Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuart2
Hi:
I've had idiopathic PN for about 2 and one-half years. Is it worthwhile to get a full check up at a major clinic?
So far, my symptoms aren't severe--partial numbness in feet and hands, dryish mouth and eyes, acid reflux, occasional brief random shooting pains. My feet do hurt quite a bit when I am on them too long. I'm a teacher.
Tests did find mild nerve damage. But all of the other tests are negative.
Currently, I can dance, garden, bicycle and do whatever I want. Am on no medications except Prilosec and occasional aspirin or ibuprofen.
I am very lucky compared to many PN sufferers!!
My worry is that things keep gradually getting worse and I personally know some long term PN patients who are pretty much crippled by PN.
I feel like now is the time to do something. But my hunch is that I have something going on that is not going to be curable.
Is it worth it to go to a major clinic? Which one? I have good insurance.
I live in Wisconsin. Thanks! Stu
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Hi, Stu and Welcome to NeuroTalk.
PN is complex... it requires some participation and desire for learning in order to deal with it.
Mine started when I was 30.
How long have you been on Prilosec? This drug blocks absorption of nutrients from the GI tract. Most significantly .. B12. So right off I think you need a test for B12 and also Vit D.
Get your numbers for both, and post them here to me. Don't accept "normal" as lab ranges in US are low and no longer accurate.
One has to be a detective when a puzzling thing like PN comes along.
You need to think back, to before you started having symptoms. What was going on with you then? Exposure to solvents? Toxins?
I do think bicycle riding is hard on the lower back and legs/feet.
I cannot do recumbant bikes anymore. Some people develop compressions from the stress of the seat, and repetitions of the feet and legs.
Have you had a complete exam from a podiatrist? To see if you have a structural problem in your feet? Sesamoid bone problems? Neuromas? Pronation, or tarsal tunnel signs?
Xrays of the feet? Compression may begin there, and once the nerves are activated, they will not typically quiet down on their own. Finding shoes that are more comfortable is a MUST!
Some drugs actually cause PN... some antibiotics and statins.
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread122889.html
Some nutrients and dietary changes may improve PN as well:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread121683.html
Don't assume that a medication you took months ago or years ago was benign. Many drugs today are quite neurotoxic, and doctors don't know this or won't tell you.
Borderline diabetes, may not show up on some blood work, but the process may be in place and affecting nerves. A fasting INSULIN level will show if you are insulin resistant. Do you know your A1C level?
So sit back and read this forum for a while, and the subforum above it... where the informational posts are. They look at yourself and see what seems to be familiar for you.
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All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.-- Galileo Galilei
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Weezie looking at petunias 8.25.2017
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