, so I think I am good as far as shoes are concerned.

I thought maybe I had some kind of clot in my vains. You know? I eat all kinds of garbage (but I have cut back since the beginning of this semester, i.e. I have only drank about a glass of pop a week, and I've been eating fruits and veggies every day)

[1averagejoe]

This can be a few things...

The first and simplest things you can check is your shoes. Next time you go out and run loosen them up a bit. If they're too tight they may be cutting off the circulation.

The second thing is you could just flat out be out of shape and it's hitting you hard.

Third thing which I have, Is called compartment syndrome, common in runners. Basically what happens is when you start running or working out blood rushes to the muscles in the leg and causes the muscles to natural swell. There's tissue in between the muscle and the skin called the fascia. Basically if the fascia is too thick or because of an imbalance in muscle growth and blood flow what happens is the nerves or blood vessels in your leg can get pinched off causing it to go numb or cause pain.

For me it occurred when I started training again just after off season from soccer. Cardio workouts that build up your stamina can keep your heart rate down and increase your stamina before it starts going numb. As well as stretching. I rarely get it anymore unless I'm doing really hard running. The other two options are therapy and surgery. Therapy is pretty self explanatory. Surgery involves cutting open your leg and removing some of the fascia. Pretty simple procedure. If you're worried about it go talk to a doctor and they can do a simple test, although it's not the most comfortable. A doctor will also tell you if this can be a serious problem.

I'd recommend checking your shoes first. If that still doesn't do it keep working out and see if as you do get in better shape it comes on as quickly. If it's still limiting your abilities go see a doctor because it can cause damage if it's really bad and continuously happening.

[Tommy]

Any chance of diabetes?

[DoesntMatter]

Too bad it wasn't your hand that went numb. Then you could have gave yourself the stranger

[1averagejoe]

It could be diabetes...but there's only one way to know for sure what it really is. Go to a doctor.

I've been checked for diabetes already and I know it's not that. They ruled out all other possibilities, which left compartment syndrome. But I have such a light case of it that they didn't even bother doing the test. And it rarely comes back anymore unless I do hard long runs. How's it feeling lately? Still going numb on you? Or has it gotten less frequent as you've continued to workout?

[bubaipal]

Probably due to hypoxia or anoxia.Consult a doctor or post on a medical forum for better results. Also a hammer shot works well. just kidding.