Hi Lesley,

Sorry to hear about your neuropathic symptoms. It can be a lonely time not knowing what is happening!

I am from Melbourne and have been going through a two and a half year saga which is still ongoing in terms of unfolding symptoms.

I don't think that Australia is any more confused about some of these issues as anywhere else. I think they are just complicated conditions which often need time to solve, as many on this board have found. Sometimes it is a 'wait and see what else evolves' approach which may then put another diagnostic spin onto the situation.

Obviously the definitive test to really diagnose SFN (small fibre neuropathy) is the IENFD (Intraepidermal Nerve Fibre Density) biopsy and without it the diagnosis is a guess at best. Unfortunately here, Medicare have not taken on board this test yet, even though there are some neurologists and researchers pushing for it. In 2007 the ANZHSN recommended that IENFD biopsies not be approved for clinical use at this stage. This is the link for that document if you should wish to peruse it.

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/horizon/publishing.nsf/Content/6B81AEB3E7EE0001CA2575AD0080F344/$File/Vol%2018%20-%20skin%20biopsy.pdf

Also another link for a more recent and short discussion on the merits of this test, with bibliography:

http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/700_799/0774.html

Do you have other symptoms?

Megan