Can Neuropathy be cured?

Posted by catstx @catstx, Sep 8, 2021

I’ve had P. neuropathy for 30 years. Just recently I’ve better controlled my blood sugar. So, I’m wondering if Neuropathy ever goes away, Or, if once the nerves are dead they’re just dead

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Hi,
Just one comment.
There are NUMEROUS tests to find out "what causes" this PN, but that the fact(jack) is:
There is NO cure. Find out from this site what takes YOUR pain away. We react differently to every different pill or treatment! Who cares what caused it?... unless it helps you emotionally or mentally. It doesn't do anything but break your pocketbook ... spend time and money getting RELIEF. ( Just my opinion) Good luck!

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@dbeshears1

@njed - I too have had lower back pain, that seems to have increased the past 2 years along with the numbness/parenthesis. (another twinning moment for us). I too have discussed with my Neurologists, who have dismissed the relationship. Isn’t it hard to have our ideas rejected when they have no ideas of their own to offer? I know I’ve repeated several times that they won’t do an MRI, and part of my desire for one is because of the lower back issues for years. Not enough for pain killers, but enough for discomfort and sleeping interference. Neurologists have told me I should try chiropractor or orthopedic help. But, I’m trying to stay positive and keep on top of therapies and life improvement techniques.

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Yep, similar symptoms. I do take tylenol and advil, seems to keep pain level at a 2. Doesn't do a thing for the PN. My docs ordered MRI about every 2-3 years - worse, worse. OK, so the docs say that lower back issues have zero to do with cause of my PN. In 2018, I did follow my primary doc suggestion to see a chiropractor. Not good results, could hardly work for 2 days. Back pain a 7. Don't get me wrong, they have their place and help many folks but not for me. Because I can touch my lower back (lightly) and get those odd feelings in ankles and feet, docs just shrug their shoulders with a blank look on their face and are basically afraid to do anything. "Never seen that" common expression. Again...do not harm. Meanwhile, we need to continue to do our best and by that I mean keep moving, walking, yet live within our abilities and not step over that ever changing line to cause harm to ourselves. Simply, stay safe. I guess at some point we stop looking for the cause and accept idiopathic. Not easy.

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@njed

Yep, similar symptoms. I do take tylenol and advil, seems to keep pain level at a 2. Doesn't do a thing for the PN. My docs ordered MRI about every 2-3 years - worse, worse. OK, so the docs say that lower back issues have zero to do with cause of my PN. In 2018, I did follow my primary doc suggestion to see a chiropractor. Not good results, could hardly work for 2 days. Back pain a 7. Don't get me wrong, they have their place and help many folks but not for me. Because I can touch my lower back (lightly) and get those odd feelings in ankles and feet, docs just shrug their shoulders with a blank look on their face and are basically afraid to do anything. "Never seen that" common expression. Again...do not harm. Meanwhile, we need to continue to do our best and by that I mean keep moving, walking, yet live within our abilities and not step over that ever changing line to cause harm to ourselves. Simply, stay safe. I guess at some point we stop looking for the cause and accept idiopathic. Not easy.

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I agree whole heartedly - yesterday I was forced to walk more than usual and was so exhausted… then later realized I hadn’t been bothered at all by pain, numbness, or tingling while doing it or for awhile afterward! I think my waning desire to know about the cause of neuropathy is to see what I can do to stop its progression. If it’s a medicine, a food, an activity, drinking tap water, vitamin or mineral excess or deficiency, maybe there’s something I can change to stop this from getting worse. If it’s something mechanical, structural, or electrical with my body, maybe a simple repair (or maybe not) I know I’m preaching to the choir, but we’re looking for a new home as we’re in transitional apartment while looking, since ours sold quickly. Though I’m ~58 and disabled, my husband 76 and physically ok but of course numbers aren’t in best favor, I asked 2 doctors if we should be going straight to assisted living NOW vs waiting until we’re unable to move ourselves… and of course they have no answers. We don’t really have family to help us physically, so I just wish I had a prognosis to help plan smartly. Oh well, I know you understand my frustration, and I know ti keep the exercises and therapies I’m learning on here to do what I myself can contribute to the outcome

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Keep as active as you can and keep moving seems to be the one common thing that various neuro docs have told me. In my early 70's, I walk about 5 times a week, short walk, take a rest, walk more, rest again. To play safe, my wife walks with me. I feel the degree of activity also corresponds with the slow progression of my neuroathy. My PN has been at my upper shins for 3 years and has increased very little towards my knees. I'm doing my best to keep it where it is. Time will tell.

