Thank you, elizm … I will try palmitoylethanimide and Topricin Fibro Cream. I would be happy to decrease or eliminate any of the medicines I take if possible. I wonder why my pain doctor didn't tell me about pamitoylehtanimide and Fibro Cream … I will ask him next time I see him. Peggy

@pfbacon I use the Fibro Cream on my back as I have neuropathy in lower back and upper thighs sometimes my feet and I do like it . It relieves of course it isn't a cure all so you have to apply the cream when needed .

Please remind me where you get the Topricin Fibro cream. I’ve seen some advertised by similar name at CVS but not with specifically the name Topricin. How does it compare for pain relief to CBD oil or something else? Thanks. Margot

@margottaylor
Hi, Margot. I get Topricin Fibro Cream on Amazon. (You might want to compare ingredients with what you're finding at CVS.) For me, it's indispensable, along with the PEA.

Hi, elizm, what brand of PEA do you use? I took it for two months for my severe neuropathy, and it did nothing, so I stopped taking it. Good to know a brand that has helped you. Ya never know what will work!!! I am going to get the Topricin as well. Thanks, Lori Renee

@lorirenee1
Hi, Lori Renee. I've been taking 800-1,200 mg/day of ErgoMax (and sometimes OptiPEA) for chemo-induced neuropathy since last October. It took about 3-4 weeks before relief set in for me. For the first time in about year, I was sleeping through the night, most nights… no burning feet/legs/hands. I still occasionally use Topricin's Fibro Cream on my legs and feet about 15 minutes before bedtime if it's been a rough day. No, neither one does anything for the numbness/stiffness… but it has relieved the burning about 90% of the time which for me has been a blessing.

Thanks. Can you tell me what your pain symptoms are? I have generalized aching across my lower back, with more pronounced aching and occasional shooting pains down my legs and into my feet, especially my left side. I haven't tried PEA yet.

elizm , thanks a bunch for the info. I am definitely thinking of trying the PEA again. I will buy the Topricin, as folks are saying good things about it. I am so sorry about your neuropathy being chemo induced. Mine started just weeks after a lumpectomy, in which there was radiation right into the tumor, during surgery. I never had chemo. Crazy what happens. I also hope your cancer is under control. God, what we go through. I know the burning, throbbing, stabbing, of neuropathy. What a way to live…anyway,, thanks for the info. God Bless, Lori Renee

@margottaylor
I have the classic symptoms of neuropathy — burning, electrical shocks, numbness, lack of balance, etc., and as nerves facilitate small blood vessels, sometimes my feet/hsnfd are white and cold as ice, then bright red and on fire.

NOTES: 1) PEA is used to treat a number of neurological pathologies; and 2) the symptoms which you describe sound like sciatica where a lumbar disc may be pressing on your sciatic nerve.

Having had sciatica about 20 yrs. ago, I can confirm that it is disabling and excruciating. I found relief through icing the lumbar portion of my spine (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off), and seeing an Activator Method chiropractor. I still see the chiropractor for monthly adjustments, and, along the way, found that occasionally visiting a physical therapist who practices Active Release Technique was helptul. (As we age, some pelvic and hip muscles tighten, aggravating how our spine supports us.)

PEA may not help until you address the structural issues of sciatica which may include excluding a tumor in the lumbar region.

@lorirenee1
And good luck and blessings to you!

Thanks for your response and you are correct, those symptoms I described are related to long term back issues; stenosis, spondylolisthesis and scoliosis, for which I had back surgery in 2010. I'm determined not to have another back surgery if at all possible. I also have a neuromuscular disease called CMT (Charco, Marie, Tooth) and some PN, both of which have resulted in muscle atrophy in my legs and balance problems which is why I wear leg braces. I was wondering if the PEA and Fibro Cream might help some of my overall pain. I guess I'll just wait until I've been to Mayo at the end of October and see what they say about my complex condition.

Okay, me being a relative newbie here, could someone explain what PEA is???

@newzbug
PEA is Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA, for short) is an endogenous fatty acid, used by some European neurologists for various neurological pathologies. Some also have found it to have anti-depressant properties.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3500919/

Posted by deanna21239 @deanna21239, 3 minutes ago
In reply to @colleenyoung "@cbreiner, there are 2 medical terms that often get confused because they…" + (show)
I have Stage 3 Kidney disease and shattered my ankle in 2011. I was told a few years ago that I have Peripheral Nephropathy, so cannot take anything for pain but Tramadol, doesn't help the pain much, and wondered what else there is. I heard from my Kidney Doctor that Medical Marajuana is ok because it is natural, but have not tried that yet. Also have Diabetes now.

I use it & it does take the edge off but it does not take it away but it makes me able to function for awhile.