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Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group
Neuropathy | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (6026)Comment receiving replies
Hi. I'm new to a forum like this. I suffer from neuropathic discomfort and pain particularly in my feet, but also in my knee and ankle joints. I work as a teacher, love my job, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to perform at an optimal level. I am so mad at myself for not reading the early warning signs, or paying enough attention to them, numbness in the feet and toes, tingling, burning, and those pain signals the nerves sent to my mind unremittingly when I was going through a bad period. I say mad at myself because it never occurred to me that I could be suffering from nerve damage that may have been better headed off at the pass had I seen it as such.
Now, I'm about nine months into a new phase of pretty much regular pain and discomfort. I finally researched what I was feeling and went through all the exams you can imagine for such a thing. One thing that annoys me about it is the sweating of my body wherever there is skin on skin contact. I'm not a big sweater, but holy smokes, on bad days I'm moist/wet in all these places.
I have been prescribed Lyrica, but still haven't started yet, even though it's been prescribed for me for a few months now. I'm very leery about it's side effects, it's addictive nature, and just the general dependency on it that it may lead me to. Here's what I've tried as an alternative so far:
--Omega 3 fish oil tablets
--Vitamin B complexes
--Massage therapy
--Chiro
--Yoga and stretching exercises most every morning
--Working the hell out of my legs and feet at the gym even though it kills me to do so at times
I still haven't found the alternative "magic bullet" for it, or package of things that either heal the damage, or relieve the pain and discomfort. I'm starting to think that I caught it too late, and that it's simply going to be a chronic condition for me the rest of my life, and probably get no better than it is now, or even worse. Though I don't want to, I may have to start in on Lyrica or some other med at some point.
Is there anything else that really yielded results for people? I'm 64, by the way.
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Good evening, @memyselfi, welcome to Connect. I am so happy to see a very nice introduction with specific information about your condition and what you have tried so far to control the neuropathic symptoms.
I think you started with your feet. I also have to deal with pain and tingling tangles in my feet. Right now, my right heel feels like it is giving off painful sparks. And before the night is over, those specific neuropathic symptoms might have moved to the left foot.
You mention going through a lot of tests. Did that include a skin biopsy to identify small fiber neuropathy?
Other than Lyrica, have you been introduced to any topicals for your feet? Some of the members even use Vicks and other off-label products.. I started with a topical that was lidocaine-based and made by a compounding pharmacy. If you choose this type of custom topical you can modify the recipe as needed. If you are interested in medical cannabis, then the best options that I have found are made by Papa and Barkley, www. papaandbarkley.com.
And while I'm at it, please check out the following helpful websites for the latest information about neuropathy symptoms and treatments.
https://www.foundationforpn.org/
https://neuropathycommons.org/
At this point, I am just going into year 11 with SFN "small fiber neuropathy." In that time my medications and dosages have changed considerably. Right now I am going through what I hope is the end of a four-month program to taper off some medications and substitute them with new ones that my doctor and I hope will fit my evolving situation better. And you are correct, everyone's situation is different. However, you didn't catch it too late. Neuropathy is a progressive condition for which at this point there is no cure.
Regarding your activities, I am right with you about stretch Yoga and a hand's on therapy. In fact, I had my first of two MFR (myofascial release therapy) sessions this week. Tomorrow I will wake up with my Yoga group on Zoom.
For a long time, @memyselfi, I was in a state of denial as I was forced to accept the reality that neuropathy will be a major issue for me for the rest of my life. And by the way, I also have the "sweating" issue....perhaps 2 or 3 times a day. Would you please share with me what you have found to be helpful with the daily sweat?
May you be safe, free, and protected from inner and outer harm.
Chris