Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

Has anyone had success with tracing numbness and aching with severe stenosis of L4 and L5.
The Perineal nerve traces the leg and foot issues that I have. Hope that surgery on the back will
remove any restriction to the nerve in question. This is my diagnosis as doctors just throw up their
hands. Only patients know how and where the numbness and pain are located.

Welcome @karleenhubley, I have numbness in the feet and legs but don't have any pain with my small fiber peripheral neuropathy. I also have had lower back issues since my mid 50s along with degenerative disk disease. I haven't even thought about back surgery but I'm guessing part of my numbness may be attributed to spinal compression on the nerves.

@jenniferhunter may have some thoughts or experience she can share with you on L5 and L5 surgery fixing nerve compression and relieving your symptoms.

When is your surgery?

I am getting my second , a current MRI, Sept. 15. Then I will speak to a neurosurgeon that my doc. recommends. I will interview him and get another opinion. We must be self advocates.

I've had complete numbness of the entire right side of my face including the inside of my mouth and tongue for the past 34 years. I had MRI's which have not shown any tumors or compressions. I was told back in 1988 that the cause was the result of the herpes virus that attacked my trigeminal nerve.
The numbness has recently gotten worse. Medications do not help. I am searching for people who have the same problem and maybe a solution.
Thank you.

Hi @brian29, Welcome to Connect. There is another discussion you might find helpful for connecting with other members with similar symptoms.

-- Trigeminal numbness: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trigeminal-numbness/

I was diagnosed with Neuropathy in 2008. Numbness creeping up my legs, but the pain in my left foot dictates how much I walk. In the last three years, I've gone from walking a mile every other day and freely walking our house to measuring my steps each day. I'm on medical cannabis - pills, salve, and vaporizer (inhaler / ecig) and Lyrica. I use three different massagers for my foot. I take a motorized cart whenever possible. I've tried Gabapentin, but the cannabis,
Lyrica, and leg/foot massages help me the most. My dad had this and my brother has a very mild case of neuropathy. I'd appreciate any tips, treatments, or exercises that have helped others. Thanks!
Andy

Hello @andyoman50, Welcome to Connect. Sorry to hear you haven't found much that helps with your neuropathy symptoms. There are a few other discussions you might find helpful.

-- Neuropathy & Exercise: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-exercise/
-- Small Fiber Neuropathy: What helps?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/small-fiber-neuropathy/
-- Supplement recommendations: What can help neuropathy?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/supplement-recommendations-can-help/

You might also want to look at the information provided by the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy -- https://www.foundationforpn.org/living-well/

Have you made any lifestyle changes to try and help your neuropathy symptoms?

I noticed that you said your brother and father have similar symptoms. That is true in my family also. My sister and I have many identical symptoms, but have gone different routes with treatment. My Dad, who is 90 and walks two miles every day, has a lot of the pain, and his father did too, but not as many symptoms as us women.
Because Hudson Alpha Institute is in my town, I went to their Institute for Genomic Medicine. It was nice to have someone help me tie together all the puzzling and overlapping symptoms I’ve had for the past seven years. Sadly, the testing did not show any known genetic markers for what my family has, but they assured me that research is always ongoing, and I could be contacted at a later time with more information. It doesn’t change anything, but it’s nice to know that someone is researching on our behalf.

I posted this question on the site for those of us who have neuropathy that’s unrelated to diabetes. Mine is a result of a mistake during surgery that damaged the intercostal nerve.

I’m asking for information on the highly recommended R-alpha lipoic acid. My primary said YES immediately about my taking it. My question is what is the difference between R-alph and just alpha lipoic acid. I can Google it, but I thought someone might have knowledge and experience.
I’m aware Vitamin E with a dl is synthetic and I wouldn’t take it. Is this similar? Thanks!

@gshfmb, here are a few references that you might find helpful...

-- Alpha Lipoic Acid
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/lipoic-acid
-- Research seeks to identify the mode of action of two age-essential micronutrients,
lipoic acid (LA) and acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR)
https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/research/hap/aging-stress-response-and-mitochondrial-decay
-- (R)-Lipoic Acid: Unique ‘Mitochondrial Antioxidant’ Fights Premature Aging
https://nutritionreview.org/2019/07/r-lipoic-acid-unique-mitochondrial-antioxidant-fights-premature-aging/
-- Insights on the Use of α-Lipoic Acid for Therapeutic Purposes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6723188/