[Leafs51]

Hello again, i was told to give you some of my info on my dreaded disease. I was diagnosed with PN this past summer, where before i thought that i had gout?? My pain for a few years was in the ball of my large toes, sometimes one toe and sometimes both where the pain was unbearable! I was given 600mg. neurontin two at bedtime, but later was changed to 3 pills with the third in the morning. I went to as much as 4 pills when the pain was too much, varying at times. I saw a correlation between pain and barametric pressure, especially when it dropped below 30? I have tried to stay at 3 pills a day with 20mg. oxy twice a day to help with pain. I am not sure which is worse more neurontin or help with oxycontin for pain? The side effects with neurontin are numerous, especially where i read about suicidal thoughts?? With the 3 i am taking i have the clumsiness and tiredness that is mentioned as side effects. Even at 4 pills a day i still started getting pain after 6pm, where i started taking the oxy for the pain. I have high blood pressure with heart disease, inherited from my grandparents, so my cardiologist says? I have 10 stents in the left ventricle but stay active even at 62 with daily swimming and walking at a slower pace than i used to. I first got diagnosed with HBP at 35 being in great shape, working out at least 5 times a week. I have gone thru numerous HBP pills to try and maintain good BP but not always working? It usually stays around 140/75. I am presently trying to lose the weight that has been with me since i retired 8 yrs ago after my heart attack, being at 258lbs. I would like to get to my ideal weight where i feel good being 220. I have lost 16 lbs. in the last 2 months, so it's a slow process. I also had my gall bladder removed, before my heart attack because my original chest pain was misdiagnosed as gall bladder problems, NOBODY ever looked at my heart??????? So that is where i am presently. Thank you sssooooo much for having this support group, may we ALL have relief from pain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrsD]

Well then, what drugs are you currently taking. And I mean OTHER than the pain medication.

I suspect a statin in there. Statins are known to cause PN.
Some other drugs cause nerve damage.
Even some common antibiotics like Cipro, Levaquin and Avelox, and also Flagyl.
more on drug damage:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread122889.html

Have you seen a good podiatrist? The ball of the foot has small bones called sesamoids, and these can move or crack and inflame the tendons on the bottom of the feet.

Have you had your B12 and Vit D tested? If not, I'd get that done ASAP. Low B12 can be hidden by damage from OTC acid reducing drug use. If you are below 400pg/ml...you need to supplement ASAP. Doctors don't know the new cut off yet (it has only been a decade now..) so you have to get your numbers. They will also treat low D with inferior D2 on RX and that also you have to do yourself based on your test results.
More on B12:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread85103.html

Many RX drugs, deplete nutrients over time. ACE inhibitors for blood pressure deplete zinc, for example. Diuretics will deplete magnesium and B1 big time.