I'm 80 years old with 30 years experience with this elusive, painful malady. I can relate to your experience Mercy. There seems to be little patterns to what sets it off, but I can related how it suddenly goes from everyday chronic pain to acute pain.

It was mostly in my feet until I got radiation for prostrate cancer. Afterwards I had these chronic to acute episodes. Numbing pain migrated throughout my body--face, abdomen and legs .I've found searching for causes such as radiation is a dead end. The official diagnosis is Chronic Idiopathic Polyneuropathy (CIP) In other words the idiots don't have a clue what causes it. In the USA they only know it gets worse with age. it is being researched extensively in Italy and Sweden, but not here.

I focus on the very real problem of my pain and anxiety which will get worse the longer i live. I've found some answers. I have a wonderful PCP who put me on low doses of Cymbalta which was no help and then low doses of Gabapentin also with no results/. But this elusive CIP requires higher doses, up to 800 mg 3 X a day. I'm also being treated by a psychiatrist who has prescribed Remeron at night to help me sleep and Xanax, which has really been a
Godsend.

I've tried medical marijuana. It was no help at all, but some says it has helped if you can afford it. What is working for me now is a combination of (1) Gabapentin (Neurotin) titrating up to 600 mg 3 x a day. (2) one half to one mg of Xanax when I feel it going acute; (3) A Chinese herb called Corydalis. This herb eased the pain before radiation and now I take six capsules a day (4) Daily exercises.

Am I pain free. Of course not, but prayer and mediation have helped me to accept things I can't change and change the thing I can.

Wade Senior