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What is the difference
What is the difference between Idiopathic Peripheral Neuropathy and regular PN?
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What is the difference between Idiopathic Peripheral Neuropathy and regular PN?
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.
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Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown. PN can be caused by cancer treating drugs among other things.
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1 ReactionIt can be triggered by diabetes or excessive alcohol use, or it can be undiagnosed, hence the name Idiopathic.
Idiopathic means cause of neuropathy is unknown. Doctors should perform tests to find out cause of neuropathy because in doing so, proactive steps can be taken to alleviate and maybe reverse the neuropathy. My PN is due to celiac disease a/k/a silent celiac as I do not have the digestive issues that many celiacs deal with. The celiac disease was confirmed via a blood test which showed high gluten intolerance so I must be on strict gluten free diet for rest of my life. There are no medications to treat celiac disease and I would not take them anyway. What I do take are supplements like B12, ALA, Vitamin D, zinc, krill oil and sometimes cumin seed oil. At night I use magnesium glycinate to relax and get decent sleep.
@arcuri24
Now that you are off gluten, have your PN symptoms decreased?
I have been off gluten for 9 months. I was doing well with PN until this past winter when I had shin shave biopsy done which is still not entirely healed--going on 16 weeks. Also, here in NYC we had a brutally cold winter and I have little tolerance for cold so PN was more pronounced. Changeable weather is a factor in addition to what we eat. But all in all, I have to say that being off gluten was a help both to PN and other health issues. I no longer get night sweats plus I was having trouble breathing. Going gluten free eliminated those issues. I miss certain foods and dining out is difficult but there are now so many gluten free products out there. There are probably more people out there who may have celiac or are gluten intolerant. Now with blood test it is easier to find out rather than going through endoscopy of the intestines.
@arcuri24 As far as I know neuropathy can't be "reversed", once a nerve has died or has been damaged there's no going back.
Well it may not be reversed but mine was vastly improved after going on gluten free diet. Nerves can rebuild albeit very slowly and with the right supplements. What is your source for your statement?