Neuropathy Medications

@jesfactsmon @rwinney First, Hank, I am glad I help you too!! I get sick of myself and my pain terribly. If I can get out of my sickness, and help you, then I am happy. Rachel, I was just thinking about you and if you are still managing to walk better. I have read your post, and marvel how strange the human body and spirit really are. You did all that walking on your get away, and now, are not able to again. I understand this totally, as I see the unpredictability of Neuropathy, totally. It kills me that you have trouble in so many places, and yet you have this flicker of hope that seems to shine most of the time. Two nights ago, I watched TV for hours, pain free. Last night, the pain was excruciating, even with the DRG. I do not begin to understand and do not even try to figure things out anymore. I think that as humans, we want to be in control, but there is no control with Neuropathy. I control only myself, and walk daily, and do specific foot exercises. I am exhausted still from surgery. I try to do my best, and that is all I can do. The Neuropathy is stronger than me. I just try to distract myself, and cry when the tears come. I am so sorry your ability to walk has lessoned. I think maybe you had this huge adrenal rush because you wanted to walk so very much on your vacation. Kind of a fight or flight reaction. Hank, I am glad that this Forum helps you. I do think you need all of us, as you have your burdens at home. Love to you both, Lori

@jimhd @jesfactsmon Guys, your frankness about your depression has helped me very much. Jim, your eloquence in describing yourself just blows me away. I have a history of OCD, and I know severe depression. I had years when I could not control my repetition of thought processes, and some were utterly senseless. OCD can make for very odd thoughts that do not want to leave, and it can be torture to have. Oddly though, I never thought I was basically a depressed person. I thought I had a brain that didn't work right, and a good psychiatrist taught me the ways in which it didn't. Now, due to the Neuropathy, I have entered more of a pure depression, not OCD. It feels very different. Now, my depression is due to pain beyond my pain threshold tolerance. And Jim, I hover at a 5, very often. Sometimes, even a 4. Very frightening. I loved life before sickness, and I keep hoping that my pain will improve. Who knows. Lori Renee

@lorirenee1 You nailed it Lori Renee! I could do that nature trail again if at the right moment, on the right day. Adrenaline is huge as well as distraction, as you and I both know. The unpredictability and lack of consistency makes me/us crazy. I'm happy you had a couple of free hours pain free. That is a rejuvenation and exactly what you needed. I totally get it and live it with you and others who read these posts. Neuropathy is getting the better of me lately and I hate every bit of that feeling. I'll keep working to try and defy this disease but, admittedly so, its friggin exhausting. My best to you Lori. Thanks for your words. XO
Rachel

Thanks for sharing. The pain is unbearable which is depressing me more and I am already classified as a manic depressive and extreme anxiety. How can I get help with the pain?

@bustrbrwn22, I'm sorry you still have not been able to get help with your pain. You mentioned in another discussion that you were trying to get an appointment at Mayo Clinic. You have also mentioned that your pain seems to be related to Sciatica. Your previous posts mentioned having already tried cortisone injections, accupuncture, dry needling, physical therapy, myofascial massage, TENS, chiropractor and you were looking for supplements. Here are two older articles that I'm not sure you've seen. They mention some of the things you've already tried.

Pain from Sciatica Can Range from Mild to Intense:
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/pain-from-sciatica-can-range-from-mild-to-intense/
Mayo Clinic Q and A: Sciatica Treatment Options:
-- https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-sciatica-treatment-options/

Has your doctor been able to diagnose what is causing the pain? Also, were you able to contact Mayo Clinic for an appointment?

@lorirenee1 Wow Lori, you had what Linda had 2 days ago, a pain free period of time. I think it was Saturday or it might have been Friday, but I came into the living room and sat on the couch and she said to me "I am not feeling any pain!" I was blown away and of course she was even more blown away. A couple hours later she came to me with a wry smile on her face and she said "I still am not feeling any pain. My feet have no pain, my headache is mostly gone, my tinnitus is at a very low level". Then she started to well up with tears. "Its been SO LONG since I felt like this" she said. "I can't believe it". A few hours later she said she was still mostly pain free although things had begun to fire up. Anyway, it was pretty much over with, the miraculous part anyway. Not sure why it happened or if/when it will again. We can't figure out anything to attribute it to. But it was a wonderful day. Best, Hank

@jesfactsmon Linda's relapse into pain free mode must have made you feel better, too, Hank. I'm afraid I don't always notice when I'm not in pain, and/or don't fully appreciate it. Mostly it happens when I'm in the garden, doing things I enjoy.

