Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

Welcome to the Neuropathy group.
This is a welcoming, safe place where you can meet other people who are dealing with neuropathy. Let’s learn from each other and share stories about living well with neuropathy, coping with the challenges and offering tips.

I’m Colleen, and I’m the moderator of this group, and Community Director of Connect. Chances are you’ll to be greeted by volunteer patient Mentor John (@johnbishop) and fellow members when you post to this group. Learn more about Moderators and Mentors on Connect.

We look forward to welcoming you and introducing you to other members. Feel free to browse the topics or start a new one.
Let’s chat. Why not start by introducing yourself? What concerns would you like to talk about?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

Hi, my name is Shannon and I have autoimmune mediated polyneuropathy caused by Ts-Hds and Am trying to connect with others who have this form of it. In addition those who have found relief through modifications of lifestyle or just a great support group locally. I live in Michigan and this chronic pain from doing the minimal is so disturbing and defeating and Im currently on IVIG. Please help or guve resources if you can. Im grateful that I dont look sick but more and more I feel terrible with burning and pain which makes me more tired amd cause isolation.
Thanks in advance

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Profile picture for znanny @znanny

Hi, my name is Shannon and I have autoimmune mediated polyneuropathy caused by Ts-Hds and Am trying to connect with others who have this form of it. In addition those who have found relief through modifications of lifestyle or just a great support group locally. I live in Michigan and this chronic pain from doing the minimal is so disturbing and defeating and Im currently on IVIG. Please help or guve resources if you can. Im grateful that I dont look sick but more and more I feel terrible with burning and pain which makes me more tired amd cause isolation.
Thanks in advance

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Hi, znanny (@znanny)

I just want to say welcome! My neuropathy is very different, but I wanted to at least acknowledge your message. I see you sent it three hours ago. It's a typically sleepy Sunday. I know that as the new week gets underway, you'll begin to get replies from folks who suffer a neuropathy similar to yours. Just for now, though …

Cheers! And again welcome!
Ray (@ray666)

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Profile picture for diannesmcneill @diannesmcneill

Let’s talk about post shingle nerve damage. I have been dealing with that on right side of face and deep within my ear. A few years ago I was dealing with burning mouth and spent thousands on dental procedures trying to get the burning mouth to stop. Finally I stopped taking hydrocone-act and pregabalin and the mouth burning was gone! I was off medication for 16 months. Life was wonderful! No burning mouth pain. Then my ear started hurting and I went to clinic. Hesitantly was treated with Amoxicillin with the additive. My records showed an allergic reaction to this additive. I took the medicine and broke out in a rash on both sides of face and the deep ear pain. Emergency room PA told me I had shingles so was given the viral medication for shingles. The shingle scabs on the right side of my face and inside the opening to my ear were bad. Minor scabs on left side. That was first of December 2025. First part of January I still had the scabs. Sometime in Jan 2026 I was diagnosed with post shingle nerve pain on right side of face and right ear. I was put on hydrocone and pregabalin for the pain. Fast forward to Aug 2026. I have had 3 nerve blocks and scheduled for a 3rd nerve block this week. I was taken off the hydrocone-act about 3 months ago because it seemed to make my post shingle nerve pain worse. Last week I made the decision to stop the pregabalin after reading once again how pregabalin could also make pain worse. Remembering back that was the burning mouth experience I had with both medications several years ago with my burning mouth. I have not had any pregabalin now for a week and the post shingle nerve pain is a lot better. I was thinking about canceling my nerve block but decided to proceed with the nerve block in hopes it will help my nerves heal even more. First part of May I had surgery on my right ulnar nerve at elbow because my little finger was burning, my ring finger was numb and palm of hand was numb. I finally wrote letter to my neurologist about testing to get him to take me seriously. My ulnar nerve was seriously compressed. I had been resting my painful forehead on my hand as my elbow rested on the arm of a recliner chair in dealing with the pain of post shingle nerve damage on face and in right ear. I have been in physical therapy in excess of 2 months. My little finger still burns, ring finger and palm of hand still numb. Dr says healing the nerve will take a year or more. It’s taken me two experiences now in taking pregabalin and hydrocone to know without a doubt my system handles those two medications the wrong way by making pain worse. I fought taking the pregabalin the second time but it seemed to be what I was offered! Asking for payers during my nerve block this week for it to go ahead and heal my post shingle nerve damage on face and deep within my ear. I am pretty well convinced that as bad as my shingles looked on right side of face and on ear opening, steroid injections at the sight of those scabs might have helped in preventing the post shingle nerve damage pain. No I had not take the shingles vaccine and I regret that decision. My husband took his first the night I was in emergency room and he followed up with his second shingles vaccine as well!

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@diannesmcneill

ihad burning mouth as well but the dentist had never heard of it =no dental reason he said - then i discovered that the only time I had it was when I drank wine which i didnt do every day nor in great amounts but even with a sip i got the burninng mouth. This was very new since i was already in my mid 60s and had been drinking wine since my mid 20s =I traveled a lot in Europe in those days and never experienced a burning mouth drinking wine in Italy or France. I gave up all drinking 8 years ago so the burning mouth is no more but neuropathy is. I suspect that wine here is filled with things other than grapes for shelf life but that is just a guess and no doubt is not your problem. It sounds as if you were more adept at finding your problem yourself - good for you. Your nerve damage from shingles sounds awful - I dont think I ever had chicken pox - measles yes - so have not done the vaccine -
s

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Profile picture for shiraz2301 @shiraz2301

What is actual Neuropathy

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Welcome @shiraz2301, Here's some information from Neuropathy Commons that gives you a lot of information about the neuropathy and it's causes if that is what you were asking - https://neuropathycommons.org/neuropathy/neuropathy-overview.

Have you been diagnosed with neuropathy?

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Profile picture for znanny @znanny

Hi, my name is Shannon and I have autoimmune mediated polyneuropathy caused by Ts-Hds and Am trying to connect with others who have this form of it. In addition those who have found relief through modifications of lifestyle or just a great support group locally. I live in Michigan and this chronic pain from doing the minimal is so disturbing and defeating and Im currently on IVIG. Please help or guve resources if you can. Im grateful that I dont look sick but more and more I feel terrible with burning and pain which makes me more tired amd cause isolation.
Thanks in advance

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Hello Shannon @znanny, I would like to join @ray666 welcoming you to Connect. I think there are several members who have posted about TS-HDS antibody and polyneuropathy in the following discussion. I posted a few references I found in the first few posts in the discussion below also.
-- TS-HDS Antibody and Small Fiber Neuropathy:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ts-hds-antibody-and-small-fiber-neuropathy/

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