Stem cell treatment for peripheral neuropathy - any good?

Does anyone know if stem cell works for muscle? I have very stiff muscles from the medication. This always went away on its own from other medicaitons. However, it takes forever to go away. Possibly small fiber nerve damage involved. I know the nervous system takes longer to heal than any other system in the body.

Hi, I'm new to the site, just started having trouble in Feb. 2020, mine is just numbness in feet and balls of my feet, also having some siatic problems now. Are they related? Going for a MRI on Thursday, and will be talking with a neurosurgeon in a couple of weeks. Just looking for a cure. Driving me nuts, I'm 66 years old a male, in good shape, causing a problem with my sex life as the numbness increases the closer I get to an orgasm, a major distraction. Do you have any advise? Just becoming frustrated. Thanks

Hi @pcash54 have you been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy by a doctor and are you looking at doing a stem cell treatment for it? I am somewhat new here myself, only posting since January but from what I have been able to gather there really are no cures for PN for most people. Or if there are, no one I've heard from here knows about them. Right now most people are trying to deal with their pain, i.e. palliative care. People use a number of different drugs, among the ones I hear about the most are gabapentin, lyrica, tramadol, amitriptyline, morphine in extreme cases, cannabis (THC), kratom, as well as electrical nerve stimulators which get installed into the body and connected to various nerves. I'm sure I am leaving a lot of stuff out, but you will find what you need to know eventually.

You would do well to pay attention to and become a part of this forum as you will learn a lot from the various discussion that go on here. I highly recommend that you find some discussion under he neuropathy section with headers that seem pertinent to you and read through the early posts on them. Here is the link: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/neuropathy/ from this page you will find dozens of discussion listed in chronological order based on the time one was last posted on.

A great resource to talk to is John Bishop. He is the answer man around here. Just include his handle @johnbishop in your post and I am sure he will respond to you, he always does. He is a terrific person and extremely knowledgeable as well as helpful. I hope to see more of your posts and hear more of your situation. I hope you find the answers you seek my friend. I know how scary neuropathy can be, it is an uncharted adventure you are embarking on. My best to you, Hank

Hello @pcash54, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I also have numbness in my feet as a symptom for my small fiber peripheral neuropathy. Here's what I found on your question as to whether they are related..."Foot and ankle pain that occurs with numbness and weakness in your foot may be caused by a pinched nerve in your ankle (tarsal tunnel syndrome) or back (sciatica). Burning, numbness, or lack of feeling in your feet may be caused by poor circulation, especially in people who have diabetes or peripheral arterial disease." from
Toe, Foot, and Ankle Problems, Noninjury | Michigan Medicine: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/footp

I would make a list of all of your questions so that you are prepared for your appointment with a neurosurgeon. Here are some tips I found on the PatientRevolution.org website -- Plan your conversation -- https://patientrevolution.org/visit-tools. There is also another discussion on Connect that you may find helpful for your upcoming appointment -- Your Tips on How to Get Off to the Best Start with a New Specialist: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/your-tips-on-how-to-get-off-to-the-best-start-with-a-new-specialist/

You mentioned having numbness in the feet, do you also have any associated pain?

@jeanlynne I would be very cautious with any stem cell treatment for neuropathy or nerve damage. I did some research on it back in 2018 and posted earlier in this discussion here with problems and warnings that I found - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/stem-cell-treatment-for-peripheral-neuropathy-any-good/?pg=1#comment-127606. And then there is this warning from the FDA.

FDA Warns About Stem Cell Therapies: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-warns-about-stem-cell-therapies

There is some progress being made on stem cell therapy for diabetic neuropathy that I think shows some promise but I'm not sure it's available yet. Mesenchymal stem cells to treat diabetic neuropathy: a long and strenuous way from bench to the clinic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4979500/

Some medications can cause peripheral neuropathy as a side effect, have you discussed your medications with your doctor?

Has anyone here actually had stem cell therapy for PN? Or is there another group i should be on?

I am considering Stem Cell therapy for my Degenerative Dics Disease at one of the clinics in Mexica where they have excellent results. So i am wondering about PN too.

John M. , Canada

Hi John @johnnysneakers, I also have idiopathic small fiber PN along with degenerative disc disease and a few other conditions. I always that stem cell therapy might be the hope of the future but am pretty skeptical that it offers anything at my age and condition, but that's just my opinion. I did a search of "stem cell therapy spine" and did find some members who mention stem cell therapy - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/search/?search=stem%20cell%20therapy%20%20spine.

In the search results there was this related Mayo Clinic Newsfeed post that is interesting and may provide some additional information:
-- An Active Life Restored, Thanks to Regenerative Medicine:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/adult-pain-medicine/newsfeed-post/an-active-life-restored-thanks-to-regenerative-medicine-2/

I have had stem cells injected into the bottom of my feet & behind my knees. After 3 months of pt the results have been nil. Please report on your results.

@sophia86

Go to Mexico and get stem cell therapy. Qualified doctors, half the cost in USA. I am serious considering going there for my Degenerative Disc Disease which they are confident they can repair with mesenchymal cells. I have spoken to a patient that went there and has amazing recovery. I am awaiting info from this clinic about what they can do for PN. They were convinced they can treat my PN.

I had stem cell treatment on my legs and feet 3 months ago and it didn’t work for me on my nerve pain. Don’t waste your money!