As some of you know, I've been doing the vitamin B therapy with great results. But as of a few days ago I seem to have hit a plateau. Or rather a regression point. I know it was mentioned that alot of the time several weeks or so into the B-12 and others therapy that a point is reached where the pain seems to return, though much more mild than previously, as a part of the actual healing process. Does anyone have any ideas as to how long this can last? I know it probably varies for a lot of reasons but having at least some idea of long this is supposed to last would help me get through this much more easily.

It's by no means as bad as it was just before beginning the B vitamins but it seems even worse because I've actually been almost completely pain free for several weeks and this came on seemingly all of a sudden.

Hi. I'm not sure as I have never been pain free since this happened but some days are better and then I feel the next day I got hit by a bus. The neuro told me that sometimes you may hit a rock bottom and then start on an upswing. Also that there are going to be days where things seem to be doing better and then a real bad day. She didn't give me an exact why. It may be if you were doing more though some days for me its even if I barely move. I try to put it in a perspective though hard when that hopeless pain comes back but even non pain suffers have days where they feel like crap. I'm glad your seeing better days that is a huge positive and hope it continues. Also maybe someone here as I know little could tell you if you may need to change something with the b or something else if you state more.

A call what you have apparently been through "the honeymoon period." If you are healing, and if you have been being damaged for a significant amount of time, it is common to plateau, to have returning lessened symptoms, returning worsened symptoms temporarily, or even new feelings.

This is common.

It may be for minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months. Depends on too many variables to generalize.

I suggest that people write down carefully all symptoms, signs, and coping mechanisms before beginning treatment. Then make notes on a calendar as things change. And, then, look back at the situation in 6-month increments. Things may go much faster, but when one is on the slow track it is common to slowly adapt to improvement (as we slowly adapt to worsening) and not to realize what has happened.

I've experienced people complaining that nothing has improved, and then upon asking them questions about specific moments in their lives found that they had forgotten having needed a cane, drastic swelling, or other severe problems! It is amazing how we adapt.

rose

If it seems in any way different, it can be scary. Bend your mind as Kmeb says and turn it into a sign of things getting better.

I've been trying to find any research on WHAT healing of nerves feels like and HOW one would know. So little work is being done in this area. Most of it done on mice, rats, worms...all kinds of little creatures who may even have just one nerve .... Those critters aren't talking and telling tho!

It's just that the healing process seems to be the reverse of the damaged/dying process. SO THINK positive thoughts, it's a heck of a lot less stress and can possibly help overall. So keep up the B! - j

Thank you so much, Rose! I know that what I'm currently experiencing is nowhere near as bad as what it was previously. It's just after a relatively pain free period it *feels* worse. It seemed to come on all of sudden and may be related to my weaning off process for Effexor. I went down to about 9 mgs and was having some pretty good withdrawal discomfort so I temporarily went back up to the next highest dose I'd been at. Stayed there for about 5 more days and then came back down to the 9.something. After about 3 days all the discomfort was gone and I've been at that level for about 6 days or so now. The return of the PN symptoms seems to coincide with the second drop down to 9 of the Effexor. I suppose it's possible and Celexa *did* cause me some symptoms that got worse for a while as I went through the weaning off process. Makes sense that Effexor might cause the same. If that's the case I'm hoping I see some improvement in the next week. As soon as I'm totally stable for at least a week on this dose of Effexor I'll be starting the next phase of the wean off: That is, to begin skipping alternate days until I'm completely off the Effexor.

In the meantime I've temporarily doubled my dose, specifically, of the B-12 and Folic Acid. Been doing that for going on the third day today. That does seem to be helping and I'll come back down to the regular dose I'd been taking when the worst of this backlash has stopped.

So much of this is trial and error, poke and hope and guestimation.

Effexor is an antidepressant that is known to help with nerve pain. Maybe when you dropped the dose, some of the pain returned?

I figure there must be some healing or regeneration going on. It makes sense it would feel like what I'm feeling. It's not quite the same as what I felt before the B-12. This feels more like what it feels like when a hand or foot has gone to sleep and when you move it begins 'waking up'.

ETA: That, in itself, is a good thing to me.

The process varies in many ways among individuals, but the overall pattern sounds good for repairs.

rose

Must be what's going on because I had an almost symptom free night going to sleep last night! First one in many nights!

I'm hoping that part is past now. Not that I don't think it could happen again. I don't know *what* will happen. But having been through one the next one probably won't be near as bad.

Effexor never did anything helpful for my nerve pain. But then I was never on a very high dose either. Only 75mg.

And of course knowing how I react to some meds it's possible that for me Effexor had the exact opposite effect it should have. I wasn't taking it for nerve pain, BTW.