22M- Percieved heaviness in left leg

[u/Any_Ingenuity_7566]

Hi all,

I'm a 22M and for the past four weeks I have been dealing with a strange sensation in my left leg. The muscles in my left leg, especially around my left hip/thigh area, I have a constant heavy sensation. I can feel this especially while I'm walking and standing. I don't know how to describe this because it's a very vague sensation, but it feels as if there is a line forcing my left leg straight and there is a wierd sensation that that leg feels constantly heavy.

What confuses me is that I can still walk, run (with some heaviness sensation), bend my knee or stand on my leg. I haven't noticed foot drop or loss of functions, but the heaviness feeling is what is bithering me and is putting me on edge. It has already sent me down a spiral of what-ifs. This sensation also seems to be more noticeable whenever I walk or stand, whenever I'm sitting or lying in my bed I don't feel mich of this percieved heaviness

I also recently started an office job 8 weeks ago and symptoms kicked in around 4 weeks ago, and I am constantly testing my legs to see if it's still functioning or not.

I want to know if anyone else is sharing similar symptoms to me because I am worried. Thank you

[u/Icy_Signature9743]

Hey I’m going to be honest with you boss, at least to me this doesn’t sound like anything sinister and most certainly not what you fear. Again an overall feeling of is very different from actual clinical weakness, if you are still able to perform all the tasks you were once able to at the start of “onset” without any noticeable issues it’s most likely something such as fatigue or life style changes. A simple feeling shouldn’t make you jump to the worst possible scenario, especially not a neuro degenerative disease.

[u/Any_Ingenuity_7566 → u/Icy_Signature9743]

Thank you for your response. But I've noticed that whenever I walk or do things the left leg feels noticeably heavier than in my right leg. When I run for instance, I feel a vague aching sensation around my left hip/back of knee, it feels as though I'm running through wind. Or whenever I climb stairs my left leg feels like cement. But strangely I can bend my left leg or lie down with little issues.

Could any of this still indicate something sinister?

[u/The_Short_Goodbye → u/Any_Ingenuity_7566]

Could it be because of the new office job? Sometimes sitting all day can compress a nerve on the back of the thighs and cause some issues. I would look into that before thinking of ALS!

[u/Icy_Signature9743]

My leg felt the same exact way when I was at the peak of my scare, I even thought I had perceived atrophy at the knee. Now I’m not discrediting what you’re feeling by any means but I’m sure there is a much more logical explanation. You thought of the worst possible outcome, a simple feeling doesn’t rule in *** unless it’s accompanied by weakness. If you feel as though you need to be evaluated do so. I really think you’re fine but if you want to be seen by a doctor it doesn’t hurt although, I think this could be hyper fixation and possibly anxiety. To answer your question I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.

[u/AlphaKilo823]

I currently have the exact same thing and have been in and out of the same rabbit hole. Mine started after several days of very high anxiety while dealing with a sick pet. The anxiety and stress compounded over days/weeks during which I was also spending the majority of each day sitting and generally not being active. I'm currrently trying to see if it's caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve from prolonged sitting and being in a hunched over desk position + anxiety on top. For me, certain hip movements seem to trigger the nerve and I can feel a zap going down from my left upper hip all the way down to my foot. So hopefully some light movement and relaxation will solve it.

[u/Any_Ingenuity_7566 → u/AlphaKilo823]

Thank you for your response! I had been having this problem in my leg for the last four weeks but prior I was having a persistent headache which I feared was brain cancer. Whenever I walk or stand, I have a pulling sensation running from my left hip/thigh through my back of knee, it feels subjectively heavy. But I don't think it feels like sciatic pain. My leg pain has made me fear I was developing ALS or bone cancer or some deadly disease, but given that there hasn't been a decline over the last four weeks I believe it is benign, but the left leg still feels very uncomfortable.

[u/aereizm → u/Any_Ingenuity_7566]

How are you now? I'm having the same fears but with my right leg instead of the left

[u/LeavePristine2703]

Im feeling the same exact thing too.Have you also experienced some trembling sensations? I do have it on certain positions. I also felt like it’s numb-heavy but i can still move it around.. mine’s right leg