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@fala

Hi,
Just one comment.
There are NUMEROUS tests to find out "what causes" this PN, but that the fact(jack) is:
There is NO cure. Find out from this site what takes YOUR pain away. We react differently to every different pill or treatment! Who cares what caused it?... unless it helps you emotionally or mentally. It doesn't do anything but break your pocketbook ... spend time and money getting RELIEF. ( Just my opinion) Good luck!

Jump to this post

To fala....yes, you are right about the cure. Many of us spent years figuring that if we could find the cause, we could find the cure. Makes sense. In many cases, that is the way medicine works. But, with PN...the odds of finding the cause are different. And, I agree that you get to the point of not trying to figure it out and turn to OK...how can I best live with this and at the same time live my life to the fullest and the sooner that realization hits you like a baseball right between the eyes, the better off you will be and begin to live your life with the disability of PN. That's what happened to me when my primary doc sat me down and she gave me the facts. She said look forward, not backwards. Difficult? Yes, but her advise is slowly working. Ed

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@njed

To fala....yes, you are right about the cure. Many of us spent years figuring that if we could find the cause, we could find the cure. Makes sense. In many cases, that is the way medicine works. But, with PN...the odds of finding the cause are different. And, I agree that you get to the point of not trying to figure it out and turn to OK...how can I best live with this and at the same time live my life to the fullest and the sooner that realization hits you like a baseball right between the eyes, the better off you will be and begin to live your life with the disability of PN. That's what happened to me when my primary doc sat me down and she gave me the facts. She said look forward, not backwards. Difficult? Yes, but her advise is slowly working. Ed

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Ed @njed, I think you hit the nail on the head 🙂. It sometimes takes us awhile to get to that point in our neuropathy journey but I think it helps once you accept that it's part of your new normal.

@lorirenee1 started a discussion on the topic that we probably should all revisit.
-- Have You Made Any Kind of Peace With Having Your Neuropathy?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/have-you-made-any-kind-of-peace-with-having-your-neuropathy/

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@johnbishop

Hi @logman1 - I thought you might find this video helpful in your journey to keep the diabetes at bay and maybe even reverse it.

Dr Jay Wortman Diabetes Remission is Surprisingly Simple!

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What if your neuropathy is not due to diabetic?

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@pamelaz

What if your neuropathy is not due to diabetic?

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Then you have to search for something that helps your symptoms. Not easy since each of us perceive pain a little different and what helps one, may or may not help someone else. Have you ever looked through the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy to see if things that others have found helpful might help you?

-- https://www.foundationforpn.org/living-well/

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@njed

To fala....yes, you are right about the cure. Many of us spent years figuring that if we could find the cause, we could find the cure. Makes sense. In many cases, that is the way medicine works. But, with PN...the odds of finding the cause are different. And, I agree that you get to the point of not trying to figure it out and turn to OK...how can I best live with this and at the same time live my life to the fullest and the sooner that realization hits you like a baseball right between the eyes, the better off you will be and begin to live your life with the disability of PN. That's what happened to me when my primary doc sat me down and she gave me the facts. She said look forward, not backwards. Difficult? Yes, but her advise is slowly working. Ed

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@njed Very wisely stated; I think it helps so much to hear from folks like you, @fala , our mentors, and so many others on here that this road has been travelled and to help us just get to the short cuts. Without this cyber community, as you know, most of know of nobody in our personal world like us, and start in disbelief of unknown medical conditions, and start the process by think we have to do the jobs the doctors aren’t doing. While we do need doctors in the journey that we’re compatible with, this forum sure has helped cross the bridge to reality or “the new normal “ and help the forward vs backward thinking, and using energy for constructive improvement and teamwork vs destructive activities. I hit a few road blocks, but have moved forward so much with the help of you and others. Now off to PT for some core and leg strengthening and some myofascial release (thanks for that tip @artscaping )

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@johnbishop

Ed @njed, I think you hit the nail on the head 🙂. It sometimes takes us awhile to get to that point in our neuropathy journey but I think it helps once you accept that it's part of your new normal.

@lorirenee1 started a discussion on the topic that we probably should all revisit.
-- Have You Made Any Kind of Peace With Having Your Neuropathy?:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/have-you-made-any-kind-of-peace-with-having-your-neuropathy/

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John -- acceptance is difficult as I've found out and when you think about our ancestors not living to the ages we are now, I think that is why there are more cases of PN now than in previous decades. Yes, we are living longer and in time, unfortunate as it is, as more people develop PN for 100 different reasons, more knowledge will be gained and treatment plans that actually work will be first then prevention to follow. Research has not seen PN as important as other diseases. The reason is obvious. That will change ... someday. Ed

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