I have recently been diagnosed of SFN. After reading the posts of how you both are feeling, understandably why I feel the way I do. I am currently seeing a doctor who has never treated a person with my disorder before, and doctors who have, is about 6 hrs away. I started having these severe symptoms about a year ago. It started like Pseudo Siezures, with itchy, burning feet. They are cold and turning different colors. The leg and feet muscle contractions are extremely painful. I have progressed with symptoms rapidly. My feet are turning blue, constant stomach and bowel symptoms. I have the numbness, weakness, tingling sensations in my legs, feet, arms and hands. Now it is in my face and ear canals. I have a hard time swallowing when these symptoms occur. My body contracts with involuntary movements of twitching and spasms. I have dizziness, short term memory loss, and loss of concentration. Now I am constantly hot at night with sweating spells. Too young for menopause. HaHa. My doctor where I live has tested me for vitamin issues to MRI's. I feel like a test dummy. I was sent to a University Research Hospital where a neurologist saw me and in 2 hours diagnosed me with this condition. He sent me home with a referral to my primary doctor for pain management specialist and physical therapy. I have taken neurotin before and had bad reactions, now I am on Cymbolta and Norco. I have seen Acupuncturist, Therapists, Naturalists, and had no real results. You can't help but feel helpless. I was a very active person with my family and community. Now I am left to sit in a recliner catching up on Lifetime movies. I feel so frustrated, and sometimes very alone. I am hoping this will help by venting these frustrations. I do have a supportive husband, and family, but sometimes it isn't enough. They can empathize but cannot sympathize.

If you can find a doctor that or somebody who give percutaine electro stimulation(electro acapunctuur) helps great with pain,be prepared to have allot treathments

Hi I am new to this forum and learning how great it is to have poeple validate your pain and educate you on conditionis. I have learned a lot in just the few days I have been here.

I have been diagnosed with ganglioneuritis, and I am learning it is VERY much like SFN. I too, and on cymbalta and amytriptyline. These were both prescribed by my neurologist becuase they interfer with the pain flow to brain pathways and can help reduce pain. They have halped reduce the severity of my pain a little.

At one time I was on nuerontin but refused it after a while. It made me so rediculously empty headed and absentminded I couldn't remember my own name. My short-term memory did not exist. Topamx does that to, but not to such a degree.

I have also noticed that cymbalta(or one of the other of my many meds) has recently (past couple of months) been making me nausious(HOW DO YOU SPELL THIS _ MY BRAIN WONT WORK TODAY)(thank you topamax!) - strangly enough, grapfuit makes me feel batter - which conficlts with amytriptiline.

I hope you get help - I too am now having insurance probalems and went from being active, too live and a couch - I have ruined the cushions And pets are the only things that get sane some days. In fact, yeterday when i found we may have to find a new insurance, I was devested. I went into my living room and pepper, my ferret who was out of kennel for play time, LAUNCHED herself at my leg then spun off of me and ran under the couch. It was that one moment of humor that kept me going for the rest of the day.

I forgot to mention that I also have problems with my vision which my neuro attributes to my condition. But I know amytriptyline can cause eye probs..

I sure hope things are going ok for you, I know how the dr.s can be. Maybe you can find one who is interested in hepling who can do some pro bono? I don't know ... when it comes to our health, it seem that the medical community helps the least. My husband and I ahad to do ALL the research and pushing for each and evey test to be done for my condition. I am glad you have supoort at home. My husband is now burnt out and done with it. Please let me know how you are doing I would like to know if you are getting any help.

I just went to the ER about 2 weeks ago. The dr. didn't understand why I was there since the previous tests done shows there is nothing they can do. He didn't even pull his nose out of the chart to ask or see why I would be there. Unfortunately he wouldn't until my husband said LOOK at her. I was having reactions to the Cymbolta. I ended up seeing my son's physciatrist. (I know not spelled right, I too lost memory) She is going to help me now with the panic attacks and depression coming with this problem. I am afraid to ask for help because of the medical profession refusing to help me just because they don't know what to do. I saw my regular dr for him to tell me to move to a city to get better medical treatment. Now I need to move to get help! How is this fair? I feel so betrayed by my body and my mind. I wish that dr can see that it is not in my head when I am asking for help, and have to ask them to look before they can say it is in your head. They did give me meds to counteract the Cymbolta. Now on Ativan for panic attacks and Valum and now giving me Lamictal for depression. I did do the homeopathic route but way to expensive to maintain. I am doing Ionic foot detox with infired belt at home. I have read where the infired is great treatment for neuropathy. The foot detox does help with the pain temporarily. Losing family and friends because of the drama my illness causes. People are to sad to talk to me because the can't deal with the suffering in my voice. Not like we are talking about my illness. They just know I am in pain with the tone of my voice. I have looked for support groups in my area, but no luck. I feel like what more do I have to loose. I am loosing my body, mind, family, friends, my job and now my home.

Stopped taking all medications about 6 weeks ago or so. My hand no longer burns it is just numb and really difficult to do things with it and it is always cold. My knee is now swollen and painful (for about 4 days now) very difficult to get around. My elbows and ankles...well anything that bends I guess hurts. just fed up with it all. My quality of life sucks! Vision has gotten better and so has memory those are good things Just seems to be something new every week. Hair is still falling out. Back is killing me and I can hardly bare any weight on my left foot it is so sore.

I do have good days. Today seems to be one of those, better than yesterday anyhow And I quit smoking 4 weeks ago today, do not feel any better from it, but it makes everyone else happy! I did have about 8 days of a CONSTANT muscle twitch in my right arm between my elbow and my shoulder, drove me nuts. It stopped as quickly as it had started? Now I just get quick muscle twitches everywhere, maybe 2 to 5 a day. Sometimes I get electric-like shock that seem to be most intense at the tips of my fingers, toes, heels, elbows and ears. It only last a couple of seconds but boy does it hurt! Sores in my mouth and nose. My eyes are dry and itchy all the time, heck all of me is itchy all the time. I have strange little sores on me that will not heal. Just trying to think of all my new awesome symptoms to see if anyone else has them? My knees, wrists, and elbows hurt so much that I cannot get in and out of the tub on my own so I am forced to take showers only. A long hot bath is one of my favorite things to do, and now, at 42 years old, I cannot do that anymore:/ But, I would rather have all of this than the side effects I was having from the gabapentin.