My Father has been struggling with peripheral neuropathy for years. He has been to many prestigious hospitals including John's Hopkins and has still not found relief. I will include the list in a later post of what all he has taken because there is so many. This is what I do know: he does not have diabetes, he takes b12 vitamins regularly, he takes cymbalta, and some sort of pain medication I'm not sure of the name, he is overweight, doesn't work out at all because the pain is too bad, and eats out all the time. Can someone please give me some help on how to make his condition better?

Welcome to NeuroTalk.

This condition has a complexity that others do not. There are over 100 causes of PN, and determining which is the culprit, can steer you toward some solutions.

Some are topical... like Biofreeze, and epsom salts. Some are nutrients, there are many more besides B12.

Can you tell us more? What drugs does he take? Some drugs deplete nutrients. Some drugs CAUSE PN... and doctors are hesitant to reveal this.

Where is his PN? in the feet, all over ... where? Do other family members have it?

Most people and doctors too, don't recognize that frank diabetes is not necessary for PN to start. The low blood sugars that precede diabetes can starve and damage nerves while tests show "normal". This is called impaired glucose tolerance.

Does your father smoke? Does he have PAD, Peripheral Artery Disease?

There are poisons all around us that damage nerves. Pesticides, herbicides, car exhaust, solvents.

Autoimmune issues including gluten intolerance may affect nerves. Autoimmune issues in males begins more commonly after 45-50. (although today more younger men have them too).
Autoimmune issues may be triggered by vaccines.

I assume since he has been to Hopkins he has had autoimmune testing?

Long lasting PNs should be screened for gluten intolerance.
Continuing to eat gluten containing foods, in a person who has become intolerant can lead to nerve damage:
http://sites.google.com/site/jccglutenfree/
The link above has a special section on gluten and neuropathy.

There is alot of information here that we have all gathered over the last 4 years, so check out the subjects in the subforum above here and see what strikes you as familiar.

What dept at Hopkins has he been to-
Neurology, Pain Mgmt, E.R.? other?
What doctors (names) has he seen?
What tests have been done? EMG, Nerve velocity, etc
(and what are the results in numbers -
'normal', 'average', etc are of no value) ?
What are his pain levels ( 1 thru 10, on the Mankoski scale)?

he's been helped a lot by Hopkins and has been thru the PN diagnostics 'mill' himself. He knows all the docs and can help you find the rite one for your father. Post a few more times *edit* and you can PM him and I bet He will answer . He is one super guy who knows what PN and pain are about & knows his way around Hopkins. Also? At times he's stronger that the whole lot of us! I respect him immensely. Does this help you? 's!! - j