I'm afraid I set myself up for more work than I'll be able to handle. I get catalogs from a few plant sources, one being Brecks. They sell bulbs from Holland, page after page of beautiful tulips, lilies, daffodils, peonies, allium, crocus and various others. I ordered a bunch of tulips, daffodils and daylillies, scheduled to arrive in the middle of this month. I need to first figure out where I can plant them where the deer can't get to them and away from moles and voles and gophers. Then, prepare planting beds against the day when the bulbs and rhizomes arrive. I might have to store some in the cellar until I recover from back surgery. And I have quite a list of fall chores, digging and dividing iris, daylillies, tulips, cutting things back, pruning and lifting bulbs to overwinter in the cellar. Hopefully I can get things done before the next surgery. Looks like I'll have ample opportunity to distract myself from pain. LOL

@rwinney I'm sorry neuropathy is getting the best of you. You have more than any one person should have to bear, Rachel. Same goes for @sunnyflower . You both show an amazing amount of strength and determination, and at the same time so supportive of others.

@lorirenee1 Level 5 is difficult. It's unsettling having that level of depression and dealing with exhaustion that is made worse by thoughts of suicide. Level 4 is a dangerous place. Not a good place to linger. I lived at that place for a long time. I think that I'm possibly part of a minority of actively suicidal people who manage to survive. I had a bunch of therapists from mediocre to wonderful who stuck with me and helped me find my way out.

I was still fighting to stay above 4 when neuropathy pain hit. That set me back for quite a while, and I know that the comorbidity of depression (& anxiety, PTSD and OCD) and chronic pain is a killer, if not literally, at least figuratively. As Sunny said, it's unrelenting. Which makes a few hours of relief that Linda experienced and the time that I experienced with my scs excruciatingly pleasurable.

Philip Yancey and Dr. Paul Brand wrote a book entitled "Pain. The gift no one wants to receive", or a similar title. I don't know if I want to read it. My wife has all of Yancey's books. She wrote a note of appreciation to him, and he responded with a nice hand written note.

Well, I took the Cadillac to the shop this morning, and he ran enough diagnostics to know that he has to check out some ABS modules. So, my wife is going to follow me to the shop now and leave the car there. This is why we've always had 2 cars.

Jim

@rwinney Hey Rachel, and anyone else who hates typing all of this crazy text into Connect, looky here:

==================================================================================================
hi Rachel I was just wondering what kind of computer you have or phone or whatever you type your connect responses into. I just am writing this note to you using dictation.io and I think it works pretty good. does have some trouble understanding me sometimes and I have to delete some things as I go but overall it's not too bad as long as I can talk loud enough for it to hear me. it is sort of like talking to my mother who has hearing problems and understanding exactly what I am saying especially with video chat. ok I'm going to send this to you now by cutting and pasting to a connect post. best to you, hank

PS I have to add punctuation myself
=================================================================================================

OK, that whole thing between the lines was mostly from dictation.io, with a few added periods and a few words corrected that it misunderstood. Have you tried using any speech-to-text software? This is free and I am sure there must be better ones out there (maybe a lot better). I know it would be a big adjustment to use something like this, but even if you did most of it with the software and spent a couple minutes to clean it up, it might make it easier on you in the long run.

But I bet you have already tried something like this and it didn't work for you, right? I can't imagine you didn't think of it by now. They have software available for apple, windows (and probably chrome) computers, or iphone or android phone). Let me know if I can be of any assistance in investigating further. Here to help. Hank

@jesfactsmon Hi Hank. I strictly type on my phone and use voice to text when I need to but never for here. It's ok but a little helter skelter with mis-interpretatation and punctuation mishaps. We have one laptop which I'm not a fan of using. Thanks for bringing this up as I have recently given consideration as to how to work smarter not harder. Now, at this moment, I'm doing ok with short quick typing. If I don't play my cards right and overuse my fine motor skills I will set myself back. Perhaps you've inspired me to try voice to text for my Connect messages. I am trying to be a 2 handed typer as of late to relieve some of the pressure on my dominant side. Thanks for the offer and insight. We're on the same page.

Hmmm..... in trying to voice to text I realize there was no microphone until I hit Dot-dot-dot and that brings up the microphone so here I am voice texting you . I suppose people have to excuse the lack of punctuation