Dear Julie,
Sorry to hear about your pain. I, too, suffer with neuropathy, but not as severely as yours. A few things you should definitely have done, if you haven't already:
1. An 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test, along with HgA1C, to see if you are diabetic or have impaired glucose toleranace. Both conditions are highly associated with neuropathy and, if treated, can help stop it from worsening and may even lead to slow recovery.
2. EMG to test your large nerve fibers. If your EMG is normal, then you should have a skin biopsy, measuring the epidermal nerve fiber density at the foot or calf and the thigh. This test is relatively new and there's only one lab that offers it, called Therapath in New York. It will show if you have small fiber damage.
3. Be sure your doc knows your alcohol history; next to diabetes, alcohol is the most common cause of neuropathy. Good news is that patients who stop ETOH can often look forward to recovery from neuropathy.
Hope this helps
Quote:
Originally Posted by Julie K
I would like to know if there is anyone out there with neuropathy as severe or more severe than mine? And if you know what it is caused from?
I was diagnoised only three years ago with neuropathy but my doctors have not been able to determine the cause. My neuropathy is so severe I am in constant pain. I am numb from my calfs down. My knees and upper legs burn. My hands are in severe pain top and bottom with parts of my fingers starting to go numb. Sometimes my arms and face burn too. And this is with medications. My doctor says we cannot kill the pain completely. Only try to make it tolorable with the least amount of side affects.
My doctors have not been able to determine what is causing my neuropathy and I am getting scared as to how far this is going to go. How long am I going to be able to push myself to go to work everyday? Some days I cry my way through the day. If anyone who has neuropathy this bad, are they on disability? I am not a quiter and I am afraid of letting my spouse down if I say I can't work anymore.
I really would like to know if others are this bad and how they are handling it.
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