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Old 02-21-2012, 10:04 PM
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Dr. Smith Dr. Smith is offline
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Dr. Smith Dr. Smith is offline
Senior Member (**Dr Smith is named after a character from Lost in Space, not a medical doctor)
Dr. Smith's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Lost in Space
Posts: 3,515
10 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Idiopathic PN View Post
I wish I could find an underlying condition for my PN, at least there is something to cure.
That may be one of the most confounding and infuriating circumstances with this... condition. I recently read (once again) that there are somewhere in the range of 50 to 100 known causes of PN, some of which are treatable, and some of which resist treatment. Yet after evaluations for all those etiologies are performed, somewhere in the range of 30-70% (guesstimates vary) of all peripheral neuropathies remain idiopathic.

Knowing the cause does not guarantee a cure, arrest, or even a treatment, yet... some people with PN whose cause is never found have still been able to find some relief/improvement.

I'm trying to be a little philosophical about it. I'm going at it kind of backwards, like... reverse diagnosis. Since my cause hasn't been found, I'm looking for/trying things that help/improve my symptoms, thinking/hoping that that may lead to clues in figuring out a cause. If it doesn't, I'll still have improved a bit, and IME, that's easier to live with than the alternatives. I guess for me, getting better is more important than knowing the cause, even if I knew what that cause was.

I don't know if this can help anyone else; it helps me to cope.

Doc
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Dr. Zachary Smith
Oh, the pain... THE PAIN...

Dr. Smith is NOT a medical doctor. He was a character from LOST IN SPACE.
All opinions expressed are my own. For medical advice/opinion, consult your doctor.
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