I had neuropathy so severe in my feet I could hardly bear to stand on my own two feet, had 3 toes without sensation. You could put a needle in them. So with both pain and numbness I begged my rheumatologist for a nerve study. Sooooo, they set one up. Went to guys office, the man's face is deeply flushed, eyes dripping, nose leaking. He was a mess. Did my nerve study, said no findings of neuropathy. Found out the doc had a terrible cocaine problem. Lost his license to practice. But, my rheumatologist was satisfied. There, see, you don't have neuropathy!!!

So, dropped my rheumatologist, neurologist, went back to my GP, who dropped down my meds, tapering those that needed to be. Not very effective anyway, plus GP was not allowed to prescribe or oversee the methotrexate. Found a good foot doctor who found ways to bring relief by taping my feet to transfer where the pressure would be placed, making his own inserts for my shoes, allowing for the constantly swollen nerves to relax and a chance to cool down the enflamation. Took a year of weekly, sometimes twice a week visits. My feet still give me trouble, but I went from crisis off the charts pain, to just annoying, but I can still walk pain.

Then came...trigeminal neuralgia. 😳The devil. I know neuropathy and the great pain it causes. God bless those wrestling this monster daily! Finding ways to help relieve the suffering besides the meds that mess with the mind, like those being handed out like candy for everything from neuropathy to RA, fibro, muscle aches and pains is hard. (Gabapentin, neurontin, lyrica, etc.) Some are anticonvulsants, which scares me more than the opioids I use.