[j0nnyM]

Hi,

Well let me start out from the beginning. Around December 2008 I am working as a security guard at a bank , standing for 10 hour days. A few weeks into the job and I noticed my feet hurt. This eventually started effecting my sleep/mood/job. I wound up losing my job due to falling asleep on the job. I lose my job in April 2009 , and at that time my feet are now engulfed in flames ( feels like it anyways) I go on the next 6 months dealing with the pain as much as I can.

I begin smoking marijuana which helps deal with the pain at night and helps me fall asleep. I finally am able to see a doctor and after all blood tests and xrays , I am told I need to quit smoking cigarettes and that this is was has caused my PN. This was 3 months ago and I have quit smoking since then. Now I am only 27 years old , back in 2008 I weighed 270 pounds (I am 6'6" , and havent gained more then 10 pounds since highschool.) Since my PN kicked in I can barely walk some day , and I have ganed 55 pounds since then , and another 10 pounds since I started taking Neurontin 3 months ago. The last 3 weeks have been the worse ever , the pain being horrendous to the point of tears.

Now that you have some background , I have some questions. If cigarettes were the cause of my PN , wouldn't quitting make the PN less painful/go away? I played high school football , can some injury from 10 years ago that I never might have felt have caused this? Anyone else have problems elevating legs or having them reclined?

As it is now I have 3 children with a child on the way and I need to work. I have been unemployed since 4/09. I just feel so lost and scared about what may come if my feet get worse or if I can't get a job in time. The doctor I see just throws these damn pills at me and says they can't find any other reason for the PN. I just need some kind of help and I don't know where else to go.

[plgerrard]

I am truly sorry to hear you are dealing with PN at such a young age. You have found a great place for supportive and knowledgeable people.

To my knowledge smoking does not cause PN. It does aggravate it, however. For most of us, the PN is idiopathic - of unknown cause. I'm starting to believe that is simply because doctors aren't as knowledgeable about PN as they should be. Once they exhaust looking at the common causes they stop looking and label the PN idiopathic.

That is why the information you find here is so important. You can become your own diagnostician - asking your doctor to order the blood work you read about here. A good doctor will be receptive to the idea.

I recently asked my doctor to run a Vitamin D test. He humored me, and was surprised to find that I did, in fact, have a Vit D deficiency. I've been on D for a month now, and am already feeling the difference. I also have a B6 deficiency. I have had PN since 2004, but it was 2009 before that deficiency was found.

There will be other members along soon that are more knowledgeable than I am. I just wanted to wanted to welcome you to NT.