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Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours?
Neuropathy | Last Active: Nov 23 2:33pm | Replies (656)Comment receiving replies
Hi, I'm new to this site and am hopeful to have the support that is so important when suffering with Peripheral Neuropathy. I started having pain in my metatarsal in both feet, likely from wearing high heels for years as a Dental Sales Rep. When the pins & needles & numbness started 14yrs ago, my Rheumatologist told me to stop wearing them, so I did. But the constant pins & needles and numbness only got worse. It started with a feeling of phantom socks or something on the bottom of my feet, when there was nothing on my feet! After 14yrs it has continued now up my legs, to just below my knees. There is NO pain at all, just numbness & pins/needles. It has been constant, 24/7 not one second of relief in this many years. I have tried every modality known to man, without success. Tried many supplements and my new Dr. insisted that I try PreGabalin again, which my old Dr. (retired) had me on, with no success. I am so worried as I have a very hard time with walking as I can't feel where I'm placing my foot and cycling is out, as it makes the pins & needles & numbness even worse! MRI shows I have a comressed spine L3 L4 L5 and I am not ready for back surgury, if that even would help with the numbness. Anyone out there have the same issues without pain & have you found any relief at all? Any help would be so appricated, I have continued to try and find answers, but to no avail. Thank you for any help you can lend my way......
Replies to "Hi, I'm new to this site and am hopeful to have the support that is so..."
I have the same but I’ve only had it for 6 years, it’s progressing very slowly, now causing stiffness in my ankles. My EMG shows L5 S1 Radiculopathy but I didn’t bother getting an MRI as I had read only a small number of people benefit from compression release and sometimes it makes things worse.
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I empathize with your plight. I have neuropathy--perhaps related to my celiac condition or else due to medicines I took for a sinus infection this past winter. Like you, I do not have pain--just numbness and tingling. Recently, I was prescribed amoxicillin for a dental extraction and tried to take it but could not--the tingling increased so my dentist said I could stop it--now using salt water rinses instead--so far so good. Sometimes I think PN is a sensitivity condition more than anything else. And like you, I am dealing with spinal issues--could have been caused by muscle wasting which can be a component of neurological illness. I am in PT and may try acupuncture soon. I have not had an MRI as yet. Back pain is more annoying than PN. No giving up allowed! Hope you get some answers soon.