neuropathy

i have neuropathy in the bottom of my feet and it is getting wors4e and worse.  So Painful!   Feet are constantly on fire, stinging,

burning,   Does anyone have any suggestions for treatments?

Vitamins, exercises etc.  Help, Please.  This feels like it is getting worse on a daily basis and i love to walk.  Long, long walks and i am losing my ability to do this.  The pain is really severe.  Thanks,

Marsha

There are OTC creams and lotions marketed to help with this. Often marketed as diabetic foot creams or something similar.

As far as medications go, the three most commonly prescribed for this are Cymbalta, Lyrica and Nuerontin (gabapentin). These are also the three most common prescribed for fibro as well, though it is not uncommon to find that one is effective for fibro and another is more effective for nueropathy.

Good afternoon Pain Lady, my name is Kathy feel free to use my name when posting if you want to,

about neuropathy, I found out I had this condition in late 2008 or early 2009.  I know what you mean about the pain.  It was literally making me feel like I was losing my mind.  The pm doctor I had at that time did nothing but increase my meds.  With my neuropathy, it was affecting my right lower part of my leg as well and my right foot.

I couldnt sleep do to the burning sensation and all the meds in the world were not helping.

Finally one day I took so much medicine that I accidently overdosed.  I promise you it was totally accidental, I was trying to get rid of the non stop burning sensation in my leg.

After I left the er that day, I found a new doctor, on my first visit with him, I received the first of what would be 3 injections.  I believe they were called facet or something like that.  By the time i had gotten the 2nd injection, the burning was already gone from my leg. After the third, I had no more burning sensation at all in my leg or my foot.

My right foot and all my toes belonging to that foot are numb, but thats ok.  Anything was better than that burning feeling.  As of today the burning has never come back.  I cant tell you how grateful I was to the doctor who treated me.  I stayed with this doctor until his practice moved to a place I could not reach by public transportation.

Fortunately I found another pm doctor and have been with him almost a year now.

Before I found him I spent 2 awful years with a husband-wife team of pm doctors.  But all that is behind me now, please ask your doctor about these shots, even though I dont remember what they were your doctor should know. 

Good luck to you, I know how awful you feel, but I promise you, relief is there. Talk to your doctor,and if you are not seeing a pain management doctor, please find one.  They will know what to do.

Marsha, I am in Maryland so unfortunatley I have no information on Doctors in NYC.  I take 300mg neurotin 3xday but I take that for fybromialgia (I never know how to spell that).  I am told that 300mg neurotin is a low dose, so maybe that makes the difference.  I am sorry you cant take stronger pain meds, I really dont know what I would do without my pain meds.

But as to the neuropathy, nothing and I mean nothing helped me until I got that series of shots.  I swear it was like a miracle.  As I said by the second shot, the burning was totally gone, and all that was left was the numbness of my foot and toes.  A small price to pay to get rid of that burning sensation.

I really feel for you so much because I know first hand what that feels like.  I never want to feel that again.

Please get in your phone book and keep looking for someone (a Pain Management Doctor) that can help you, if nothing go to the er at your local hospital, they should be able to refer you to someone that can help you.

Please keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.  I will be keeping you in my thoughts with lots of prayers and whatever else I can think of.  I am going to try to go back in my records and see what kind of shots I was given.  The doctor I have now also knows the doctor who gave me those shots back in 2007. So if I cant find anything I will ask him when I go back for my monthly visit June1.  Please take care  of yourself there is someone out there that will help you, we just have to find them.

you'all made me smile. thank you. will try to get prescription for neurontin from someone tomorrow. marsha new pain doctor appointment is in two weeks. i will wait to start with him. and then we will see.

Hi,

There are medications that do help out there. Have you had an EMG done? They are not always 100% reliable BUT could help you determine if things are getting worse. My neurosurgeon did tell me that sometimes that pain is actually nerves making connections- hopefully that's it in your case.

The Neurontin is a great medication, as are some antidepressants you can take with it to reduce some burning. I take 900 MG Neurontin x 3 and take 50MG Savella X 2. It has helped me a lot.

When you did physical therapy did they actually stretch the nerve? My nerve pain in my feet is actually the sciatic nerve, they help me stretch it every single time I go, and I do some things at home also, it's not fun but it has decreased my nerve pain.

I hope you get some relief!

Chompers23 said...
The Neurontin is a great medication, as are some antidepressants you can take with it to reduce some burning. I take 900 MG Neurontin x 3 and take 50MG Savella X 2. It has helped me a lot.

What is Savella?  Is tha OTC or prescription med?  I have tried the Neurontin and Lyrica, even at low doses I turn into a walking zombie.  Maybe if I could take off of work for a month I may be able to adjust to them but thats not exactly feasable.   I am scheduled for re fusion next month, but unfortunetley that will do nothing for the damage allready there, the neuropathy is here to stay.  Going to PM doctor next week, maybe something worth mentioning.