Thanks - yes I think that's what this GP doctor was suggesting because he referred to it as a chronic pain disorder. I felt this was a bit premature because he appeared not to have read my notes and yet was telling me that this is incurable and psychosomatic within minutes of me describing the parasthesia in my mouth. Your link about psychosomatic V Somatic was interesting but I'm inclined to think my symptoms are neither although stress and anxiety also play a large role in our health and in the autoimmune system too of course. But I would argue that the pain will one day be found to be part of a recognised medical condition for me - and anxiety/ stress will inevitably follow shortly behind. As opposed to illness born of stress/ anxiety.

So I'm not sure that I am ready to go down the route of treating it as chronic pain yet. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis four years ago and have Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism. Surely these diagnose's give me reason to think that my PN type symptoms might be better addressed as part of my autoimmunity than with drugs that can only ever mask?

They are hesitant to offer me stronger drugs because I'm highly intolerant of many drugs. Also I'm very drug averse - and yes the two probably do go together!