There are hereditary neuropathies that really have no treatment other than symptom relief.

There are neuropathies due to some nutrient imbalance, and when that is fixed, these will improve.

There are neuropathies from trauma. These may heal but take time. Some viral infectious ones are in this category too.
Spinal pressures or nerve root compression are examples.

Neuropathy from autoimmune disease, has to be treated for the autoimmune aspect. If that is reduced, then the neuropathy can recede.

If you use a drug that is a known neuropathy causer, then continuing the drug will cause more damage. Same for toxin exposure, heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, etc.

The general postings here have been negative for sural nerve biopsy. But the sensory skin biopsies do show if nerve densities
are low or not and don't cause long term damage. All you need do is keep the skin biopsy area clean and free from infection.

The sural nerve biopsy can cause permanent damage and pain in that part of the foot. They don't always heal up well. This biopsy doesn't show much either. You already know you have problems. That is all it shows. It doesn't show WHAT is causing anything.

There are hereditary neuropathies that cause numbness and loss of muscle mass over time. Charcot Marie Tooth is the general name for them. They are diagnosed with DNA testing, but this is expensive for some people.

Lyme disease affects the nerves, and can be difficult to diagnose as well. Did you have IgG and IgM tests? Tests for antibodies? All those blood tests?

Here is one article: Protracted withdrawal syndromes from benzodiazepines:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...40547291900234

I don't have a membership so we are limited to this abstract.

This article discusses brain damage and cognitive impairments in chronic users:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...story-minor-tr

There is quite a bit of information available on the net about the cognitive worries concerning long term use of these drugs.

This is the Wiki on them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine

And do not suddenly stop your Benzo if you have been using it every day for a while. These drugs lower the seizure threshold over time and sudden abrupt discontinuance may cause a seizure in patients otherwise not labeled as epileptic.
A careful taper is best, therefore, and supervised by your doctor.

Hi, thank you Mrs. D
I think I need to explain my condition better.
Neuropathy started 18 months ago, first I thought it was MS, due to Lesions of demyelating suspessious of MS. I think it has just about been ruled out now. I have had repeat MRI every 6 months. I had the MRI due to cerebral aneurysm. The aneurysm was repaired, and I went on to recover. Was on dual antiplatelet theraphy. Had a small stroke due to coming off the Plavix too soon, so I was off work for a little bit. Was started back on Plavix. Had a few cerebral angiograms to check on aneurysm stent, due to suspecious stenosis noted.
I have an old C-6-7 herniated disc, this have had some flareups witht the radiculopathy type pain usually treated with Medrol dose pack. So I know what "pins and needles are
In April I had acute brachial neuritis with neuromuscular i8nvolvement. Tthe pain was the kind of pain one has in labor pain. I could actually see the muscle going in to spasm in arm.

Then in the fall I started to have autoimmune type of symptoms with Levido Reticularis everywhere on skin, mostly extremeties, and aslso other discoloration of skin on legs. Was diagnosed with vasculitis

The Neuropathy pain started late fall, and rheumatologist started me first on Neurontin, than changed it to Lyrica in January. It has helped the pain, but makes me a little dizzy.

I have now seen a neurologist that Has finally diagnosed the small fiber neuropathy. He is a professor at a medical school at University Hospital specializing in neuropathy. He took a good history and did a good neuro examee. He said" for sure this is polyneuropathy" He said no need for nerve biopsy. He also notised in my medicak that I had club foot as a child which I had surgery for as infant and repest in first few years. He concentrated on this and started to investigate re genetic history. I did not know there was a connection.
I now hav scedule EMG.
Lately: Due to the fact that I had commented regarding Xanax, I must mention that I have never been a person taking any kind of medicine like this before. I took Percocet only once or twice in my life, and that was after surgery, and that is it. My PCP had ordered it due to I had so much struggle and worries with all this illnesses. I have been taking )0.25mg daily as needed, and taken it sometimes at night. Belive me, I have had sleepless nights. And I am aware of side effects. Regarding the Lyrica, I know it needs to be slowly tapered off.
My neuropathy pain is not like only pain under feet( I actually never had that, like diabetic pain) Now I have burning all over body, and tremor like feeling down inside my spine. The neurologist said it is neuropathy. I have many nervesd involved, also autonomic.
But it is very good you educate regarding the danger of Benzodiazepans.

