The cause of my PN? I don't know.

After my left knee arthroscopic surgery in the early '90s, I found that my left foot would feel funny if I walked more than 30 mins. I thought I was going flat-footed or that I had some muscle atrophy. Throughout the '90s, after the knee surgery, I was trying to resolve what I perceived were malaise and fatigue. I experimented with diet, exercise, acupuncture, tai chi. In '05, I had an acute hyponatremia. That nearly did me in. In '08, I had a rash and the doctors fumbled around at a diagnosis, maybe shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia. A year after that, bottom of the foot pain and foot cramps, and some tingling-burning on the backs of the hands. My fatigue is now quite noticeable and inhibiting.

And here we are. Chronic poor nutrition may be a contributing factor. Flu vaccinations may be, as well.


P.S. I forgot shaman healer. I went to a shaman healer in San Rafael in Marin County.

Wow...that is alot of testing! I assume you are taking medications? Perhaps a statin?

This link shows the nerve distributions down the leg.
The front area, the groin, is far less involved in the foot, than the back (sciatic). You can move the toggle at that site to see in 3D.
http://www.healthline.com/vpbody/ner...-spine-to-foot

In fact, I would think you'd have some sensory problems with the thigh, like Meraglia Paresthetica with the front access to the femoral artery.
There is an article about this, but I don't have membership to access it...says it is rare.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...10149/abstract

This book source explains how the femoral nerve may be injured:
http://books.google.com/books?id=GMt...page&q&f=false

Whatever the cause, I'd do some research on this further to see if something could work for you. Have you tried Lidoderm patches? I would place them in the groin area where the suspected irritated nerves are.


This link shows where the femoral nerve is located in the groin area.
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/2109.html

I would get evaluated by a neurologist if you haven't done so already.

Hi Tulips,

I'm tempted to wax philosophical and proffer that, "I don't know" is often a valid answer, but that might be hypocritical of me as it's an answer I am sometimes loath to accept myself.

Knowing matters if it changes something. If treatment would remain the same, then practically speaking, it doesn't matter. I have to agree with invisable that, "It is better to have no answer, than to have a tragic diagnosis."

This is difficult. I'm trying to be supportive, but I can see how what I'm saying might be construed as dismissive, and that is not my intent.

I guess what I'm trying to get to is that we can drive ourselves nuts (and broke) trying to find answers in the belief that the answer will bring closure, when what we really want/need is peace of mind. Answers don't necessarily bring that.

Doc

Thanks for the links. I will definitely check them out. Yeah I do take lots of meds. I have 7 stents in the LAD due to instent restenosis. They've tried everything from brachy therapy to several med. stents. So far the last stent is on year number 2. I do have a neurologist that has me on several meds for the neuropathy. I was just wondering if you've heard of anyone having so many cardiac caths to cause nerve damage?

I agree.. and I'd even like to add my two cents. Knowing where my PN came from didn't make things any better. It didn't help me to get better treatment or control the pain. All it did is make me want to go back and change the way things happened, which is not an option for any of us. Knowing where it came from makes me feel guilty -every minute of every hour of every day- because I could have prevented it all. Yet, at the same time, I couldn't have stopped it. I know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to anyone who doesn't know the whole story.. but I would be much better off if I didn't know where it came from. It is the knowing that causes me so much pain every day. I know that isn't always the case... but it is my situation.

It seems like knowing about the disease and knowing about our individual cases would be the appropriate goal to achieve. However, there is much evidence on this forum that members sometimes spend years trying to figure things out, and get diagnoses and treatments, only to wind up where they started from, i.e., their docs tell them, "Well, we're not really sure what you've got and, besides, there is no treatment for it."

I am referring, of course, to looking for answers from doctors, etc. The alternative is looking for information (if not answers) here on this forum, which is much more helpful to me, and much more important to my condition.

I wonder....

Hi smae,

Rhetorical question: Why is it so much easier to forgive others than to forgive ourselves? Charity begins at home.

Guilt is common with chronic illness, but not therapeutic. Forgiving ourselves is a part of coping/healing. A search of "chronic pain guilt" (without quotes) may help.

I have no idea. And it doesn't even make sense. It's not like I did something to cause this... not directly.. it was the result of a surgery I had, but I had no idea this could have happened or I would have never had the surgery--but I had no control over what my body did after surgery and how the PN formed. Every doctor has said it's not anything I could have stopped.. so I should just accept that.. but on some level, it feels like I could have prevented it. I do know, though, that if I hadn't of had the surgery, I could very well be dead. Dead, or have severe polyneuropathy? Don't really like either outcome.

Anyway.. wasn't asking for a pity party or a place to vent my whole story.. just wanted to share that sometimes, the very thing you are asking for (finding the cause) is what ends up hurting you the most. It's not always the best and it sure didn't change any treatment for me. I would much prefer to not know.

Hi, I am new here. I received the medication Levaquin through an IV in July, 2010 and had an immediate adverse reaction from just one dose. It has damaged my PNS. I am taking Gabapentin 600 mg 2 x day. Some days are worse than others. I have burning pain throughout my body with muscle twitching, cramps, and muscle fatigue/weakness.

My neuropathy was caused by a B12 deficiency.
tgcasey