Amyloidosis can affect unexpected parts of the body. When amyloid proteins build up, they can damage organs and your nervous system. That’s why symptoms of amyloidosis can vary so much, including shortness of breath, easy bruising, and changes in your hands and feet.

When amyloidosis involves nerves, the hands and feet are often where symptoms show up first. In your feet, this can feel like numbness, pain, swelling, or trouble walking. Not everyone has these symptoms, and they can show up in different ways for different people.

In this article, we’ll go over the foot-related symptoms amyloidosis can cause and what might help. If you notice any of these changes, talk to your healthcare provider about ways to feel better.

1. Burning or Tingling

Amyloidosis can cause your hands and feet to feel like they are burning or tingling. You might feel a pins-and-needles sensation, like when you temporarily lose circulation to part of your body. “My hands, feet, and legs constantly tingle and throb!” one member of MyAmyloidosisTeam shared.

In amyloidosis, these sensations are usually caused by amyloid neuropathy. Amyloid neuropathy happens when amyloidosis affects your nervous system, specifically the peripheral nerves (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord). The amyloid proteins get deposited on or near your nerves, affecting how they function.

Amyloid neuropathy can develop with transthyretin amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), a form of hereditary amyloidosis (hATTR). Polyneuropathy is neuropathy affecting peripheral nerves in many areas of the body. Amyloid neuropathy can also happen with light-chain amyloidosis, a type where abnormal proteins made in the bone marrow build up in the body.

2. Pain

Some people also have foot pain related to amyloidosis. This can be the burning sensation noted above, or it can involve different types of pain.

“My hands, feet, and legs constantly tingle and throb!” — A MyAmyloidosisTeam member

Most of the time, foot pain associated with amyloidosis is nerve pain. The pain can feel different from person to person — from sharp and stabbing to dull and aching — and it’s often worse at night.

One MyAmyloidosisTeam member who experienced this said, “Today is just nerve pain in my feet.”

Most people feel pain when amyloid proteins damage their small fiber nerves. These nerves are often affected early in amyloidosis. Unlike some other nerves, small fiber nerves don’t have a protective covering, called a myelin sheath. Without that coating, amyloid protein deposits can reach them faster.

3. Increased Sensitivity to Touch

Some people notice that their feet feel more sensitive to touch than they used to be. When that happens, everyday sensations may feel stronger than normal. You might be extra sensitive to temperature, shoes, or even socks. You won’t necessarily feel pain because of this increased sensitivity, but you might find it distracting or find that it makes wearing shoes or socks very uncomfortable. If your feet are more sensitive to touch because of amyloidosis, it’s because of amyloid neuropathy, as discussed above.

4. Swelling

Swollen feet can also be a sign of amyloidosis. This may come along with swelling (also called edema) in other areas of your body, as it did for the MyAmyloidosisTeam member who shared, “Both my feet and ankles were so swollen and painful.”

Swollen feet can happen when amyloid proteins build up in your kidneys. This buildup can damage the kidneys and keep them from working well. When that happens, your body may hold on to extra fluid, which leads to swelling. Heart damage from amyloidosis can also cause swelling. You may notice it in your feet, ankles, and calves.

5. Numbness

When you’re living with amyloidosis, you may feel like your feet have gone numb. One MyAmyloidosisTeam member said, “Feeling good except numbness in feet.”

Numbness in your feet can also be linked to amyloid deposits affecting your nerves. In this case, your medium or large nerve fibers are likely affected. These nerves help you sense where your joints are and pick up on the vibrations that happen when you move your feet or touch them against something.

Numbness can increase the risk of injuries, because you may not feel cuts or blisters.

6. Weakness

People living with amyloidosis may experience overall weakness, which can include weakness in their feet and legs. This weakness can come from neuropathy or other causes. You may find that your muscles feel tired or sore more quickly than they used to, or that you can’t do as much with them before you need to rest. This can make everyday tasks harder, like balancing and lifting.

Often, this symptom is related to amyloid neuropathy. As amyloidosis affects larger nerve fibers over time, weakness can become more noticeable.

Amyloid deposits can also lead to muscle loss, which may add to the weakness you feel in your feet and legs.

7. Trouble Walking

Sometimes, people living with amyloidosis find that they have trouble walking. These symptoms can change the way you walk (your gait), such as causing a shuffle or foot drop. Your feet are the base you stand on and help absorb shock each time you step, so when amyloidosis affects them, it can feel harder or less steady to walk.

“Today is just nerve pain in my feet.” — A MyAmyloidosisTeam member

When you have trouble walking because of amyloidosis, it’s usually related to nerve damage from amyloid deposits. Some of the other symptoms listed here, like numbness, tingling, and weakness, may also make it more likely that you’ll struggle to walk sometimes. When your nerves aren’t working well, your feet may not move the way they should.

8. Falling

You might also find that you fall more when you’re living with amyloidosis. This may happen when you’re doing something more challenging, but it can also happen in everyday life when you’re just walking around. Increased falls put you at greater risk of fractures and other fall-related injuries. To help prevent falls, use handrails and remove tripping hazards at home.

Difficulty with balance, which can lead to falls, can happen because of nerve damage in your feet due to amyloid neuropathy. It makes sense that, if you’re more likely to struggle when walking, as discussed above, you would also be more likely to fall.

Talk to Your Doctor

If you’re noticing any of these changes, talk to your doctor soon. If you’ve already been diagnosed with amyloidosis, your symptoms can help your doctor see how the disease is changing. Your symptoms may also show that your treatment needs to be adjusted or that it’s time to add another option.

If you haven’t been diagnosed with amyloidosis, your doctor will likely want to run some tests to find out what’s causing your symptoms. That way, they can recommend the right treatment for you. If it turns out you have amyloidosis, they’ll also work with you to figure out which type of amyloidosis you have and how to treat it.

Join the Conversation

On MyAmyloidosisTeam, people share their experiences with amyloidosis, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

Have you experienced numbness or burning in your feet? Let others know in the comments below.