Hello Ann,
I would also like to congradulate you on 8 years clean and sober !!! Truly a miracle. I am an RSD sufferer and I have tried that is not narcotic that has helped some is Mexeltine. Just a suggestion. Much luck to you.

Jill, NY

promising. I'll see if my doc can get it for me....

http://millercenter.uchicago.edu/lea...xiletine.shtml

Sounds great if it works!

Ann

Ann,

You can learn more about Mexiletine at http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/mexiletine.htm . With drugs, you ALWAYS have unexpected negative effects, sometimes not serious enough to stop, but other times serious to deadly. PN for example is a rare and unexpected, but real side effect of many drugs including statins and some antibiotics.

There is a place for drugs. Some drugs help the body heal, some are necessary for life (like insulin, anti-psychotics, cancer chemo, or cardiac medications), some make life tolerable in the face of severe intractable pain, some provide short term relief from pain as needed. But with all drugs there is always a cost to specific organ functionality, general vitality, and to general health. Once on the long-term drug train it's difficult or impossible to get off. Finally, if drugs provide some relief, most of us will stop looking for health, and stop doing the demanding things to achieve better health and reduced pain.

Why not try alternatives that are healing and offer improved functionality and general health: vitamins and dietary supplements, massage (of which electro stimulation is one type), healthy diet with reduced fat and sugar, exercise, meditation and other stress relief, avoidance of allergens and toxins, etc. For most of us, a complete holistic program that we follow as our daily lifestyle and as new life affirming habits can transform us and make life good again, and even promote nerve/bone/muscle/blood vessel healing. There is plenty of guidance along these lines in this forum, elsewhere on the web, and in books. Here's but one example: http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurolo...ropathy_01.htm . The article focuses on diabetic neuropathy, but most is applicable for all of us with PN. In animal research, what works to heal nerve damage caused by induced diabetes also helps nerves damages from other causes.

I hope you see fit to keep this conversation going.

I'm looking into the Acetyl L-Carnitine. I'd much rather take natural supplements than pharm drugs. I've had some weird reactions to drugs that most people can take with little problem. The B-vitamins seem to be working for me. I haven't had to use the Ibuprofen in a couple of nights now. The tingling is still there at a very low level but not enough to keep me awake. The rest of the symptoms are gone.

Ann,
Let me add my congrats to your 9yr and counting sobriety - a truly remarkable achievement and one I'm sure you are proud of every day. I do want to second David's caution about drugs and their side effects particularly relative to alternate changes in lifestyle which can dramatically improve your symptoms and promote healing as many members of this forum will tell you from their own histories.

With respect to Mexiletine I know it can help in some cases but it is a Class 1B antiarrhythmic and these can have some unpleasant GI and CNS side effects. I discussed mexiletine for my cold PN w/ my cardiologist and neurologist and they both agreed that the doses could be pretty high to see improvements so I've tabled this for the time being.

Check out the many useful supplements and lifestyle changes that can bring about long lasting improvements.
Best of luck

Alkymst

Ann-Elizabeth,

Congrats on the 9 years

Have you thought about Ultram? From what I remember, it is not a narcotic pain medication and it does not have addictive qualities, but it does relieve pain very well for a lot of people.

Secondly - have you thought about seeing an addiction specialist to get their recommendations? Or finding a sponsor or other peer within AA who is in recovery and has chronic pain?

I do know that AA/NA does not forbid pain medications as a necessary medical treatment, but clearly each person in recovery has to weigh the benefits and risks when deciding on a treatment. I have met several recovering alcoholics/addicts in the chronic pain forum over the years, and several have been able to use pain medications without becoming addicted by relying on the help of their sponsor, addiction specialist, pain management specialist, etc... and several others have chosen to avoid all pain meds.... as I said earlier, it is an individual decision that each person has to make themselves based on benefits/risks.

The bone pain you are having - could it be caused by inflamation of some sort? Have you tried an anti-inflamatories (Aleve, Advil) to see if they help at all? I once had pain that felt like deep bone pain - but the pain was actually caused by tendon and ligament inflamation, and with a combo of Aleve and Prednisone (a steriod) and then some physical therapy to loosen the over-tight and inflamed/swolen tendons and ligaments, the pain subsided.

I hope that helps, and I hope you find pain relief.

Take care,
Liz

Right now, my doc has left the decision up to me. He is willing to give me a rx for a narcotic to use on an as needed basis..it is my decision. I'm not sure what to do. My gut tells me no, so that is probably the direction I will go. I have seen countless sober AA people innocently take pain meds for legitiment reasons and end up losing their sobriety. I owe everything in my life (my husband, my child, my happiness, my actual life) to being sober, so this is not something I can easily risk. I have never had a problem in abusing drugs....but I don't think I want to push it, ya know?

I am going to Hawaii on Monday. I will think about this some more, but think I need to start yoga and meditation. I already have a good vitamin/supplement program thanks to Mrs. D's advice. I also will try plain old aspirin for inflammation because the bone pain does feel like inflammation.

I really appreciate all the good info. Great food for thought. It will be interesting to see if relaxing in Hawaii brings my pain level down.

Ann

Ann-Marie, I am a recovering alcoholic, sober for 27 years. I was diagnosed with sudden onset pn 8 years ago. I was very anxious about using narcotics due to this history, but my pain was so bad that I was suicidal, and I decided that I had nothing to lose by trying it. I did not tell my doctor about my alcohol history because I was afraid he would withold medication. He put me on a fetanyl patch. I have used this for 7 years with occasional additional meds for breakthrough pain. Last year I also started Lyrica, which also helps me very much. The relief I have gotten from the fenanyl has bee a lifesaver. I have never once thought of abusing it, had a craving for it or alsohol, or experienced any difficulty related to my prior alcoholism. I think you would be wise to try all other alternatives first, but if none work, I think it would be okay for you to try something like fentalyl patches, which are very low dose, sustained release. They have certainly never made me feel high or altered my mood at all. When drugs are used for pain, it is very different when they are abused my non-pain people. So, after trying other things, I would tell you to try fentalnyl patches rather than suffer pain.

i have bone pain since taking gabapentin also.I thought I was crazy.They tell me i have tendinitis and fasciitis in both feet but?

I am a bone pain person. I feel like some of my bones are actually broken, not just in my feet either. It is dull aching, but strong...now and then it throbs....exactly like when I broke my arm and my tibia.

I also went off opiates and benzo's per my own request....just felt cr@appy on them, and wanted off. Tired of the monthly trip to get the script....and worrying about what happens if you can't get it. Coming off that stuff is not a picnic...congrats to you for your sobriety. I have my days when I want to slap that fentanyl patch back on and not be in pain, but I know that would last a few months and then I would be in pain again and need to move up the dose.

I still have bone pain....I use NSAIDs for a short period of time, or tylenol. Funny thing is, you get tolerant to even Tylenol.

I think that what you are on it likely the best drug solution. You may benefit from heat packs. I dunno, I just had to seriously adjust my life style and not feel guilty about taking to the couch or bed.

Congrats on the sobriety.