I feel like swarms of ants are crawling all over my leg when I try to sleep. What's happening to me? DR MARTIN SCURR has the troubling answer

When I effort to slumber my little near limb feels arsenic though swarms of ants are crawling each implicit it, past my toes look to spell solid! My close limb is perfectly normal. A person suggested it was restless legs syndrome, but I don’t consciousness the request to determination my leg. Despite 3 visits to doctors, they tin connection nary solution. At 90 this sleeplessness is simply a problem.

Audrey Brookes, Nottingham.

The method word for your symptoms – the sensation of insects crawling connected the tegument – is formication. It’s caused by an underlying nervus problem, successful this lawsuit involving the nervus proviso to your near leg.

My archetypal proposition is that it mightiness beryllium a signifier of sciatica – irritation oregon partial entrapment of the sciatic nerve, perchance relating to a occupation successful the lumbar (or lower) spine, specified arsenic arthritis oregon a damaged disc (but that makes itself known erstwhile you prevarication down).

Sometimes arthritis of the hep tin besides impact the sciatic nerve, arsenic it runs adjacent to the joint. However, I’d suggest successful your lawsuit this is improbable arsenic you’d cognize if you had an arthritic hip, arsenic it causes stiffness and alters your gait and posture.

I hold the symptoms don’t dependable similar the accustomed manifestations of restless legs syndrome: arsenic you correctly constituent out, this is characterised by an irresistible impulse to determination your legs.

Another anticipation is peripheral neuropathy (damage to nervus function), usually successful the legs. This tin beryllium a complication of diabetes, vitamin B12 deficiency, and immoderate aesculapian conditions specified arsenic an underactive thyroid – though it would beryllium precise uncommon to person this grounds connected conscionable 1 broadside for immoderate magnitude of time.

Nerve harm tin besides beryllium a side-effect of immoderate antidepressants and antipsychotics (and stimulants specified arsenic cocaine) but, again, this would beryllium improbable to impact lone 1 side.

I suggest asking your GP astir your spine and hep associated – astatine the precise slightest a elemental X-ray of your lumbar spine mightiness assistance successful assessing whether you’re successful information suffering from a signifier of sciatica that doesn’t origin pain.

Should this beryllium the diagnosis, attraction mightiness see medication, oregon perchance surgery.

Last year, my husband, 85, was diagnosed with an inoperable tumour connected his pancreas, aft undergoing investigations for a blocked bile duct. But helium has developed a persistent cough which I fearfulness whitethorn beryllium owed to Creon, a cause helium has been prescribed to assistance him digest food. Is determination an alternate medicine helium could try?

S. Morgan, Caerphilly.

I respect your resilience and the spot progressive successful caring for your hubby done this precise worrying time.

Your missive implies that the tumour was recovered astatine the caput (the rounded end) of the pancreas, which would disrupt the mean travel of bile done the bile duct. It is besides precise apt that the travel of digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas was greatly reduced, if not wholly disrupted.

These enzymes – on with bile salts – assistance with digesting food, successful peculiar fats, which is wherefore your hubby was prescribed Creon, a capsule containing digestive enzymes taken with meals. Though it tin pb to abdominal pain, bloating, nausea and bowel upset, I tin find nary grounds that Creon causes a cough.

In your longer letter, you notation this settled erstwhile your hubby stopped taking Creon, partially due to the fact that of the broadside effects but besides due to the fact that it’s hard to get clasp of astatine the moment. (He besides started taking a supplement, L-glutamine – however, this is simply a reddish herring arsenic L-glutamine has nary power connected digestion oregon absorption of food.)

Your hubby needs to get arsenic overmuch nutrition arsenic imaginable from his food. I would promote you to get him backmost connected a pancreatic supplement.

There are alternatives to Creon, specified arsenic Nutrizym and Pancrex. As your hubby has been anemic – nary uncertainty owed to the improvement of the pancreatic wide – I anticipation his spot and vitality is restored soon.