Everyone with Peripheral Neuropathy
We all experience pain and loss of feeling in hand feet etc
The reasons for the nerve damage vary with many groups. Simplifying this into two main groups:
(1) Those with progressive conditions like diabetes, alcohol of similar. Naturally the doctors try to treat the cause of the damage probably before they treat the pain
(2) Those with one off damage from toxins, viruses that have damaged the nerves as a one off event - the doctors in many of these cases say idiopathic and offer pain relief.
But we all have pain and reading your comments I suspect that we all have good days, bad days and very often there appears to be no reason.
I think it would be interesting to share the things that excite the pain.
I know if I drink lots of strong coffee, sit cross legged and stop the blood flow on a cold day my chances of pain are much higher. If I drink some red wine on a warm calm day outside they are less. This is not scientific but it could be.
If we had a structure database that we all contributed to we may see strong patterns that could be used to guide people to have less pain.
Anyone interested either technically, financial or as an information contributor? Maybe Mayo Clinic would read the data and comment?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.
YES - red wine helps
You might look into Calmare Scrambler treatment. I have read it is effective for chemo induced neuropathy pain in feet. It is not covered by insurance but John Hopkins and a few other places are trained in this treatment mostly in Midwest and east. I hope you find relief
Has no one from the Mayo Clinic performed any 3rd party double blind test to improve PN? Otherwise we are just describing symptoms without any particular remedy that actually works. Does all the funding go to cancer research & none for PN?
Yes! I definitely believe stress is a trigger and also adds additional pain. When I've had a stressful couple days, those nights are the worst. I'm contemplating having my doctor prescribe a low does anti depressent type drug to see if it helps. I figure you won't know what helps you until you try it. I have intense burning in my lower legs and feet only at night. I have soft flat pliable ice bags that lay on top of my covers and putting my feet and legs near them really helps. The only thing I have found that stops the pain is oxycodone. Can't take that often though! I am going to try and go to a neuropathy clinic next because medicare pays for it. It's a 3x a week that a lot of people say works. Good luck to you.
Sorry to learn that you are in so much pain. I have numbness and tngling in my feet and sometimes hands but it is the feeling of high anxiety--sometimes marked by a racing heart beat--that has me so upset. Please keep this site informed of your experience at the neuropathy clinic. I am at physical therapy and the massages are quite helpful in terms of stress reduction and comfort.
I was born with Spina Bifida, and deterioration over last 10 years has left me with a super public catheter, bowel incontinence and now suffer with extreme neuropathy whichbI believe was caused by a fall which further caused shingles hence, neuropathy. Nortriptyline 10mg doesn't help. I am wheelchair chair user and only lie in bed or sit as walking is impossible. Waiting for pain clinic to see if they can assist? Thnx
In today's New York Post an article described a vaccine for breast cancer--on the horizon. The breast cancer group has a powerful lobby so research is going their way. Not so much for PN. Our voices and concerns seem to take a backseat to other areas of medical research.
Absolutely no help from medical people with neuropathy. Much known now about heart and cancer but no apparent research for PN. It is so impossible to get relief. I have no answers either
Actually there is a lot of research going on but it's definitely a slow process for those of us with neuropathy. Neuropathy research sponsored by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy:
-- Clinical Research Training Scholarship: https://www.foundationforpn.org/clinical-research-training-scholarship/
-- Current Research: https://www.foundationforpn.org/current-research/
-- Grant & Funded Research: https://www.foundationforpn.org/grant-funded-research/
-- IMAGiNE Study: https://www.foundationforpn.org/imagine-study/
-- Research Registry for Patients: https://www.foundationforpn.org/research-registry/
-- Research Registry for Researchers: https://www.foundationforpn.org/research-registry-for-researchers/
I recently tried a new supplement called Arialief (google it) and find it has helped in many ways. Check it out