The way my health insurance is set up (Kaiser) I need a referral from my GP to see a neurologist. It wasn't until about 2 1/2 weeks ago I even considered serious nerve damage/neuropathy as the cause of my foot pain. My GP requested I try the Nortriptyline for 3 weeks before we try a neurologist.

I don't blame my GP. I've seen him twice and 2 podiatrists in the past 3 months trying to figure out what was going on. The symptoms kept morphing and progressing. Really screwing with my head, which led me to a little hysteria on my part. I'm sure they all think I'm a hypochondriac and I don't blame them.

It wasn't until the burning started that things started clicking. Once google searches led me to people with identical symptoms as me, I was convinced. I'll probably start pushing my GP for a referral within the next week or two. In the meantime I'm starting a treatment protocol based on the most likely causes I could come up with (alcohol tops my list)

Not if they know anything about PN. I hope you've learned/realized by now that changing/progressing symptoms are par for this condition, especially during early phases.

The head trips are pretty standard too—fear, confusion, frustration, desperation, etc. PN is, for most, a life-altering event, and fits the Kübler-Ross model as applied to chronic illness.

Doc

I think I skipped over denial and anger and went straight for bargaining and depression. I'm still bouncing back and forth between bargaining and depression right now. Part of me doesn't even care about all the debit I'm racking up on doctor visits and tests because money is useless if I have no quality of life. Then there is the depression associated with being sick, scared, and in pain.

There's no standard progression through the Kübler-Ross stages; they can occur in any order, skip stages, repeat stages, etc.

That's another model known as the vicious cycle.

I think it helps to understand these things we go through. If we're aware of them and can recognize them for what they are, it can take away some of the fear and help us cope. You're not alone in these feelings.

Doc

We are in the same boat although I may be a bit ahead of you in terms of progression. I hope yours changes course for the better.

Weekly update:

I blew it yesterday. After 19 without alcohol I broke yesterday and had 2 beers. I guess it could have been worse, but the sobriety count now stands back at 1 day.

Other than a lack of will power on my part I blame it on a really painful day. Went out to run some errands and I knew it was going to be bad as soon as I put my shoes on. Burning feet, painful raw soles, agony with every step. The pain and anxiety got to me and i needed a couple beers to take the edge off and get relief for and hour or two.

Let's throw in some positive news. The burning has continued to be down from where it was 3 weeks ago. The Tinel sign on the top of my left foot is less sensitive. Not sure what it means but I assume its good. Little to no numbness in either feet.

Now for the bad. Right foot still aches bad when standing. Developed a new pain behind the middle toe in my right foot that comes and goes. Pain is even reaching up into my ankle and calf, maybe from bad walking mechanics as I compensate for the pain when I walk. Pain in the ball of left foot is still bad. Skin felt very raw yesterday on both feet.

Feet have felt really cold on occasion. I thought maybe a circulation problem as my feet seemed really pale at times. Checked pulses on both feet and seem to be ok. Hair on my feet seemed patchier than I recall from the past. I did a few extra epsom salts in hot water to get circulation going. I think I might have overdone it which is what I'm hoping caused the skin rawness, so I'm going to back off soaks for a week and see if my skin doesn't improve.

Saw a psychologist the other day who prescribed me Prozac. I'm going to give it a try because I'm really down mentally right now, and I'm willing to try anything that'll help. I'm hoping to get my feet under control and get off the meds down the road. I'm normally a fairly healthy happy person until all this started.

Finally I'm starting to question whether my PN symptoms are alcohol related. Mrs D mentioned a slow progression with alcohol neuropathy, where mine came on rather quickly. Did I miss early warning signs? Toxicity perhaps? Injury I ignored? Hereditary? The investigation continues. Either way giving up alcohol is for the best regardless and my body needs to heel, so I'm sticking with the plan until I come up with a better idea.

-96 days since left foot symptoms
-49 days since right foot symptoms
-24 days on Nortriptyline
-1 days sober
-18 days on supplements

Anyone in your family have similar problems? Thanks.

My mom mentioned that she had feelings of burning feet throughout her life although has never been diagnosed with PN. She seemed puzzled when I mentioned some of my other symptoms and how bad it had become.

Could be something to it. My pain and symptoms sounded way worse than what she described. It was more of a annoyance rather than a pain in her eyes. I tried explaining that at times I struggle to stand/walk through the pain. Maybe it's hereditary and I got it worse? I wouldn't rule it out, it just seems like there is more to it in my case so I'm not just going to lean back on hereditary PN as the diagnosis right now until I do more investigating.

Raw feet? Epsom salts shouldn't cause that, but they will sting, if used on raw skin.

I wonder... do your feet normally sweat when you wear socks?
If you normally sweat and there is a residue in the socks of soap and/or fabric softener, this will dissolve in the sweat and burn and irritate the skin on your feet.

If so, I am going to suggest that you give your clothes an extra rinse when washing them. Lots of soap will come out during that second rinse...if you watch it you'll see. Then DO NOT use a fabric softener. The chemicals in fabric softeners can cause all sorts of skin grief.

Also if you have athlete's foot, you will have red/raw skin on the bottoms of the feet. Sometimes people think their fungus is gone, but it is still living in the deeper areas of the dermis, and can cause burning by stimulating the nerve endings there. If you had athlete's foot in the past, I'd suggest using Lamisil for a week and see if things improve. Lamisil is the strongest one out there and there is less resistance by the fungus to it.

And -
 

most people use way too much laundry detergent in their wash. I've read that and also experienced it in seeing how much soap comes out. So less is more. Use what you need and not what they say. You can experiment. After all, they are selling their product.