socks and neuropathy please read

Good evening (morning now!), @faybe ~
Yes, I have the same sensation at times. Have had PN for about 25 years - mine is "distal symmetric axonal-demyelinating sensorimotor PN". It is a weird sensation, isn't it? Especially when you look down at your feet and see that clearly you are not wearing socks or shoes! I have episodes of severe pain at night but very infrequently now, because of the effectiveness of the pain medications that I take (Tramadol and Pregabalin) three times a day. Oddly,
I never feel like I have gloves on, or really even pain, in my fingers - just a lot of numbness (feet also) and tingling. The more accounts I read, the more diverse the symptoms are - it seems nothing is too strange.
Praying that you find answers and especially relief.
Blessings, Barb

First, I received a referral to a neuro who specializes in peripheral neuropathy. (The neurologist I see for migraines, for example, would not have been the right person.) Second, I kept pushing for a diagnosis. (A large fraction of us are diagnosed as "idiopathic", which makes it difficult to understand whether treatments that target causes rather than symptoms might be helpful. Also makes it difficult to qualify for clinical trials.) Third, after running through all the normal tests, I pressed them for low-probability possibilities, and they proposed a blood test, pretty much to get me off their hands, I think. Fourth, the blood test came out positive, which got me a referral to another specialist. Fifth, the blood test turned out to be a false positive, but the new specialist turned out to be the right person to diagnose the problem anyway, so I landed on an answer that makes sense. (I have drug-induced peripheral neuropathy, but from a drug where the symptom is really, really rare.)

So at the end of the day, I just kept persisting until I lucked into an answer. In the meantime, I had started ramping down on the problematic drug, which halted the progression although it didn't reverse it (that pattern was part of what led to the diagnosis), and I hunted through this and other sources to find ways to accommodate and tolerate the symptoms.

In my case, it's very likely that the damage is permanent. On the positive side, I don't (yet) have pain, and I've found that once I landed on a suite of things that help minimize the symptoms (shoes, socks, warmth, etc), I started going for longer and longer periods during which I am mostly unaware of the symptoms -- that is, if I think about them, I'm aware they are constant, but much of the time, I'm just not conscious of them.

This is how, for example, floaters in the eye work. When I first started getting floaters, they were really annoying and disturbing. Discussed them with my eye doctor, learned when I should worry and when I shouldn't, and over time, my brain stopped noticing them. They are still there, but most of the time, my brain just sees past them, so they are effectively invisible.

To make that work in my case, I need to be at peace with the symptoms, not worried about them, and moving on with my life. That means it doesn't work as well for pain, although it does work for pain to some degree -- one of the best solutions I've found for chronic pain is mental distraction, which is why mine often did better when I had a full engagement of my mind at work to distract me. The migraine drugs are much more effective for me when combined with the need to pay attention to something else. Cognitive behavioral therapy for pain works on this same principle, I believe.

Sorry for the long essay, and hope something in it helps!

What drug caused it?

I got neuropathy from chemo. And it does seem to be getting worse and I know what you mean about the feeling of sucks I feel like I have something tight wrapped around my feet squeezing them all the time and during the day I am sometimes okay but it's at night time when I'm in bed just I hate it. I got these socks from Amazon they've got gel pads in them one on the top of your toes one at the bottom where the ball of your foot is and one on your heel and you freeze them and you put them on at night and it feels so good. I have not heard anybody say anything to help with their neuropathy. So I know what you're going through

Pain was really bad for about a year and didn't know what it was from - used Amicare gel at night and that seemed to help a little. It seemed to last with bad pain and then just stopped about 6 months ago with just the tingle and sock pressure feeling now. Big toe disconfort too. I went to my foot doctor, he x rayed feet and tested feeling. Peripheral Neuropathy.
I've been reading this group for some time and decided after seeing that no one ever gets an answer, that I was not going to go thru the doctor route since there was no cure or help they can provide. Just decided to live with it and research as much as I can and do whatever works for me. Get a lot of information from everyone and that helps me see what works for others (but not always me). Hope you find something that helps you too.

Zepbound.

Can you provide a link to the socks? I use Headache Halo for migraines, so I get how cold on the right spot can help manage pain and discomfort.

I've been diagnosed idiopathic neuropathy. Same, feels like a piece of plastic in the sole of my feet. Right is worse than left. It makes no sense, numb but hyper sensitive. Still looking for the cure. Compression socks are my go to.

I take Alpha Lipoid Acid from Amazon 600mg. The name of it Natrol, and you need to get the time release ones because the others burn your stomach, I usually eat before or after taking the ones that burn your stomach. They have stopped some pain and the burning. You really need to try them. God Bless Fay

I havd the same conditions and can wear the toeless support hose . They really work and your toes are not squeezed.