Hi Everyone,
I am new to the form live in Ohio the BRRR state and have been newly diagnosed with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

For a while now and then my feet would feel numb and have shooting pains and pin pricks also feet and hands would itch.

About a month ago I felt the floor feeling icy on my foot and during the day would have more numbness and electrical shots, burning feet, and would be woken up with my feet feeling like they were being electrocuted with jolts that went to my teeth so I set up an appt. with my Doctor.

He prescribed Gabapentin and I started last week on 300 mg 3xs a day. Still had a lot of discomfort and still could not sleep without the scary electrical feeling in my feet accompanied with numbness. Needless to say, I call and let his nurse know.

I got a call back and was told to double the Gabapentin to 2 capsules of 300mg three times per day that was on Monday.

I have noticed improvement at least I slept through the night, I feel kind of shaky never felt that way before unless there was a good reason. My feet burn today like a bad sun burn.

Please chat me if you can shed some insight on all of this for me. I would really appreciate your input. Will this ever feel better I find it very depressing?

Good morning ..... my name is Debi and I'm from Georgia...just had about 4 inches of snow here !

My small fiber neuropathy is diabetes/chemo related. I'm going on 9 months now after sudden onset a month after chemo ended. I've had to be my own advocate and bounced around from dr to dr until I could find some help. I'm still in the middle of my journey. I did ask a foot and ankle dr to do a skin punch biopsy and he did....I have zero A and C fibers in my feet and they say 'severe small fiber neuropathy.

I have a neuro that I'm not very fond of but will keep seeing until I have my appoint March 25th at Emory in Atl. For quite a few years before all this happened......I remember at the end of the working day being in the recliner and my toes burning like fire coming off my toes. I'd sleep and be fine the next morning. During chemo my A1C went up and between that and the chemo of taxol/carbo that pretty much did me in. Almost exactly a month after chemo ended I could barely walk and also had the horrible electrical currents running thru both feet.....it would actually outline my toenails and fingernails like someone was tracing them with an electrical pen or something. I've gone thru the whole range of symptoms and still have them. My neuro got me up to 2700 mg a day of gabapentin/Neurotin but my brain could not take it....made me unsteady and my mind was basically mush. So in Dec he lowered me back down to 1800 mg a day and that cleared my head but didn't help the pain. He recently added 60 mg a night of Cymbalta and it has actually made me feel better but has done nothing for the pain but has allowed me to deal with it better........of course it's been a double edged sword....because I 'feel' good I want to do stuff around the house that I have been unable to do (clean, cook, do laundry, sweep, etc) and that puts me in the bed like it did yesterday. I have to sleep with my feet hanging off the side of the bed and no covers touching them.

My PCP of over 5 years gave me vicodin and Xanax when this started in May 2013 and increased my Paxil to 40 mg a day. My neuro would rather I did not take these. My PCP had told me to get on a pain mgmt. schedule but I refused to until Sept 2013 when the pain became so bad I realized I had to take them regularly. So now I'm on 1/2 a 7.5 vicodin every 3 hours and Xanax when that doesn't do it.....which is about 5 to 10 times a week.

This has been overwhelming to me and I've had to file for SSDI. Not approved yet...in the reconsideration stage at this point and waiting for approval or a denial.

My neuro has asked me if I think the gabapentin is working and I told him I was not really sure.....I still hurt and have no daily quality of life but who knows how much worse I would be now if not on the meds ? Probably in a fetal position in the floor thinking I was dying.

I am surrounded by a loving and supportive family so that helps a great deal. They help with the cleaning and cooking and grocery shopping.

Not sure if any of this helps and I am long winded and 'chatty'......guess I just needed to get it all out there this morning

Please keep us posted.

Debi from Georgia

Have you started taking vitamin B yet? B12 and B-complex. If not, do this Today. There's plenty of good info on Vitamin B in these forums... folks on here tend to like Jarrow brand from what I've seen, which I agree with. (Jarrow tends to be Gluten free, dairy free, nut-free, etc.) I take Jarrow Methyl B-12 5000mcg/ day. You may want to start with half of the tablet, but I recommend buying the higher doses because prices are about the same and your body doesn't absorb all of it anyway. Take on an empty stomache to promote better absorption. I also take Country Life Coenzyme B-Complex Caps (gluten free, milk free...) because of their relatively high levels of B1, B6, and Folic Acid as compared to other brands.

As far as the Gabapentin goes, I would give it a bit of time to work. It sounds like you've only been on the higher dose for a few days... It's a good sign that you're able to sleep through the night now! Follow your instincts, though. If something doesn't feel right, trust yourself. Also, doctors will be pessimistic, but keep your chin up. It's important for you to believe this can get better.

I find that exercising helps, too. Some days this can mean 2 or 3 situps. Other days, maybe a walk around the block, or a longer walk if you can manage it. Go easy on yourself, and know that you're not alone out there. =)

Hi Deb. I appreciate hearing from you. I never thought of Georgia for a snow state interesting.

How long have you diabetes? I have been type 2 for about 6 yrs. My sugar readings were always fine until 6 months ago they climbed had an AIC of 7 although I guess that’s ok too.

Dr. said had nothing to do with diet some people just develop the neuropathy from the diabetes even though AIC is fine. He said some people develop it some don’t.

I take metformin was on 2 now on 4 plus 1 Glipiside for the sugar.

