Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

Hi John, I had already read almost everything that looked like it applied to me from the website in your first link and just read most of the information from the website in your second link. I started with all the ideas for topical creams from Vicks VapoRub to Bio Freeze to Hemp cream. I already have 5% Lidocaine and just ordered the others from Amazon. My doctor said it might help to switch among them. I copied the brands of shoes that were mentioned but haven't looked into them yet. I already own some soft diabetic socks but ordered more. I read the list of alternative medicine options but want to try the creams first. My toes were really burning this afternoon, and Amazon benefited. I hope I benefit too.
Mary

The dosage of Gabapentin depends on the individual.
I’ve read here where people have taken from 100 mg to 3,600 mg. I knew of a man who took 7,000 mg. 3,600 mg is the recommended daily maximum although some people take more. Some doctors don’t give more than 900 mg others think 1,800 should be the maximum needed for Neurophy relief. It’s dependent on your doctor, yourself and your side effects if any. Gabapentin usually has fewer side effects than other anticonvulsant drugs. Gabapentin isn't a very strong seizure medication. The man I knew who took 7,000 mg a day for neuropathy got no relief until he reached 7,000 mg, and then he got substantial relief. Many researchers believe doctors don’t prescribe high enough doses to receive the relief needed. I know my brother took it and when he got to 2,400 mg he noticed slight improvement and when he got to 3,600 mg his improvement was considerably better. I took 3,600 mg but it had no effect on my neuropathy or my seizures.
Best of luck,
Jake

Has he tried soft tissue manual Physical Therapy? It is covered by insurance.
It has helped my husband so much.

I started out doing a few things for balance. My body so messed up it's difficult to exercise. I have both knee replaced, I have a bad back, failed surgery, I have both shoulders reverse replacements, my right one done 4 times. I have a plate and some pins in my left wrist, and I have my right femur broken in two places in the last year. Exercise??? Not an easy thing to do when you can't stand and balance. I've tried some chair yoga, that wasn't easy either. I also have fibromyalgia my body hurts everywhere. I'm lucky I'm still moving. And of course exercise isn't my favorite thing to do. If I thought it was worth while, I would have kept it up. I get shooting pains all over like electric shocks. I have a particularly bad one where they took bone marrow out of butt. Sometimes, I'm sitting and all of a sudden I have to scream in pain, because the shocks hurt so bad. i get a lot of strange looks from people when that happens. Right now I think it's affecting my bowl and bladder. Having problems going to the bathroom. What's next? I can't wait till God says come with me.

Good evening @grannymary7077, welcome to Connect and our neuropathy group. I think you can do a lot to help yourself with your neuropathy symptoms. I have had SFN (small fiber neuropathy) since 2013 when I was diagnosed via a punch skin biopsy. Mine is rather severe without enough nerve cells to do a good job of creating feelings in my body and especially in my feet. What started with my toes in the right foot has now invaded both feet and is continuing to march right on up my leg. Since the diagnosis, I have been through quite a few prescribed medications and custom lidocaine topicals created by a specialist pharmacy as guided by my neurologist. These worked quite well until my condition went beyond the capabilities of those creations.

Since then I have settled on two treatment options plus some special exercises for strength and balance. First, I use one of two medical cannabis topical balms. One is for acute pain and the other is for chronic pain. Both contain CBD and THC at different levels.

At this point, I also have my feet treated twice a week by an MFR (myofascial release) therapist so that I can continue to drive. Have you heard of or read about MFR yet?

Your approach is excellent. Read, research, and study everything appropriate for your condition. Knowledge is power and you will benefit tremendously from the experience. I am happy to help you on this journey.

What are you most concerned about at this time?

May you be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

No. Is that a massage?

My name isGinger. I have neuropathy as a result of taking chemo for breast cancer. My husband who recently passed used voltaren pads for his neuropathy that were prescribed and he thought they were helpful. The cream version of voltaren does not need a doctor's prescription. I am 83 (84 next month) and try not to take any more additional meds than I absolutely need. I have also used the CBD cream and voltaren, both at different times. It helps but I am not regular in apply them to my feet and legs. You might try one of these topical remedies rather than ingesting a pill.

Hi @eep, I am so sorry you are having so much pain. I have had only a few of the things you have had, but I was having muscle spasms in my back that hurt like that a few months ago. My doctor tried 5 days of muscle relaxer medication, but it didn't help. The spasms were so strong that it felt like the bed bounced under me. Ice was the only thing that did. A month later, he gave me 10 days of the same medication, and it was like a miracle. It did not cure my back problem, and I still had a backache. It was only that the muscles in my back quit trying to protect me by making every movement so painful. Good luck. I hope you can get at least a little relief. Mary

Thanks Chris, At this point I would like to find a way to walk around and sleep without hurting. It is only my toes right now. I had tingling for several years without thinking about neuropathy because it only bothered me at night. Now, the burning bothers me all the time. I tried the hemp cream today, and it works for a few hours. I think I read that I can use it several times a day. I will give the other creams a try too, maybe alternating several on different days. I have also ordered shoes recommended by someone in the group. I have the device sold by Amazon that keeps the bedclothes off my feet at night. When nothing else works, ice helps. Mary

The manual physical therapy is a combination of massage, mild exercises and learning the proper way to use our body. It is valuable to do the exercises at home also. They usually do not use machines at our facility. I had this type of therapy for scoliosis and arthritis in my back and for a broken arm. My husband suffers from balance problems, leg weakness and difficulty walking.

What is a sanexas machine?