I am truly sorry to hear you are dealing with PN at such a young age. You have found a great place for supportive and knowledgeable people.

To my knowledge smoking does not cause PN. It does aggravate it, however. For most of us, the PN is idiopathic - of unknown cause. I'm starting to believe that is simply because doctors aren't as knowledgeable about PN as they should be. Once they exhaust looking at the common causes they stop looking and label the PN idiopathic.

That is why the information you find here is so important. You can become your own diagnostician - asking your doctor to order the blood work you read about here. A good doctor will be receptive to the idea.

I recently asked my doctor to run a Vitamin D test. He humored me, and was surprised to find that I did, in fact, have a Vit D deficiency. I've been on D for a month now, and am already feeling the difference. I also have a B6 deficiency. I have had PN since 2004, but it was 2009 before that deficiency was found.

There will be other members along soon that are more knowledgeable than I am. I just wanted to wanted to welcome you to NT.