Some of us cannot stand capsaicin at all.

Have you tried Biofreeze? This is a cooling gel and available on
Amazon for reasonable cost:
http://www.amazon.com/BIOFREEZE-Pain...ords=Biofreeze

People with diabetes really need to learn about some of the supplements that work for PN and diabetes.

Magnesium (orally or topically---do not use OXIDE form)
R-lipoic acid stabilized (improved form of alpha lipoic acid)
benfotiamine (an improved form of B1 thiamine)
Vit D3 (fix low levels)
B12 (methylcobalamin---fix low levels below 400pg/ml)

Diabetics lose magnesium in the urine, so since most people are not eating whole foods that provide this mineral anymore, diabetics especially can become low.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html
Many of us now use with good success the magnesium lotion
topically made by Morton. Epsom Lotion, is available at WalMart now and you use only a quarter's diameter on each instep on each foot.

This is the supplement page on PN:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread121683.html

There are many papers over the years on PubMed regarding lipoic acid and benfotiamine success with diabetic neuropathy.

Please sit down and read our forum and learn what you can do to improve your situation. Most doctors are not going to do this for you.

Have you been careful with the diet and watch your sugar levels carefully? When you get the diet rich in nutritious foods and fiber for healing, and bad cabs/sugar away that is number one. Do you take the supplements needed for the nerves to heal? Mrs. D listed them above.

Get blood tests for thyroid, vit D and B12 also.

The nerves also need circulation to be optimal. I use Far Infrared. Hothouse Dome and my FIR pad. The blood vessels have to be healthy to bring oxygen and take away toxins so the nerves can improve. It has worked so well for me, all of the above, then adding FIR.

Thankfully there are many ways to improve and heal for many of us. So glad you are here! Wish doctors knew more, but many do thankfully, usually integrative MD's are the only ones.

I used too much Capsaicin yesterday morning. I spent 9 hours in agony. Finally needing to go do something, I took a Tramadol 50 mg. After an hour or so, my toe pain abated.

In some sort of miraculous state, I was free from pain in my toes for the first time in months.

Imbued with hope, I eased into the evening. I had some Left Thigh pain while cutting some leather for my daughter. This usually stops if I sit down.

I went to bed without pain, and slept through the night, and awoke well rested for the first time in about 6 months.

It is strange to have slept through the night.

Problem is that I don't know what might have facilitated this relief. The Capsaicin, Tramadol, Slo-Mag finally catching up? Perhaps, I was simply exhausted from dealing with the over generous dose of Capasicin.

In any event, I am free from pain this morning and don't know what to do next.

Chris

I use tramadol very occasionally too. I find that once a week or less, is all I need. It seems to last me a day or two at a 1/2 tablet dose at night. (25mg)

I think people really can vary in response to this drug. Slow metabolizers may get longer duration of action.

Some people find it doesn't work at all for them! This is due to the metabolic needs of this drug...it has to be metabolized by the liver into its active metabolite, which then works on pain.

If your pain is confined to the toe? You might try Salonpas patches...the original formula. This takes inflammatory pain down topically with using oral medication. Apply on the top of your foot, near the toe. I love Salonpas, as I have sesamoid bone problems which can cause tendonitis at times.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/salonpas-pain-relief-patches-topical-analgesic2.56-in.-x-1.65-in./ID=prod4526-product?ext=gooMedicines_ampersand_Treatments_PLA_ Hot_ampersand_Cold_Therapy_prod4526_pla&adtype={ad type}&kpid=prod4526&sst=2c7bbf3f-0bc9-a1c8-d226-00004f5d8f2a
These small patches can be cut to size.
Keep the open pouch/envelop in a Ziploc baggie after opening.

The middle toes of the left foot have been the predominant, continuing source of pain. Most of the time they feel as if they are on fire.

The distal toes on the right foot have some degree of lack of sensation or enduring numbness. It is disconcerting, but not troublesome. After my first meeting with the neurologist and his exam, reflecting upon his findings of insensate areas helped me recall that much of the lack of sensation had been present for months, if not years.

The primary site of the neuropathy is my left thigh, leg, and foot. Much of the time, my left foot is ice cold to the touch and is insensate except to pressure. This extends above the foot to the sock level above the ankle to the lower leg.

Most of the time, my lateral, anterior left leg is numb. I experience shooting pain at times when supine. There is no loss of motor function. From time to time this will fade and I can feel my pants leg on my skin.

Usually the anterior, lateral portion of my left thigh is numb. When I stand too long, I experience a deep burning pain there. This will resolve upon sitting. It can be annoying when this area starts to itch. I worry that scratching it can produce lesions. I can scratch it and not feel the scratching, except in the periphery of the numb area.

The numbness in the thigh will abate spontaneously from time to time with the sensation of cold tingling that one gets when a foot that was asleep from sitting in a strange position wakes up.

When I walk, I can experience unpredictable burning pain in my left thigh and leg. The duration of the pain is unpredictable as well. Stopping and leaning on my trusty walking stick allows me to wait it out. I have learned to enjoy the view.

Before I started the Gabapentin, I had pain in both hips. The pain in the right hip had been there for several years. My GP had attributed it to sciatica from repeated back injuries in my work as a Paramedic.

The diagnosis is idiopathic neuropathy. I am a normally healthy, 64 year old male. No significant family history. Controlled glaucoma.

Unfortunately, the neuropathy manifested itself as I was recovering from a SLAP repair of the right glenoid labrum. I fell in January of 2011, tried this and that, had a MRI and surgery in November 2011, and physical therapy afterwards. I recovered completely from the labral tear, and had complete range of motion and strength by the 1 year mark.

I have some numbness in my left arm down the the little finger. It is apparent only in the little finger.

I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my right arm. It has been a problem for at least 15 years. I have developed coping strategies for it, so I pretty much ignore it.

The nerve conduction test confirms all of this, for what it's worth.

I currently take Gabapentin 2400 mg a day, Slo-Mag because the Epsom salt soaks help my foot, I started the B-12 oral as suggested on this forum and its sources, I have Tramadol 50 mg, but am not sure if it helps when I take it. I experimented with Capsaicin. Except for too much yesterday, it seems to help the toes.

Since the fall in 2011, I have been unable to work or do many of the things I have done in the past. Fortunately, I have a supportive, extended family living here. Good or bad, I was old enough to retire and did so.

Chris

That thigh symptom.... it really sounds like meralgia paresthetica.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2000/0401/p2109.html
Figure 2B shows the lateral femoral nerve which is sensory only
leaving the abdomen under the inguinal ligament.

This is a sensory only condition and does not affect the muscles.

I had (have this in remission now) for about 10 yrs. Mine came from abdominal surgery and was in my right thigh. Stabbing pain, rotating with numbness, etc was the norm for me. Heat makes it much worse I found. When Lidoderm patches came out I used them at that spot on the diagram at AAFP site illustration 2B... for 2 weeks and it put the nerve into a remission. It has been a small miracle for me. It will twinge now and then but only briefly and never stays like it was at one time.

We have a forum here with more comments:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum76.html
There are many triggers for this:
too tight belts or clothing

surgery in the abdomen, or bone harvesting in the back hip,

compression of the portion of the sciatic nerve exiting the spine at L4/L5...there are anatomical variations among people for this nerve pathway.

Have you ever tried Lidoderm patches? This may be a thing to consider. If you suspect your back, you could apply them there.
Otherwise, the groin/hip area on the diagram is the best spot for MP, and if used in the front, 1/2 patch might do it if placed correctly.