My goal is that the doctor find the cause of the neuropathy. I think I might need a LP.
Hopefully the cause is something treatable ( I know there is some that are not) I think they have ruled out Wegeners, even though the bronchoscopy showed bronchial stenosis. Yes I have had all the blood tests, Lyme negative, Sjogren negative( even had lip bx), was treatedall lupus tests negative. IgM IgG negative, HAD mra OF ALL THE MAJOR BLOOD VESSELS. NEG

So I was saying, I do not have diabetes, I do not have alcohoIism, do not have HIV, I do not hav liver disease, I do not use any drugs, so now we have to find any auto immune. Perhaps it is due to the vasculitis, or possibly to some genetics

I have stopped Lipitor, And stopped Plavix, stopped Plaquinil for now due to eye problems. I take some supplements

Thanks for support, rest asure, I do not have any dependancy problem, I only mentioned that this had helped for my sleeping at night.
I now

To mrs.D

Thanks again. You are a well of information.
This site is helping. Because one has to find a way to go to the right doctors and ask the right question.
I have read and printed up the information re. Charcot-Marie syndrome.

Now I understand a little what the neurologist was getting at. He did point out something about my foot arch and asdked if any in my family had feet like this. He also pointed out regarding uneven shoulders, I said that is because I have a little slight scoliosis. He did not say, but now I read a little of that fact. I think the scoliosis is due to the club foot.
He has diagnosed me so far with musle atrophy of right leg,in addition to polyneuropathy. and I now also read this may be part of this disorder.

So this article was interesting, but I do hope I do not have it> Pray to God.
I will be going for more tests.

Actually, the rheumatologist also sent me to a genetic testing doctor some time ago. This was due to some telengiectasis they had seen in my brochi. But we decided I probably do not have any trend in that way.

They did explain regarding gene testing there. Thanks

--as you apparently have "co-morbidities" already--but anyone with neurologic symptoms of pain/paratheses beyond just the lower extremities who has a history of stroke or other insult to the brain or spinal cord should be evaluated for central pain syndrome:

www.centralpain.com

This is also know as thalamic pain syndrome--if the thalamus, which acts as a relay center for sensory information, is damaged by stroke, MS, B12 deficiency, etc., it is possible to have nerves pathways there damaged to the extent that they fire off erroneous sensations to nearly any part of the body.

This condition is extremely difficult to diagnose, inasmuch as the symptoms can be exactly mimicked by a number of other conditions. One symptom that sometimes can point to it is the phenomenon of summation--that an innocuous touch to a body part is not immediately painful, but that the sensation builds over several seconds to involve dysesthetic, burning nerve pain.

To glenntaj
Thank you for your information. Yes, I did look up the link regarding "Central pain syndrom" when you posted it earlier, and I will keep it in mind and further research.
I can tell you: When it was first incidentally found out regarding the first stroke, 2 years ago, it was a " old infarct within left thalamus".
The second stroke, was very small, and I did have symptoms of parasthesia in right arm.
The MRI this time read " acute focal nonhemmorhagic infarct in the subcortical white matter of left postcentral gyrus".

All the other neurological situations has been mentioned in earlier posts.

As you can understand, the symptoms that has been worring me the most is the tremor like vibration and electrical current lik type of sensation I have been feeling. It feels like inside of spine, radiating to the whole torso and down legs.
I have mentioned this first to my general neurologist early on, but I never got any responds. Months went by, I saw a MS specialist and mentioned this again. Then , as so many things were getting worse, last fall, I asked to perhaps find a different general neurologist, saw one, he said" never in my 30 years of practice, have I heard any such symptom" I, not being knowlegable regarding thi, aske for a EEG, which I had, and it did show something abnormal, but he said someone else can explain it. He sent me to 2 other neurologist for evaluation. The first one said" I can not see any tremors on you" " We all have some tremors" and " your EMG is perfectly fine, I did it myself" ( I only had EMG of upper extremeties, now I am going to have all 4)

So now I am glad I finaly have found a good neurologist specialist, and I will mention regarding the Central Pain Syndrome

Thank you

You might want to read this thread too at RSD...
They have "central" pain too. I am not sure if it is thalamic however.

This is new electrical treatment based on the transcranial magnetic treatments for depression. (approved by the FDA).

It is called tDCS:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...highlight=tDCS

fmichael there is using this presently to control his RSD pain.

Thank you glenntaj

Yes I have taken note of that link, and will study it more. Now that I think I have found a neurologist that can help me, I hope for more answers regarding the scary feelings of " tremors and electric current down spine torso and legs. These feeling/sensation gets worse when I am tired or exhausted.
But I did mention it to this doctor. He said it was a kind of neuropathy. This was the time I ever got any response to this issue.
Actually, I had been sent to 3 differen neurologists, and I got no answer. I started to feel that no one took me seriously, and realized these doctors were not realy good.

I will fallow up next appointment is next week, will se what this doctor finds out.

I think we got off the topic of this thread re Xanax. So I will continue to fallow this neurotalk site where there is so much help to get. Perhaps you have a thread regarding "Central Pain Syndrome" I will let you know how it goes.