Dear nervous,

It's okay to be - just two days out from your diagnosis. And yes, it is a frightening prospect to realize one has something that might never go away and is painful to boot. Not to mention possibly acquiring the autonomic stuff, but I don't dwell on that - it's better that way. But have docs who check keep a sharp eye out.

I can tell you that SFN can improve. Mine has in the eight months since it was first diagnosed after starting with a bang overnight (woke up feeling as if I had a bad sunburn in northeast Ohio, not Florida). Felt really sick and looked it until about 3 months ago when the bad burning began to subside, but certain fabrics are still far to irritating to wear. Still have bits of burning here and there, now and then. Certain areas have always been spared -entire abdominal, rear end, back of thighs.

And the silver bullet usual meds such as neurontin and Lyrica caused terrible side effects. So I went cold turkey.

Until I found this website and the peripheral neuropathy subtopic. Don't know what I'd do without it. Recently started the supplements regimen as recommended here. MrsD is a motherlode of information about them.

I wish you the very best and hope that you discover whatever "triggers" you can, if not a definitive diagnosis, so you can avoid them. As time goes on, you will figure out what adjustments and accommodations are necessary to afford you a better level of comfort.

FYI: My primary care doc just ordered, at my request, an Asialo GM1 panel, a lab test for peripheral neuropathy. If anything in this panel shows positive, it would show what's wrong and maybe the way to a specific treatment. This test had never been ordered by the neuros. But there are also other lab tests specific to neuropathy. I've posted them here.

Take care and try not to be too worried.

Sheltiemom