besides the suggestions you got above Wellbutrin helped with my pain levels especially the burning , throbbing and stabbing. I think you should also look for a new pcp.

Hm.... if I feel pain on the bottoms of my feet/toes that nerve must come from somewhere... now to figure out where... (I only have a few patches left-) How did you find out about the hand locations?

I was on Welbutrin, but they took me off of it as i wasn't entering REM sleep. (This was before the feet thing- which makes sleeping difficult anyway.)

What would a new PCP do- all they seem to want to do is let the specialists handle it and just be there as back-up or to treat your cold.

This post has links showing the nerves in the foot:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=Lidoderm

For example when a doctor wants to numb your foot, do they put the needle on the bottom of your feet? Or do they inject higher up and get all the branches of the nerves? They do the latter.

Look at this link:
https://www.northcoastfootcare.com/f...t-anatomy.html
near the bottom of the page...it shows how the nerves come down over the top of the foot, before branching out to their end points.
Numbing them here, stops the flow of signals from many places..its more effective this way. Click on the words "nerve impingement" in blue, this takes you to pictures of where those nerves go.

Interesting... So I'm thinking right across the top of the foot- near the ankle- is this sort of following what you mean- or should it be closer to where the pain is--further down towards the toes? (The "nerve impingement" link only shows problems on the top of the foot... I am assuming the nerves continue to the bottom as well.)

I use 1/2 patch per foot, applied vertically from ankle to toes.

I don't use them alot, but they do work for me this way.

I use Salonpas patches for my sesamoid bone issues if they flare, around the ball of my foot.

The new slip ons I bought from Dr. Scholl's have really helped my foot pain, BTW. They have that memory foam stuff in the footbed. I just bought another pair, because the "sale" ends at Famous Footwear on the 19th. I got hubby some nice shoes there too on Monday. He liked the leather Dr. Scholl's he found!

Hmm... I have a wide foot- I keep thinking one or another nerve will be left out if I apply vertically- maybe I'll try one way on one foot and the other on the second foot- lol.

I have to admit I took your suggestion on another thread about those slip ons- they are very comfy - I can't afford another pair right now though... but these ones should be ok for now.

An endocrinologist I saw @ Columbia P&S put me on 50 thousand international units of Vitamin D (3) per week. The D (3) form is more effective. Have been on it for the past 4 years. So far, so good. I haven't noticed any worsening. I thought it had to be obtained via an rx, but it can be bought otc.

BTW, if you live in the Boston area, the endocrinologist (she's very very good) I saw is now practicing @ Brigham & Women's Hospital. PM me if you'd like her name.

There is an RX version of Vit D.... It is the antiquated D2, ergocalcifierol. It goes back 40 yrs or so when it was the ONLY Vit D one could buy anywhere. It is the only one FDA approved --which is sort of a joke, since it is very inferior to D3. Doctors do not know this however. They will test you, then prescribe the only D on RX not even knowing what they are doing!

They looked like pretty blue football gelcaps. It was extremely expensive and later on I learned that the D3 is better and 'way cheaper and no need for an rx.

Sad but true...many doctors don't know what they're doing.