I was athletic my whole life and figured the nerve pain was from misuse and pounding on the ground and my hands were overuse too, mainly through typing 80wpm on a manual typewriter. The throbbing in my thumbs became so bad in winter and summer I had to wear gloves and avoid touching things with my thumbs. I was diagnosed with Raynaud’s, a type of small blood vessel disease.
In my 50s I started falling more often and was diagnosed with neuropathy and seizures, which I had since childhood. The pain was so unbearable in my thumbs that only Gabapentin allowed me to use them. I’m still on it over a decade later. I’m still losing balance and the restless legs, and stabbing and burning while putting my legs up or sleeping is bad, so I’m usually walking or sitting moving them all the time and wake up 2-4 times a night.
I was also diagnosed with Myastenia Gravis in my 60s, an autoimmune nerve/muscle synapse connection disorder.
I wear socks all the time and keep my feet moisturized to prevent any dry or cracked skin.
I take a CVS generic Centrum 50+ Advanced multivitamin, which I have found I feel worse if I don’t stay on it. I also take a host of other supplements including one for my eyes, equivalent of AREDS but with Omega 3s EPA and DHA.
I have found relief in my legs most recently, after a lot of research to find what I’m missing from my diet, yet avoid overdosing, and have started taking these supplements:
1. bromelain/quercetin
2. R-alpha lipoic acid, more assimilated than regular alpha lipoic acid
3. Terry Naturally Healthy Feet and Nerves with more assimilated versions of the B vitamins, Boswellia, Benfotiamine
4. Vit C with rose hips
I actually can’t tell which of these last 4 has just about eliminated my restless legs and sleeptime stabbing/burning, because I was so desperate I just started taking them all at the same time. But after 2 weeks I started alternating tablets over nights and now I skip some nights without some to save money.
I’m just about convinced some of these chronic health problems are nutritional deficiencies just like rickets and scurvy was until they figured it out. I get the majority of my supplements on sale at CVS and amazon. I found out the hard way I can only cut down Gabapentin and not eliminate it yet. I hope everyone finds their solutions