Quote:
Originally Posted by northerngal
I still drive my regular car, a mazda crossover, vehicle. I have not had any issues with driving. Although my feet are numb and weak , my planter flexion is ok (not as strong as it used to be, but ok) my dorsi flexion is very weak. Driving is easier than walking, due to foot drop from the weakness.
I have never taken any medication for symptoms, as I have no pain , only numbness. I am not aware of any medications for numbness--that is why I questioned yours---I was hoping it was something for the numbness.
My neuropathy is thought to possibly be immune related, but this is not a definite diagnosis....more like a "best guess" from doctors because I don't really fit any reason exactly. I have taken prednisone, ivig, plasmapherisis, and rituxin for immune modulation.
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Hi northerngal
Your post is intriguing. Mind you, the more I find-out about P.N. the more complicated it seems.....
Firstly re Pregabalin/Lyrica: reading the leaflet, which I'd not really done before, it seems to be aimed @ people suffering from epilepsy, neuropathic pain & General Anxiety Disorder. The detailed information on neuropathic pain states '….is used to treat long-lasting pain caused by damage to the nerves.......pain sensations may be described as hot, burning, throbbing, shooting, stabbing, sharp, cramping, aching, tingling,
numbness, pins and needles. Quite a list but, on reflection, it does seem to be including numbness as a 'form' of pain. It begs the question if anyone in this forum has had their numbness improved by Lyrica/Pregabalin - or anything else. I'll let you know if Lyrica has a positive result for me; I guess it will be sometime November before things become clearer as dosage is being increased slowly in case it impacts another condition
I'm intrigued by your comments about walking and driving. Unlike you, until the last 2 weeks I'd been seriously thinking about giving-up driving as it is so uncomfortable due the numbness in feet/lower legs but walking is fine as long as I walk fairly quickly. My problems tend to occur when my lower legs are in the vertical position e.g. when sitting without a foot stool or standing still. Oddly, I do 2 or 3 45-minute really tough 'spin' classes per week & have never had a problem. (The only pain/numbness I've ever experienced on – off! - a bike is going over the handlebars of a real bike @ 20 m.p.h. OK, strictly speaking it wasn't quite 20 m.p.h.; it was more like 0 m.p.h – I was adjusting the pedals whilst on the bike (my middle name ought to be Homer), propped-up against the window of the bike shop where I'd had my bike serviced. It begs the question how come you see professional cyclists having high-speed crashes & moments later they're back on their bikes. I fall ever-so-slowly sideways off a stationery bike & fracture my wrist
)
Like you, my unexplained P.N. may also be linked to a compromised immune system (I have 1 of the 'better!' forms of leukaemia & 2 other conditions) tho' the consultant I see thinks not. I've reached the stage where I'm not that interested in a diagnosis; I'd much prefer some relief of the symptoms
Good luck in your search for something to ease your symptons
DavidA