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@needingrelief

Hi all! I have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, which was not conclusively proven with a skin biopsy/punch test. (I have been told by a Neurologist that 50% of those tests are inconclusive, even when everything else points to small fiber neuropathy.)
My symptoms started about 17 months ago, and it took me most of last year to come up with a diagnosis as they ruled out everything else.
One of my biggest challenges is trying to find shoes that I can wear comfortably. I cannot wear closed shoes, or anything that is even the least bit tight. I am wearing sandals most of the time and very loose crocs during the winter and cannot wear socks at all. The straps on the sandals that go across the top of my foot near my ankle, seem to set off a whole lot of pain and so I have to keep loosening those straps throughout the day. I am currently taking gabapentin at 300 mg and duloxetine or Cymbalta at 60 mg. I know that doesn’t sound like much but I am trying to continue to function and work (i’m extremely sensitive to medication’s and it makes me so tired that I can’t function If I take it during the day and also need to minimize dosage, ). so I Take both of those at night and nothing during the day until about 8 PM. I noticed that this pain is getting even worse as time goes on, and I have gradually increased dosages. Once again, it seems like it is worsening. I feel like my shoes set off a lot of this and wondering what other people are wearing?
The burning sensation is always there, but shoes seem to make it worse and worse throughout the day and I am miserable by evening. Of course, standing doesn’t help any either. What do you all wear?

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Replies to "Hi all! I have idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, which was not conclusively proven with a skin..."

Good morning. I can’t comment on the pain, but I want to tell you how helpful your first sentence is! My small fiber polyneuropathy was not confirmed by the punch test either. The punch test showed no amyloid, and that the nerve fibers were normal, but I have horrible itching and tingling. My doctor also said that small fiber polyneuropathy is patchy and might not be able to be demonstrated on three small punches. But everything else was ruled out and clinically. He has determined it is Neuropathy. God knows why I have it! Good to know that somebody else clinically presents as small fiber neuropathy without a positive punch test!

Hello @needingrelief. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Finding the right shoe to minimize your symptoms is a big deal, so you will notice I have moved your post into an existing discussion on this very topic where you can read through many responses from other members that may be helpful to you, as well as to respond to those members who have already shared with you.

You can find your post here:
- Does anyone find that a type of shoe helps your foot neuropathy?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/does-anyone-find-that-a-brand-of-shoes-helps-your-foot-neuropathy/

Have you tried the slip-on Sketcher brand shoes? They are roomy enough to slip on yet provide good walking support.