Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

When I first started physical therapy, my therapist walked behind me and talked. As I turned to acknowledge him, I realised that I had the same issue you speak of. It was more acute when turning to the left. I use a rolling walker as a single cane does not make me feel secure. Mine is not diabetes related.

Thank you Barb for the advice and sympathy. I think the bottom line for me is should I continue to see my local suburban hospital neurologist who by the way us pleasant and who has given me no indication that she won't be thorough I continue to ask people on this site if they are or were seeing a specialist found on this site. About 30 yrs. ago I had a nasty skin patch on the sole of one foot. The local dermatologist continued to call it one thing and prescribed a cream. I happened to mention it to my mother and she said that I should go into Boston to a certain hospital that was known for their dermatology department. She graduated from this hospital as a. R N during WW 2 years. So I took time off from work and saw them. A doctor came in with a gaggle interns (it was a teaching hospital) looked at my foot and without any hesitation said was it was and what the treatment was. I guess this has always stuck with me. Now granted PN is a horse if a different color but if the neurologist is seeing PN all day I am thinking he/she knows what it is and what works. This may be a simplistic example but after reading a lot of stuff on this site a lot of symptoms and a lot of treatments and very few of these are content with it. I know everyone is in their own journey but as I am new to PN I guess I am clinging to the hope that there are doctors out there who know what they are talking about. I will if course treat the prescribing doctor with respect. I come from a family of doctors and nurses. It was Sunday afternoon dining room chut chat! Lol

Hi, @lvgal

Some of the balance work I've been doing seeks to address this matter of distractions and sudden turns. the more I do of this work, the better I seem to get at not letting distractions and turns totally discombobulate my internal gyroscope. Have you tried any balance work?

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

Hi, my name is johnnie ray and I have had peripheral neuropathy for about three years. My VA doc and Medicare doc both tell me nothing will help. All they offer is gabapentin or Lyrica .

Hi, Barb

Fetching that morning newspaper is Ray's First Great Adventure of thr the Day.
Our front door has an unusually muscular pneumatic tube that, as you attempt to step out, tries its damnedest to push you back indoors. (We've tried adjusting the tube. No luck.) After that, there's the garden walk. Once you reach the end of the walk, the next giggle is finding where the morning paper, pitched from the passing delivery van, has landed: findable? reachable? beyond the curb? on the roof of my Jeep? unfindable? (always a possibility). All the while, my eyes are darting right and left, knowing that if I'm not vigilant I'm sure to be mowed down by a 80 mph skakeboarder.

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

My Physical therapist is working with me on this. Slow, but sure

Hi @johnnieray47, Welcome to Connect. Sorry to hear you are dealing with peripheral neuropathy. PN is what brought me to Connect back in 2016. I shared my neuropathy journey along with other members in another discussion here - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/member-neuoropathy-journey-stories-whats-yours/.

I know it's not much comfort but you are not alone. I think most of us suffering with the different neuropathy symptoms came to Connect hoping to find the magic bullet that cures neuropathy when one doesn't exist. What we can do together is share our experiences and learn from each other what we have found that has provided us with some type of relief. The best thing we can do is be our own best advocate by learning as much as we can about our condition and what treatments may provide a form of relief. A great place to learn more about neuropathy is the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy website - https://www.foundationforpn.org/living-well/.

Have you done any research on alternative or complementary treatments for neuropathy? What symptoms bother you the most if you don't mind me asking?

Just want to thank you all for sharing your experiences. I am kind of new to PN. It became a serious concern the last 2 years. I did not connect my PN with my balance problems, but reading your experiences and suggestions is extremely helpful.

Welcome @fb4, I think most of us dealing with neuropathy have some balance issues. Have you tried any exercises or physical therapy to see if it might help?

@johnbishop , I have tried acupuncture, mama bear, several different internet pills, Gabapentin, etc. The best relief so far has been copper fit compression sleeves for plantar fascia.
Worst problem is numbness on balls of feet and swollen feeling.