Numbness in my knees and lower legs getting me down as unable to drive…anyone got any tips for relieving numbness/ regaininh strength to drive
I too have numbness in my right side, leg and foot. I have not been able to drive since everything went numb 5 weeks ago. I just wonder if I will ever get feeling back again???
Hi,
I have numbness in my feet, and sense of touch in my fingers.
Don’t know if I can suggest anything , if it’s painful what about amitriptyline ? I take it at night to help me sleep.
Jen x
Assuming you both have relapsing remitting MS, then you will probably regain most if not all sensation enabling you to drive again.
But it’s always possible to get a car adapted for you to drive even if your legs don’t regain feeling properly.
To adapt a car for hand controls, or to swap pedals from right to left foot, requires that you have an automatic car. So regardless of whether your numbness resolves completely, it’s a very good idea to change your car to an automatic (assuming you drive a manual now).
I decided to get my driving assessed in a mobility centre (google it for your nearest), at a point when I was already driving an automatic, but I was thinking that my response time might be slowing down a bit. Plus, during a relapse, I’d found my foot was slipping off the accelerator at odd times when it might be a bit problematic.
They check you out quite thoroughly physically and in a mock up car that tests your peripheral vision, your strength and reaction times when for eg braking.
In fact, they decided that I was a little bit slow on reaction times, but still legal. I decided to have my car adapted for hand controls anyway because I could see that my reaction times were only going in one direction.
It was easily converted to hand controls, you have a push/pull accelerator/brake with indicators attached to the controller and a steering ball to enable you to use one hand for steering and the other to accelerate, brake and indicate.
Its a bit odd learning to drive with your hands after so long using your feet. But it quite soon becomes second nature.
I only stopped driving when I started using a wheelchair full time following a terrible relapse. Because I couldn’t get to the car and then get the wheelchair and me in it, I stopped. Soon after that my OH stopped work and essentially I don’t really need to. But to keep your Independence, you should do what you can to keep driving.
Sue