I was diagnosed with non-diabetic SFN last May, I can live with the pain and hot/cold lower legs during the day but at night I frequently remove the covers for an hour or so and put them back for a couple hours all throughout the nights, needless to say I don't get much sleep.
I have been seeing a Neuroligist since may and he has done all the testing to determine what causes it, and all the prescriptions with no results. I have tried every supplement mrsD and others have suggested, none have worked. Now I take 50 Mg Tramadol after supper and another at bed time. I tried 100 Mg at bedtime and I stay hazy for hours after I wake up.
I have had 5 back operations due to severe Sciatic pain, the last being fusion of L3, L4, and L5. The pain, needle pricks and numbness I have now seem to follow the same path as the Sciatic nerve but the Neurologist says only 4% of SFN is caused by nerve damage and he recommended Lidocaine Patches. I don't have prescription insurance and they are extremely expensive. The instructions say to put the patch on the pain area, that would be on both lower legs and feet! Sounds like I would need about 10 patches per night! If the pain is radiating down the Sciatic nerve from damage in the Lumbar region it seems logical that 1/2 of a patch in the lumbar region would work.
Any comments?