Ideas for pain relief from Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN)

Hi, @somisgirl @artscaping @rwinney @jimhd and all -

A couple of other Connect threads you may want to check out related to the connection of pain and depression are:

Chronic Pain: Depression as a result https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cronic-pain-1

Pain and discouragement https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-and-discouragement

Thank you Lisa

I had the same problem....just the fabric of my socks was painful. I had to cut the top bands just so I could wear them! The DMSO helps numb that pain, and then I could wear the compression socks....it keeps the swelling away from your feet which I think helps with the pain. The cream is sold on Amazon, and I bought a 6 pack of over-the-calf socks from there also, then cut them a few inches above the ankle so there would be no band at the top. Hope this helps!

I got the socks delivered from Amazon yesterday. Where do you get DMSO cream? I think it might help me. Did order the PEA cream not here yet. Pam

Hi, @terryrose - I am also interested, like @johnbishop, in what treatment you have undergone for your peripheral neuropathy and what you may have found helps?

Hi Jennifer,

Thank you for your informative reply. Sadly, the one thing I haven't tried but have been aware of for years Is the elimination diet. I was disciplined to be a vegan for a year but more recently was on the paleo diet. I just don't think I can stay on the elimination diet. But since I'm convinced a food allergy may play a role I'm just going to have to do it. For a long time I eliminated dairy but I ate lots of beans and tomatoes and peppers. I read Gundry's book and stopped eating beans, tomatoes and peppers last summer and I did see some improvement but I guess I'm never convinced and so reverted to my old favorite meals with the nightshades. Gluten I gave up a few years ago but it's hard to avoid completely if you eat out. The problem is that the reaction is not immediate so it's hard to be totally convinced of the cause and effect which, I guess, is the argument for the elimination diet. Thanks again for your well-informed reply.

Thanks for the reply. I wasn't suggesting that I think I have C-diff just that some researches think there is a connection between bacterial infections in our guts and many neurological disorders. I went through this 5 years ago and a holistic practice found that I had a bacterial infection and a parasite. Treatment made it worse such that I was up during the night for a month with severe diarrhea. I was put on Creon for over a year which another gastro told me was inappropriate. Eventually I got back to where I was with the fall back IBS symptoms. To be honest, I'm just worn out from trying all the diets and seeing all the doctors and still ending up in the same place. Although it makes sense to try the elimination diet before I go to Mayo, assuming my neurologist can get me an appointment, I just want someone else to figure it out.

Do you know if black mold can cause nerve damage?

@jager5210 You're welcome. I don't eat out very often myself, and always have a discussion with the staff. There are enzymes available now and I saw them at a CVS pharmacy that digest the gluten. I think people with gluten issues are deficient in the ability to produce this enzyme for digestion, so if you are eating out and are not sure, that is an option to reduce exposure. I had to give up nightshades for the most part, and I developed a reaction to tomatoes, but I found that I could tolerate them cooked in sauces if I don't do it too often. I can get joint pain in my fingers if I have too much. I also have asthma, and foods that trigger that are ones I avoid. I have been gluten free for 20 years and recently accidentaly ate a couple bites of Mac and cheese that wasn't gluten free and was real dairy. I thought it was the leftovers from my own gluten free/dairy free version. I did get pain in my stomach and intestines, but after a day, I was OK. My reaction to a mistake like that used to be worse like getting the stomach flu, and would also involve my asthma, and I think that because it had been years since my immune system was constantly fighting the gluten war, the soldiers were on leave. You can just start with basic foods without seasoning; plain meat and vegetables like your paleo diet. It gets tricky when you have to test individual ingredients and when labels don't tell you anything. That is true of a lot of seasonings and when a restaurant buys a large container of it, there isn't any guarantee, and they just don't know. That's why I avoid seasonings and spices unless I'm at home and know what is safe. I know for myself, any kind of pepper causes a problem. I've read that Bananas are related to ragweed, and I have breathing issues if I eat a tiny bite. Sometimes a person can tolerate a food if it is not eaten during the allergy season for a related plant. I can eat an egg yolk, but not the white and the only way to completely separate that well is hard boiling it first. I use the unsweetened coconut milk instead of dairy. I also treat my inhaled allergies for mold spores, grasses, ragweed, dust, etc. I do allergy shots. According to my functional medicine doctor, that reduces inflammation in the body for everything when you treat allergies that contribute to it. Just keep track of what is different about foods you ate if you don't feel well after. I give it a few tries to make sure I get the same results each time before I eliminate it altogether. Another suggestion may be digestive enzymes. I think as we age, we are less efficient at digestion, so adding some digestive enzymes may help. I have taken those before. The name of the game is really to try to reduce inflammation everywhere in your body as it is the root cause of a lot of disease. Eating foods that reduce inflammation helps a lot.

@resawaller -- Fortunately I have no personal experience with black mold but I'm pretty sure it is toxic and can cause health issues. Here's some information that expands on it.

NIH - Mold Infections of the Central Nervous System
-- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4840461/

Have you been exposed to black mold?