Quote:
Originally Posted by jsrail
My SFN started in my feet a little over 3 years ago I guess and started moving into my hands about a year ago. Finally got dx a few months ago.
Anyway, about 4 months ago or so (my memory does not work so good anymore) it began, moving up my legs and arms and in my butt. In the last couple months it seems to have moved across most of my body, legs, arms, back, shoulders. Its like having a total body sunburn. Drying off my hands and body hurts, like drying off with a terry cloth towel when you have a sunburn. I am currently on 30mg of Methadone and 3600mg of Neurontin. This seems to cut about 70-80% of the pain and so far, makes life liveable. And no, I don't have a real sunburn! :-) lol I can start to feel the Methadone working slightly less, so I know at some point in the near future, my neuro doc will have to up the dosage on the Methadone. It has hardly any side effects to me other than constipation, which I treat with OTC stuff, no biggie there. And I get tired a couple times during the day. But driving and working 5-6 hours a day is no biggie usually.
My question is, is the sunburn feeling normal for SFN when it is effecting your arms, back and such? I am pretty medicated, so I don't actually know all how it would really feel once off all the meds (though I would guess very painful and debilitating), but is this the normal pain? I don't seem to get any tingling or electrical feeling on my back or on my arms and legs, just in my hands, feet, and butt. Also, do you get any itching on your skin? I have some and not sure if it has anything to do with my SFN or just the dry air here in AZ. I've never really had much skin itching in the past and I've lived in AZ for 15 years now.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
Jay
|
I have a comment about methadone. It is the only opiate that interacts with other drugs and also when you get dehydrated and low in potassium and magnesium, to stop the heart.
This is called long QT syndrome. I have a post on the stickies in Chronic pain forum about this.
People can be born with long QT, and then when stressed or using certain drugs, their heart stops. In normal people the stressors can be low magnesium and potassium, or addition of other drugs to the mix. The links on that thread give 4 lists of drugs to watch out for. Data comes in every day on this subject, so do be careful.
It is recommended today to have an EKG done with attention to QT segment abnormalities. These typically are hidden until the fatal day. The problems with fentanyl are just potency ones..that fentanyl is so strong and may be absorbed too fast.
That problem is different from the methadone one.
Narcotics do release histamine in some people, and this leads to itching.
If you find you have dry skin, I'd suggest you start eating or taking Omega-3 supplements. When you see dryness in the skin, you are also having problems internally as well. I have a
thread on Vitamin forum that addresses this subject, which is huge and very important=
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread6092.html
__________________
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.-- Galileo Galilei
************************************
.
Weezie looking at petunias 8.25.2017
****************************
These forums are for mutual support and information sharing only. The forums are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider. Always consult your doctor before trying anything you read here.