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Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group
Neuropathy | Last Active: Oct 27 5:51pm | Replies (6152)Comment receiving replies
@johnbishop
Hi John
I actually was diagnosed with Nephropathy about 10 years ago from the nerve test that they do. I was not bad at the time so I didn't take it too seriously. The pain would come & go & it was not a bother. I am so bad now that I had ot go to the Neurologist. I started out with Nortriptilyne & it was helping & I took it for 2 months but then the constipation was so bad that I had to stop. That was the only one that I think helped. The day before I had the bad constipation attack I had been at the ER for abdominal pain bc I am dealing with adhesions due to endometriosis & prior surgery. They gave me a morphine drip & dilaudid & I don't know if in a short time if that could of caused the constipation. Then I went on the Gabapentin for a short time & it was making me to tired so I stopped that. Then they put me on the Cymbalta 30 mg & that did not help so now I am on Cymbalta 60 mg & Gabapentin 200 mg they increased it but I am waiting to see some relief. I'm one day good & one day bad so I have to take one day at a time. Thank you John for all your help.
Replies to "@johnbishop Hi John I actually was diagnosed with Nephropathy about 10 years ago from the nerve..."
@tigreyes2004
Hi there,
Gabapentin is an
Anti-convulsant and they all cause drowsiness. However if you continue with it the drowsiness usually always improves in time. I was on a lot of narcotics for many years and was able to control the constipation.
If the Nortriptyline was helping your constipation should be controllable.
Good luck to you.
Jake
@tigreyes2004 I take a few meds that can be constipating. I have a history of intestinal surgeries, peptic ulcers and for adhesions. I've gone to the ER several times for bowel obstruction, so anytime my stomach hurts, my first thought is, not again!
I take a tablespoon of Lactulose ( it comes with various names), and I have good bowel movements as a rule. If I can't have one, I take a little more Lactulose. I actually like the flavor, but my brother, who has less than 10% liver function, has to take a larger dose several times a day, and hates it. I've found that if I eat a small piece of chocolate before I take it, it enhances the flavor.
The Lactulose I take is a prescription, so it's paid for by Medicare and a supplement. Of course, there are many constipation treatments out there.
Jim
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Hi @tigreyes2004 - Were you diagnosed with nephropathy or neuropathy? I started looking into nutrition to help with my symptoms after reading a book by Dr. Terry Wahls - The Wahls Protocol. She has an amazing story of how she helped her MS symptoms using cellular nutrition. You can read more about her here: https://terrywahls.com/about/about-terry-wahls/. You can read my story in an earlier post on Connect and what I found that helps me: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/anyone-here-dealing-with-peripheral-neuropathy/?pg=42#comment-65985
Hoping you find some answers soon that help give you relief.