Cold feet due to neuropathy - need help

Posted by napa @napa, Feb 9, 2020

Hello, I have extremely cold feet due to my neuropathy. The doctors cannot help. Any suggestions or help? Thank you!

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

@johnbishop

Hello @val1980, Thank you for the private message and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I thought I would answer your private message in this discussion -- Cold feet due to neuropathy - need help, so that you could meet other members discussing cold feet and neuropathy and learn what they have shared about cold feet. If you scroll up one post you will see what I have posted about my cold feet and what has helped me.

You may also be interested in some information I found on cold feet and causes.

Medical News Today - Causes and remedies for cold feet: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320327
Mayo Clinic News Network - Cold Feet That Aren't Cold to the Touch May Indicate Neurologic Problem
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cold-feet-that-arent-cold-to-the-touch-may-indicate-neurologic-problem/

@jenniferhunter mentioned in a post earlier in this discussion that you might want to have your thyroid function checked. Here is a link to her post:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cold-feet-need-help/?pg=1#comment-365195

@val1980 did your doctor have any suggestions or tests to diagnose the cause of your cold feet?

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I have a pacemaker that rules out the very treatment that my doctor says i need, i was put on Garapentin which does not help therefore i get about three or four hours sleep if lucky. i now walk around like a zomby all day. i'm 88 years old

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@wideawakechas

I have a pacemaker that rules out the very treatment that my doctor says i need, i was put on Garapentin which does not help therefore i get about three or four hours sleep if lucky. i now walk around like a zomby all day. i'm 88 years old

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Hello @wideawakechas, Welcome to Connect. Sorry to hear you are not able to sleep and the gabapentin doesn't help you. The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy has some suggestions that may help if you have not already tried them - https://www.foundationforpn.org/living-well/lifestyle/managing-peripheral-neuropathy/

Have you discussed the trouble you are having sleeping with your doctor and that gabapentin is not helping with your symptoms?

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Hi, I went to a neuropathy treatment center for 4 treatments and they finally said because of my age and the pacemaker they could not help, and to try exercises and stick with the gabapentin. my doctor doubled my gabapentin to 600 mg. and again said he hates to go higher because of my age. it did no good, and the only way that i gen to sleep is with 1 or 2 tylanol which my doctor said i should not be taking every day. i'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Thanks for your interest.

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I am so sorry you cannot sleep. My neuropathy is currently mild but my feet do get cold as well. I often sleep with a heating pad on my feet. Not sure if that would help but thought I would mention

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Thanks for your comment. It certainly is worth trying. thanks

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@wideawakechas

Hi, I went to a neuropathy treatment center for 4 treatments and they finally said because of my age and the pacemaker they could not help, and to try exercises and stick with the gabapentin. my doctor doubled my gabapentin to 600 mg. and again said he hates to go higher because of my age. it did no good, and the only way that i gen to sleep is with 1 or 2 tylanol which my doctor said i should not be taking every day. i'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Thanks for your interest.

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@wideawakechas
I’m not sure what the grips are your doctor has regarding the two Tylenol. I believe the maximum dose of Tylenol is
3-4 grams (3-4,000 mg) which would be about 9-12 pills a day if my calculations are correct although I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
Am I understanding correctly that the gabapentin does not help your pain at all?
600 mg of gabapentin isn’t much and so if it isn't helping perhaps a higher dose would.
Do you know what concerns your doctor has about increasing your gabapentin? If he's telling you it's just because you are a certain age you need to tell him/her they'll have to do better than that. Do you have kidney disease, other health issues or taking other medicines that may interfere with it?
Are you having nausea, thinking problems, dizziness, memory issues, tiredness, problems with balance or other new symptoms since starting Gabapentin?
I took 3,600 mg without any side effects, the recommended maximum dose but it didn't help my neuropathy or seizures so I stopped it.
Best of luck to you and don't let your physician withhold treatment without sufficient justification.
Take care,
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@wideawakechas
I’m not sure what the grips are your doctor has regarding the two Tylenol. I believe the maximum dose of Tylenol is
3-4 grams (3-4,000 mg) which would be about 9-12 pills a day if my calculations are correct although I wouldn’t bet the farm on it.
Am I understanding correctly that the gabapentin does not help your pain at all?
600 mg of gabapentin isn’t much and so if it isn't helping perhaps a higher dose would.
Do you know what concerns your doctor has about increasing your gabapentin? If he's telling you it's just because you are a certain age you need to tell him/her they'll have to do better than that. Do you have kidney disease, other health issues or taking other medicines that may interfere with it?
Are you having nausea, thinking problems, dizziness, memory issues, tiredness, problems with balance or other new symptoms since starting Gabapentin?
I took 3,600 mg without any side effects, the recommended maximum dose but it didn't help my neuropathy or seizures so I stopped it.
Best of luck to you and don't let your physician withhold treatment without sufficient justification.
Take care,
Jake

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Hi Jake, thanks for your concern.I think your spot on when it comes to the age thing. I've heard it too many times. many old age problems i have now, i had before taking gabapentin. I started on 300mg. which did nothing, and then Doctor doubled it which also did nothing, and that's when the age thing came up again. I do alright in the daytime but at night it gets worse, so i take the pills then. i toss and turn trying to get my feet to stop hurting and so, at about 3 or 4oclock, i take one or 2 Tylonol and finaly get to sleep.I don't know how long i'll be able to take tylonol before i have other problems. so i guess i'll keep trucking, and some day hope i hit on something to help.i'm so thankful there are wonderful people like you out there who are interested enough to let me unload on, even though you have your own demons. I wish you luck in finding your own answers and thank you for your input. regards, Chas.

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I keep a heating pad set very low under my feet whenever I’m in bed. It seems to improve circulation and reduce the pain.

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@msg

I keep a heating pad set very low under my feet whenever I’m in bed. It seems to improve circulation and reduce the pain.

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I have cold and achy feet, and heat up booties from this company (Southwest Techologies Inc.). They work great.

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@betoma

I have cold and achy feet, and heat up booties from this company (Southwest Techologies Inc.). They work great.

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My feet are extremely cold sensitive, However, when I put on shoes, they cycle through a brief comfortable period, then begin to burn. I spend the day putting on and taking off shoes. When I have to go out, especually in the cold weather, I suffer through the burning as long as I can.
Anybody with a similar situation, and even partial solutions?
Thanks

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