I am also taking Divalproex ER for Epilepsy, which I have had for 15 years now.

I have had a lot of blood work done which included testing for Vit D / Vit B12 deficiencies.
My neurologist did other blood work to check for other signs that could cause this issue.
Which has lead him to believe it is something besides diabetes. There are some other factors he is taking in to account. I am guessing he is looking for nerve damage in my MRI or compression. The nerve disease specialist he wants me to see does not have a opening for 5 months.

I write computer software for a living, and can not think of anything that I have been around that I could have been exposed to any toxins.

I had one vaccine when I finally went to the doctor about the leg pain and found out about diabetes. It was a pneumonia vaccine.


About 5 years ago I did have Diverticulitis, then I had Gastroparesis for a 2+ years.

Thank you John,

This is a starting point. Get those blood levels of D and B12, , and did you have carnitine measured? Please get your number results for the B12 especially, because you could still be low and not know it.

The medication you take depletes carnitine.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10852092

Carnitine is one supplement used for some PNs, that are drug induced. Chemo drugs often deplete carnitine as well, and this is due to mitochondria damage.

This is our mitchondrial information thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...t=mitochondria
Damage to the mitochondria over time stops the cells from producing energy. The nervous system seems very prone to this, and damage to it leads to all sorts of symptoms.

Mito damage is now thought to be a major cause of PNs but that is still in the research arena.

Do you eat foods that supply enough magnesium daily? If not doing that is very helpful, or a supplement (any type except OXIDE form which is not absorbed). Dose magnesium to start at 1/2 the RDA which is about 200mg elemental. Diabetics lose magnesium in the urine more so than non-diabetics, so looking into that would be helpful for you.

Here is my magnesium thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html