My Dr is an internist and no test or anything I just told him m symptoms and told him about not being able to sleep cuz I feel the electroshocks that radiates from head to toe. I have to get up when this happens and walk around the house and fix a cup of tea then it seems to calm down.
Last night too even being on 1800 mg daily on the Neurotin I had to get up and walk around and make a cup of a chamomile tea.

I definitely understand that burning feeling I experience
that a log along with feeling the electric currents. The currents seem to travel upward when I’m sleeping and wakes me up.
I don’t have any issues walking Knock on Wood

I did feel a little shaky when I first took the Neurotin and irritable also.
My house work has not suffered actually I feel less discomfort when I am busy in the house

Even now feel small currents in my fingers typing this reply.
I started on the tread mill again I find massaging my feet and putting ice cubes on them is calming.
I also use Capsaicin and Bengay.

Hi Barefoot,

Yes I take B Vitamins everyday B12, B-Complex, Shaklee Vitamins, Have a protein drink with almond milk. Also take cod liver oil, fish oil, collagen just started magnesium.

Yes I hope the garbapentin kicks in. I woke up last night spoke to soon with electric currents had to get up and walk around. Walking actually helps.

Yes I exercise on the treadmill. I am not handicapped with this dreadful thing at least not yet.

It felt uncomfortable going out and about to the stores and sitting in the dentist chair and having burning and electric shots running through me.

I am very new to this as you can see.

Hagd. I have to go to work. I work from home on my computer. Just moved it so have to set it back up again. Hope I remember where everything goes.

Oh no....my snow is melting

My PCP had me listed as pre-diabetic for a few years....I'm type 2 now....the chemo caused my A1C to spike to 8.7 which is really not that high but I guess with the chemo drugs it just did a job on me. And my dr said the same as yours....this can still happen with well controlled diabetes.

I have been on metformin 2 a day and this past May she added 2 mg of glimepiride/Amaryl...pretty much the same as you but they raised your metformin. The glimepiride brought my A1C down from 8.7 to 6.7 in 3 months...when my A1C was checked again in 3 months it was still 6.7. Still hoping to get that number lower.

Getting started on the gabapentin was pretty hard.....he had me increasing every week....when I would increase I would have a headache every afternoon for about 4 days, was grouchy, lightheaded and unbalanced. After the 4 days it would stop and then I'd have to up it again.....this last time he upped it I asked if I could increase every 2 weeks and he said ok....that made all the difference in the world.

We have a large yard and I usually walk the dog 4 or 5 times a day. Some days that is not possible and I've even had to call family over to walk him when my husband was not home. Thankfully that does not happen a lot but I really have trouble walking, standing or just having my feet on any surface.

I tried the Capsaicin cream for about 4 weeks but couldn't tell any difference in the pain. They told me the cream would be warm on my feet but I didn't feel a thing. When I told the dr he just laughed. My upper right arm wakes me up at night and if I put that cheap icy hot on it that helps. And I can feel the warmth.....tried it on my feet too but could not feel any warmth. Oh well I tried

My feet like something cold....my side porch is terracotta tiles and sometimes I just go out there barefoot and stand for a few minutes. I also have a 'chillow', the one advertised on TV, and use it on my feet too.

My newest symptom is stinging...weird I think. My pain and symptoms ebb and flow all day long.

Good to talk to you. Please keep us posted

Debi from Georgia

Hi Deb,

Yep you can have your sugar under control and stil get neuropathy. The Doctor said has to do with how long had diabetes and not everyone that has diabetes gets neuropathy. just the souls like us.

My feet hurt and burn today and are numb. This morning I exercised, used the jets in my tub for a water massage, even gave them a parafin treatment.

I can't say I didn't pamper them today. The gabapentin. .. I am already taking 1800 mg and refuse to increase it.

The first couple days I did have side effects like feeling a little high, dry mouth, memory I am finding I go for something and forget what I went for and walk back then it comes to me what I wanted in the first place.

I think it's the medication and probably a combination of my dwelling on this evil monster that is attacking my feet and hands. In my hands I feel shooting pains.

Cold also feels good for me what I do is get ice cubes and rub a couple on my feet that feels great them I put bengay on if it burns I don't feel it.

What is the other medication you are taking. I need something for this uncomfortable pain

It has just came out with a vengeance. When I work I can't think about it plus it really does not bother me much . .. could be the sitting in the chair and keeping mentally busy with the job.

I am still learning the program for this sight very slowly I should be able to get around on it in a few days.

HAGN

uglogirl

Just wanted to see how you're doing.

I've had a really good day which scares me

Debi from Georgia

Hi Deb! Awesome on your Really Good Day. I hope you have had more since that post.

I have been doing well past week the 1600 mg of Gapabentin seems to be helping.

I take Epsom salt baths, treadmill 20 min, stationery bike for about 10 min.

Really watching my carbs since I am a Diabetic 2 and this is where this evil monster comes from.

I have been able to work just fine a lot better than a couple of weeks ago.

Let me how you are doing.

Hi Deb,
I sent away for Neuropathy creams and unguentine from ages ago for burns
The only thing I find that helps are ice cubes and rubbing cream on after. Capsacian, bengay not of it has helped. I use cetaphil lotion too it's all soothing when putting on and massaging my feet but that is it.

I'll take ice cubes and my water jets they both seem to help a lot.