"After exhaustive investigation no clear cause is found in about 25% of patients. Such chronic idiopathic axonal neuropathy usually occurs in elderly people and is often indolent, predominantly sensory, and length dependent. Patients can be reassured that, although their condition may progress, it will usually do so only slowly and is unlikely to become seriously disabling." (From dahlek's recommendation)


The nerve dies from inside, as opposed to demyelinating neuropathies, where the outer sheath is attacked. Think about a nerve being poisoned---either getting too much sugar, too much of a toxin, or not enough nutrition because of compromised blood supply. (vaculitis) The very long fibers generally die first.


From the Washington neuropathy site, the usual other causes are:

Amyloidosis
Ataxic Sensory + GD1b antibodies
Collagen vascular diseases (lupus, Sjogren's, etc)
Distal lower motor neuron syndromes
Distal sensory Perineuritis
Sensory + NF-H antibody
Sulfatide antibody-related
TS-HDS antibody
Vasculitic neuropathies

(On lizajane.org, I've listed all the tests for all the possible diagnoses that I could find for these illnesses.)

So far, the docs there are demonstrating they know what you have. But will they demonstrate they know how to treat you? That's what's keeping me on eggshells.

Dahlek--I think that article belongs in the stickies.

Love ya, your insomniac friend,