Which prescription medication helps you best for peripheral neuropathy

so sorry about your cousin, I hope he recovers quickly. Can you tell us why his doctor recommended he quit those 2 drugs immediately? and does he have neuropathy? You would think a doctor would be aware that titrating down is required when quitting most drugs. It is even wise to quit smoking gradually as going cold turkey can also cause mental problems. Helen

Good morning Helen my cousin finally passed away after several years a very terrible experience sorry to say. It just proves that not all Healthcare professionals especially Primary Care people are up to speed with withdrawal from ssris. You would think that everyone would have heard slow withdrawal is the order of the day by now but it's not. He was on Cymbalta and Lyrica together so probably the discontinuation of both drugs simultaneously had a tremendous effect on his brains ability to function going cold turkey like that. Thank you for responding

capt.philly, so sorry for your loss, it is not surprising that so many have sad and unnecessary horror stories relating to doctors and our health care system. I am hopeful that this will change for the better in the future as doctors become more aware and enlightened. Helen

Thanks for the private message @sunnyflower, I thought I would respond to your message in this discussion so that other members may be able to help. I see so many posts that I am not able to remember which new medication you may have seen and wanted to find the post a member shared. This discussion Which prescription medication helps you best for peripheral neuropathy is new and might have the post you were trying to find. The good news is that is not too large that you can't quickly scan through the posts starting from the beginning of the discussion.

Also, you might want to scan the following articles to see if any of the medications mentioned are what you saw in the post you are trying to find.

- 2019 - The neuropathic pain: An overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6431761/

- Updated 2020 - Drugs that relieve nerve pain: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/drugs-that-relieve-nerve-pain

- 2020 - Most effective drugs for common type of neuropathic pain: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201015173129.htm

Thx John, as usual you outdid yourself! Msny blessings, Sunnyflower

The answer is the medical approved pra tice of Neuroplasticity. Read my previos posts on it. I have and still having good results.There are no drugs or creams that CURE our problem. I have overcome both pain and itch.

My question is. I have had peripheral polyneuropathy for 15 years and the best thing I have taken is Lyrica. My pain is getting progressively worse. It is actually ungodly. Is there anything new out there that I can take? I can’t take much more of this. Thanks, Gil Haisten

@sports1776. Welcome to Mayo Connect, Gil. On Mayo Connect we are not medical professionals and therefore we cannot diagnose health problems. However, we can share our own personal experiences. I’m sorry you’re having to go through all of this discomfort. Was your PN brought on by an event such as chemo or diabetes?

I’m going to bring into this conversation @johnbishop, @fiesty76, @jesfactsmon all of whom have had experience personally with PN or are a caregiver for someone who is dealing with this. Peripheral neuropathy is hot topic so I’m sure there will be many others in our community willing to share their stories and advice with you.
Here’s some information on PN to review in the meantime. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061?_ga=2.123822602.1027096109.1611755425-618629067.1611755425.

Hello @sport1776 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can see you are interested in learning what other members might suggest as another option for you with regard to your increasing pain.

You will notice that I have moved your post into an existing discussion on prescription medication for PN so you can better connect with members such as @californialen @bustrbrwn22 @lorirenee1 and @jeffrapp who have been active in this discussion. To see what they've already shared, you can click the blue "View & Reply" button in this email and scroll up to the start of this discussion.

Have you shared your pain concerns with your Neurologist?

Hi @sport1776
I'm sorry for your suffering. I too have PN, so I can empathize.
The first step, as others have mentioned, is to get a specific diagnosis, as there are many forms of PN. Some of the forms of PN are treatable by addressing the underlying cause (if known). In my case, and many others, the cause remains unknown, even after an extensive work up (which is best done by a neurologist).
After the work up, the standard treatment is to start with gabapentin or pregabalin (Lyrica). They both act very much the same. The proper dose is determined by experimenting (with your doctor's advice).
Another commonly used medicine is some form of antidepressant, such as duloxitene (Cymbalta). Again, the proper dose varies with the individual. These types of medicines tend to have a dual effect. They help with depression, which many patients with PN develop. They also seem to have a separate analgesic effect.
There are numerous creams and lotions, some over the counter, that can be tried. Also, alternative methods such as acupuncture, meditation, supplements, vitamins, etc. Barry Shears in this forum discusses neuroplasticity.
It is important to maximize your physical surroundings. If your feet are burning, cool them, and vice-versa. Wear comfortable shoes (Ugg type boots help me the most). I wear flip flops whenever I can (even in the winter, but I live in moderate California). Also, I find my feet hurt less when I am walking.
Unfortunately, my experience, and that of others, is that nothing works particularly well. There are some new drugs being investigated, but I don't see anything coming to market any time soon.
I have found that the most helpful thing for me is attitude. As time goes on, I have come to accept my condition more, and try to continue as much of my pre-PN life as possible, rather than succumb to the temptation to give up. Most importantly, I try not to become fearful of the future, which only serves to create more anxiety, resulting in an increase in symptoms.
Good luck, and I hope you find some relief from your pain.