Neuropathy

CollardGreens

I had put a post in the "health" area but I reckon since they are healthy it was in the wrong place.

I hurt terribly, and if anyone has neuropathy they know just what I mean. Other than my feet feeling like toothaches, I can't ever get warm? My electric bill will be high, I have an electric blanket and STILL I'm cold to the bone!

Can anyone else relate?

skippy2

Thought there were no other Neuropathy sufferers out there. Yes i can understand all your problems and more. Have had Peripheral Neuropathy for a few years now and hate the cold. Feet never warm no matter how many thermals you put on. I know its cold before i even go outside the door. Electric shocks, stabbing pain, balance issues. Did get chilblains the first year as a result of the cold but now keep the thermal socks on to avoid this but you need to be careful. Fingers also suffer a bit. So yes i think there are a few of us around. Strange thing is heating never really solves it, its like its in your bones, if its cold outside you are cold no matter how much heating you have on. When on holiday in a warmer climate i definitely notice the difference

Laois_Man

I have a case of this that seems to be milder than you guys (so far) - touch wood!

I get peridoic flare ups. I don't have the coldness but I do get electrical shock or stabbing pain accross the soles of the feet. Pain/numbness in my wrists, fingers and palms also suffer occasionally. Sometimes I feel a weird wave of numbness travelling up my arm. Sometimes even my back feels a little numb. I suspect a flare up is brought on or at least worsened by stress.

In the beginning I was afraid I was developing Rheumatoid Arthritis or even Multiple Sclerosis and now, over 2 years after it started, I am still being tested in various ways.

Did either of you guys ever get an idea of the root causes were or how to lessen the symptoms? I have been excersising a lot more over the last 8 months or so and that seems to have helped me a lot.

byhookorbycrook

I have neuropathic pain due to MS, the shocks, burning, pins and needles etc. Neuro has me on gabapentin and amitriptyline and while they don't kill the pain ,they do blunt it a good bit.

CollardGreens

I tried the gabapentin/neurotin and even at low doses it had me like I was getting Alzheimer's, I couldn't remember a thing. Most of those drugs that mess with your brain don't work well with my system and send me into the blues so I am scared to take them. I'm taking otc advil but that only helps a tiny bit. Still, the heat seems to work the best and yeah, hurts down to the bone! It just started in my left wrist but just numbness now. The back goes numb ever so often.

Just curious, do any of you have shingles? I've read via google that neuropathy and shingles sometimes go together?! I've had shingles off and on for about 25 years (got them very young) and being both effect the nerves I was wondering if that is what brought this on or because it does run in my family. I took the shingle shot 2 years ago and it didn't phase the shingles, the pharmacist said the shot sometimes doesn't work for about one in 300 people - that su*ks, it cost me about $200.00 usd!

Lysine (amino acid) works great for the shingles (very low cost too) so I'm thinking of taking it for the neuropathy and see if that works, much rather go with the natural meds being the prescriptions had caused problems with my system. I'm glad it has helped some of you, met a man today that was on 600mg of the neurotin and said it worked for him. 200mg sent me into a brain dead fog.

byhookorbycrook

There are other drugs besides gabapentin, have you talked to a neuro?

CollardGreens

There are other drugs besides gabapentin, have you talked to a neuro?

yes, he gave me something called tramnadol (sp?) and I was allergic to it, tongue and throat swelled up. I can't take antidepressants either and was told that is what they give for neuropathy until they get the right one. Unless you know something other than the ones I suggested. I've given up on the neuro because the mess he gave me both times got me worse off than when I started. So far, advil and heat it pretty much all I have found that the body won't reject. He said it would be good to test for MS but I don't have any of the same symptoms except for the intense pain from my thighs down to my toes and the numbness (Peripheral)


I'm wondering if making myself exercise will make it better or worse? Yard work hurts like heck (when I can get the energy to do it), my legs keep me awake throbbing but now I'm wondering if I should do more and the muscles/tissue will get use to it?

byhookorbycrook

A certain amount of excercise would always be good. I'd think I'd go to anoother neuro.

sadie06

Just wanted to draw your attention to this thread (which I unfortunately left the key word 'neuropathy'out of). My peripheral neuropathy, along with other symptoms pointed my neuro in the direction of this condition, and once I started reading, particularly on the yahoo group, I identified with almost everything being described.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=83230703


I too am at a loss with regards to what is best exercise wise. I have been swimming recently and my arms will suddenly go limp, at which point the swim is over! It could be 20 mins in, but it has been as soon as 7 mins.

CollardGreens

Oh my goodness Sadie, you may have hit the nail on the head! My ears are SCREAMING with the tinitinus (sp?) and I was told to go to an ENT doctor, they have been like this for 4 years. The dizziness just started about 2 months ago, I fell off a ladder (short one) at work but was too embarrassed to say anything. Yup, my father has neuropathy.

My niece has Charcot-Marie Tooth but her mother has it and her mother is no blood kin since she was married to my now passed away brother (RIP 09').

I'll ask the doctor about it when I can afford to go. Right now I'm waiting on social security to see if they can send me since my insurance won't pay for it. My wrist started doing the numb thing recently. The worse part is the horrible pain and the ear ringing.