← Return to Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

Discussion

Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

Neuropathy | Last Active: Oct 27 5:51pm | Replies (6152)

Comment receiving replies
@jeanniem

@pixiejacq, unfortunately, in my experience, general pain relievers don't do much for neuropathy pain. Nerve pain generally requires a different type of medication. There are a few different options out there. You will get different opinions from different people regarding each of those options. Your best choice is to sit down with a doctor that you trust and who listens to you and discuss which medication choice might be right for you. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and let him know that you want the option to stop taking the medication if you feel that it is not worth the consequences or side effects.

I would also make sure they are checking for additional complications. Sometimes, the doctor will see that we are a diabetic and assume that that is the only reason behind or neuropathy. However, there can be many other things contributing to an increase in nerve pain. It never hurts to rule things out. See if you can notice if anything makes your pain subside, even just a tiny bit. That's great information! A pain specialist might be able to take that information 2 suggest other options that also might help relieve the pain. I find that getting in the pool it's good for my body. But I had to experiment. If I flipper kick, it increases my pain and swelling. But if I use a jog belt in the water and only pull with my arms and do stretching, my body responds very well.

I know I'm not giving you specific answers, and I'm sorry that I cannot. I, personally, have not yet tried Cymbalta. I went on 300 mg of Gabapentin twice a day to help relieve the muscle spasms I was having. I seem to handle it just fine and I know there are others who have not had the same experience. It really is trial and error. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

Jump to this post


Replies to "@pixiejacq, unfortunately, in my experience, general pain relievers don't do much for neuropathy pain. Nerve pain..."

I take cymbalta & Gabapentin.
300 gabapentin i the morning & 300 at night.
I find the cymbalta does help me get on with life. I take 60 mg. It make sme hyper but that is how I get my work done.
Best of luck to you.
Tigreyes.

Thank you for your response! Since I'm new to seeking help (finally) and have recently gone on Medicare, I have to find a doctor I feel comfortable with. You've been very helpful. I did struggle with CRPS about 18 years ago after a foot surgery. This lead to "Lipodermatosclerosis" in both legs - at least that's what was determined after tests to rule out venous insufficiency. So, your suggestion to see if there is anything else causing the neuropathy makes sense. I haven't been to a doctor to discuss any of these issues for years until I went to an internist last week who suggested the Cymbalta. I should also mention that I sought his help just recently after years of barely manageable pain because I dropped a can on my foot and broke it and it re-activated the CRPS which in turn made the neuropathy 100% worse. I know my issue is complicated, but all comments are welcome and so appreciated.