Finally relief from peripheral foot neuropathy! (my story)

@solobeee1

I already DO exercise - 30 minutes of pilates or walking daily and have been exercising my entire adult life, even through my pregnancy until the day before I went into labor. It hasn't helped the neuropathy. Maybe my anxiety some. I am off benzos and take fish oil which helps anxiety & minor depression a bit. I have done massage, acupuncture, physical therapy and they didn't make a noticeable difference, plus insurance didn't cover most of it so co-pays were a financial consideration. I'm not a health nut when it comes to diet, but my diet isn't horrible. I rarely eat fried foods and try to avoid greasy foods. I eat fresh fruits and vegetables, cheeses, healthy fats. Now, I'm not perfect so I will have lasgna or a piece of cake or a cookie, but I also dealt with anorexia when I was in college, and calorie counting or labelling foods as "bad" or completely off-limits is still triggering to me all these years later. My BMI is normal for my height. All my labs apart from folic acid and iron were normal.

However, bipolar disorder is a crazy disease. Some few people can manange without meds; for most of us without meds, it's even worse. I have bipolar I, the manic symptoms are more severe and can be devastating to your life & relationships - overspending, irritability, rash decisions (driving while manic), inability to concentrate, lack of sleep, well you can just google all the symptoms of mania. But worse, if my mania is not pulled into check quick enough I go into psychosis. During which I blackout 95% of the time for days on end (no memory AT ALL of that time) until treatment kicks in and spend the other 5% hallucinating usually that I am talking to God one on one and I know all the solutions to the universe and how to fix the world. The flipside of course is depression so severe I hate to think what would happen if we owned a gun. All of these mood episodes are severely destructive to my relationships with my husband and daughter. SEVERELY. Even WITH meds, I need tweaks, and no combination works for me over periods of longer than a year of two. Usually stress triggers my relapses. And some stress you just can't avoid. My latest manic episode was prepicitated by hurricane Beryl making landfall very close to where I live & massive power outages.

Sometimes meds are the only choice. And if the meds help both my bipolar and peripheral neuropathy, all the better.

Thank you for openly sharing your struggles. I have decades of chronic pain and it has resulted in long term depression. I wish everyone was as brave as you, to speak of what needs to be openly discussed. I know people who accept someone has a drinking problem. But they are ashamed to admit their daughter has depression. It is very sad to me. I believe if we bring mental struggles out into the light, into the open, it will begin to lose the stigma.
I am glad you found help for neuropathy. I have that in my feet too and it is hell on earth, for me. If I did not have lidocaine cream, I could not leave the house even to gather groceries or go to the doctor.

I agree ! My neurology gotten worse last February 2024 with swollen ankles and feet ! I have been on gabapentin since with antidepressants and vitamin B supplements . But I have found out walking 2 miles a day has ease the pain and depression. I just went to have blood work done and found out I have uric acid ! Another issue to deal with !

I would like to ask about the progression of neuropathy. I know everybody is different, but there must also be similiarities or shared experiences we can talk about. I want to know what's next for me in coming months and years. My PN began about three years ago. It started in my left foot and involved brief but intense pain. Only at night. Felt like an ice pick was being jabbed into the bottom of my foot. After about a year, the jabbing pain is still there, but not as frequent. In its place, I now experience a burning pain along the bottom of my foot that shows itself throughout both night and day. I have never felt any of the numbness that some of you experience. Maybe that is coming up next. They say neuropathy can't be cured so what am I looking forward to as the years go by? Is it going to spread to my other limbs? How am I going to manage this disease as I continue to age? If anyone has any thoughts on progression and what it means, please consider sharing. Thanks!

I had swollen Right foot for years. I had Total Knee replacement by VA doctors then broke out in a Major infection had problems with it ever since. Fail off the Ladder 2016 broke my feet again because my right knee. Finally my New Neurologist in 2024 after real bad EMG test on my Left side diagnosed with Axonal Neuropathy after years pain (Never realizing some was Tingling) VA never testing. But long story short with an increase of Gabapentin 1200 MG it reduced my Tingling (Now that I know what it is) to a manageable amount. Never gone but I can deal with it better then years of not knowing what it has been. BIO Freeze helps my hand Pain along with my Copper Compression Glove.

I would like to ask about the progression of neuropathy. I know everybody is different, but there must also be similiarities or shared experiences we can talk about. I want to know what's next for me in coming months and years. My PN began about three years ago. It started in my left foot and involved brief but intense pain. Only at night. Felt like an ice pick was being jabbed into the bottom of my foot. After about a year, the jabbing pain is still there, but not as frequent. In its place, I now experience a burning pain along the bottom of my foot that shows itself throughout both night and day. I have never felt any of the numbness that some of you experience. Maybe that is coming up next. They say neuropathy can't be cured so what am I looking forward to as the years go by? Is it going to spread to my other limbs? How am I going to manage this disease as I continue to age? If anyone has any thoughts on progression and what it means, please consider sharing. Thanks!

Mine started in my right side of my neck down my arm. I have a pinched nerve and a bulging disc in my neck. I tried Gabapentin but it had a lot of side effects. Also, tried Lyrica but it didn’t help. I tried anxiety and depression medicine. All have given me full blown cause of neuropathy from the top of my bottom down both my legs and all the way through to my toes. I hurt so bad I can’t sleep. I have epilepsy, also. Keppra and Clonazepam started me to have involuntary leg and arm movements. My pcp, neurologist and psychiatrist said this can’t happen because it’s not in their books. But it has and I live in constant pain.

Mind went from my feet, knees, shoulders and hands. I am sure it effects different people different ways. 2013 I had Total knee replacement. 2016 fail from a ladder form my feet thinking the pain I was having from a failed Knee replacement was the cause. I come to find out that it was the pain from the Neuropathy that caused me loosing my footing and breaking my feet.
Now I have severe pain in both shoulders my Orthopedic doctor saying it is the Neuropathy causing the pain. The pain can make your hands feel like they are on fire and Joint Very, very painful.
My case is Severe I've had it for years VA never diagnosed it I finally got diagnosed 2024 after so many years. At least I know what's going on now and and it's not in my head. The TINGLING was the worse to get use to it drove me crazy for years no could tell me what was going on. it got so bad I thought the Massager in my Recliner was on.
Hope this Helps