NeuroTalk Support Groups

NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- Peripheral Neuropathy (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/)

- - Feet, mainly. (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/181591-feet-mainly.html)

Height is a big contributing factor. I am 6'2", a woman, with extremely long arms and legs. My podiatrist, not my neurologist, was the first one to diagnose the PN, and to tell me that height makes it much worse. Mine is hereditary so nothing I could have done to prevent or improve it, but height still complicates matters, like trying to run a really long train set from one transformer-too much distance with all the extra resistance that implies and a weakened motor.

There are a number of research papers out there in medical journals hypothesizing that the reason more men get PN is simply because they are taller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wide-O (Post 943170)

Thanks for the welcomes. :)

B12 on empty stomach: check. It makes a lot of sense.

Benfotiamine: I had come across it here, but didn't realize that this (well, the older version) used to be one of the choice "drugs" to treat PN - especially when alcohol had been involved. Ordered.

I don't know the exact mechanism, but I have seen it confirmed time & time again that antacids - especially when taken for a long time - mess up your ability to properly metabolize B12.

To be clear: I stopped taking them about 2 years ago. And as of June of this year, I stopped all medication/supplements/alcohol, to get a "base line reading" of where I'm at. Eating healthy - well, let's be honest: eating! - took care of some things, but not of B12 levels and - I forgot to mention - very low folic acid levels.

I might well be in a position where I no longer am able to methylize B12/FA, so it will be interesting to see what happens with the supplements I just ordered.

Nightshade plants... well, yes: I think I have to be careful there. I love peppers and grow them myself, so I hoped this not to be the case, but I have noticed that there is a correlation with spicy food (chile con carne etc) and the needles & pins thing.

Mind you: it's not all bad news. Since stopping any alcohol/benzo intake, I feel so much healthier that it's hard to describe. Definitely the best thing I ever did. I know you can never say never, but if I can help it, I never want to go back to the very dark place of drinking daily.

And yes: patience. It took 10 years to destroy my nerve ends, so I'm not expecting to change that around in a couple of months.

As I'm typing this, I almost have no pain in my feet (2/10 on the scale?). I have to believe I can turn this around by eating healthy, taking the supplements, checking my blood panel regularly, and staying off the booze.

Back to reading. :)

Congratulations on having the character to face it all and take responsibility for, not only the problem, but finding the solution.
As to the height issue; several of us who are vertically challenged also have PN. I think the only benefit of being shorter is that it may take somewhat less time for the peripheral nerve re-generation to reach its ends.
Best of luck with it all,
Steven

Trying to kick what was working

Hey all, at some point now I guess I need to relay what was working for me but now I'm quitting it, not so easy but making it. The what is "Suboxone", usually used to treat addicts kicking opiates. A pain clinic prescribed it and it took away 50-70% of my feet and hand neuropathy pain away, still had to be careful about how much time I spent on my feet but it got my life going again about 6 years ago. Now I'm trying to quit it due to the pain clinic causing too much trouble for me. Frequent mandatory appointments with a drug test I'd have to pay for, also forcing me to see an "in clinic" shrink before I could get a refill. OMG I feel more like an addict than someone being treated for pain! Anyway I got tired of the bother enough to now try some old alternatives. Diet, Celebrex, Neurontin high does, Cymbalta progressively increasing. I hope this all works and with some help from this forum it just might~ later ~ Raz