Hello Everyone here at the Peripheral Neuropathy site!

Since I am new here, I wanted to say hi and to get to know the forum. I appreciate advice and suggestions re: researching medical treatments for PN and how to find support groups.
I currently live in Germany but was born in Washington,DC - it is very interesting to read about people`s PN experiences in the States compared to what is considered "the state of the art of pain treatment" in Europe.
My pain problems started when I had a dental implant job done in Poland last year.The dental clinic had great advertising and was run by two dental surgeons from Germany . What a mistake I made! One year later...the dental implant was botched, and the dentists at that clinic had no training in diagnosis of failed implants.So my pain ie the cause of the pain went untreated for many months and now three different neurologists tell me I have all the symptoms of chronic pain.Finally I found a dental surgeon in Berlin who will perform surgery today to correct the improper angling of the implant.This surgery today is the best dental science can do for me to stop ongoing injury of sensitive tissue.But nobody can predict whether the damage to the nervous system can be reversed or whether it is too late.So I am taking things step by step. All three neurologists agreed that Gabapentin is the drug of choice in my case and I have complied.Looking forward to the oral surgery this afternoon, I wonder whether my life will ever be my own again - without pain.I wish there were hope for recovery !!! Thanks Everybody...Elaine55

Hi, Elaine. I'm sure I'm not the only one on the forum who's wondering how the oral surgery went. So many of us can relate to that experience of wondering if our lives will ever be our own again. It's so hard to deal with having "normal" pulled out from under you!

You've probably read enough on the forum to know that some neurological damage CAN be mitigated--maybe not reversed, but the symptoms can definitely get better.

By the way, regarding Gabapentin, I've had good luck with a low dose of that along with a moderate dose of Nortriptyline (but I think Gabapentin is the drug of choice in the States too).

Anyway, keep us posted on your experience and on the differences in treatment of chronic pain in the EU.

Lynn, from Pennsylvania

Hi Elaine , what kind of chronic pain? Related to your mouth? What symptoms do you have ?
Hoping surgery goes well and the medication helps too. We are here to listen and offer advice. Welcome :-)

I don't think I have heard of neuropathy related to dental work so would like to hear more of your story. And hopefully this guy knows what he is doing and it went well. Let us know. I suppose you won't know if you are better for quite some time.
Ron

Hi Guys,

THANKS for your encouragemnt!!!!
I look (and feel) like Frankenstein after surgery but hopefully this will be
temporary. I actually underwent oral surgery - not really dental work-
since the cause of the chronic pain was a dental implant out of
titanium ( a substitute for a missing front tooth) which was poorly
inserted by a dentist in Poland. Instead of inserting the titanium implant
so it was aligned with the other front teeth, that Polish dentist inserted it
at a crooked angle so it pierced and crushed sensitive tissue.Now, via
surgery, artificial bone mass (like putty)has been placed inside the jaw
around the sharp titanium edge of the implant that was piercing tissue
and causing the pain. According to this oral surgeon, there will still be
some sensitivity but he thinks the neuropathy will subside.However, the
three neurologists I had consulted previously all said that my pain
symptoms sounded pretty bad and that only time (and Gabapentin) could
- maybe but not necessarily - help.Please pray for my recovery!
AND: appreciate hearing from others coping with uncertainty hoping and
fearing...will try supplements advice please...Elaione 55

I do not believe Gabapentin HEALS anything.

It seems to block signals of pain, in the CNS part of the body.
(in the spinal cord).

Studies have shown only about 30% of patients really experience any usable pain control. There is a quick tolerance, and typically doctors raise doses because of this.

I have a post about Gabapentin and Lyrica here:
first read about neurons here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post828704-7.html

this then is the drug post about gabapentin/lyrica:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post829091-8.html

Really how gabapentin works and why it does not work for many is not well understood yet....years after this drug has become available.

How pain in your mouth sets off pain in other parts of the body, is thought to be a chemical inflammatory reaction. Damaged peptides from damaged nerves circulate in the body and in some people the immune system reacts to these as "invaders" and causes inflammation of nerve tissue elsewhere. This is just one theory however.

Eating good foods, Omega-3s, and keeping B12, folate, and B6 in amounts needed for repair may help. Zinc also is used in tissue repair. Vit C and other antioxidants too.

What you are going thru seems pretty horrific to me. I'd be using an ice pack now and then and also anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin or naproxen. Perhaps some lidocaine viscous gel might take the edge off...but it would have to be applied several times a day.

Gabapentin does not restore anything, and is only for symptom control, if it works.

We have a dental forum, here where you can ask Bryanna for some advice too:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum89.html

Supplements that have relieved some of my PN pain are:

evening primrose oil--TwinLab 2600 mg per day
alpha-lipoic acid--Jarrow Lipoic Sustain 600 mg per day

methylcobalamin--Jarrow 1000 mcg per day--Questionable whether this has relieved any pain for me, but a good idea anyway for nerve problems.

You might try borage oil as well, possibly instead of evening primrose oil.

I have an image here that shows other supplements that have improved PN symptoms in some studies:
https://sites.google.com/site/basicpoke/Home/neuropathy

Ron

Hello Friends,
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!I am trying to save or print out all posts re supplements that may help with PN.
It is encouraging that in some cases people do seem to get better.
My current symptoms:recovery from oral surgery is good(yeah)
but no matter what I do, I wake up every mornig with: tingling, very light dull ache or burning,much lower intensity than before the surgery but still once I am awake the tingling starts. What gets me, I can`t make it go away unless I put some lidocaine cream on the spot or take a drug (which I do not want ).I feel so out of control and also so sorry for my poor nerves!!!
For me, the helplessness is worst - this pain was caused by malpractice and I cannot believe that dentists could be so callous.Anyway I am doing my best to get well...Thank you for moral support Elaine55