Not the end of the week, but I feel the need to post an update. Partly because it's been a bad day pain wise, and partly because I need something to take my mind off the desire to drink. My pain went up enough to cause my feelings of despair and stress which is ultimately putting my sobriety in jeopardy.

How can I expect to get better or seek the advice of others if I can't hold up my end of the bargain?

First my stats regarding the PN.

-87 days since left foot symptoms
-40 days since right foot symptoms
-15 days on Nortriptyline (up to 30mg a day for the past 2 days)
-12 days sober
-9 days on supplements (and working to improve my diet)

I can't believe these symptoms and pain have progressed so rapidly up to this point.

I know it would be ridiculous to think that after such a short time frame for "healing" I'd really have significant results already. But the past few days leading up to today gave me signs of hope. The burning in my feet and legs has been noticeably less and not very noticeable in my arms or upper body. Since I'm on the shotgun approach to recovery I cant say whether its the Nortriptyline or supplements that helped. Maybe it's a combination. I'm just happy that there is some relief and I'll worry about figuring out the reason later. That's the good news!!

The bad news is that today I've had increased pain in the soles of my feet. The feeling of walking on "bunched up sock" increased in the ball of my right foot. And the ball of my left foot is still walking on "rocks" which seemed sharper today. For some reason walking around barefoot feels better. Maybe the pressure is distributed just right to make it more tolerable. Walking around in shoes (pretty much any shoe, I've tried every pair I've owned) makes it worse. Anything with arch support is the worst. Makes it hard to leave the house or go to work!!

That brings me to the worst of my pain right now. My right foot has a dull ache which was brutal today. It's hard to pinpoint where it's originating, but the "arch supports" in shoes make it worse, so I'm thinking its originating around that area of my foot. Anyway it's impossible to stand in one spot for more than a minute or two without having to move or sit down. Sometimes its worst in the heel area and sometimes it seems to radiate up to my ankle. As soon as I sit down it quickly subsides as it is very much pressure/position dependent. At the same time I can't replicate the pain by pressing on the sole of my foot. Feels very much like I'm walking on the bare bones. One thing I have noticed is that I get a vague cramping feeling in the same area when I'm relaxing in bed. I'm not sure I'd associate the dull pain with PN, but the burning and dull ache began on the same day 40 days ago. It came on so suddenly and expectantly, I'll never forget that day as long as I live.

Anyway the pain made it very hard to concentrate on anything other than getting off my feet today and as we all know, stress only makes the nerves more agitated. I needed to put my feelings down to take my mind off of alcohol and continue to track my journey.

Days like this are really going to test my resolve to fight this condition. I'm still so young and have a lot of responsibility with a toddler and I don't have time to take a day off and feel sorry for myself. Thank goodness I have my first appointment with a psychiatrist next week. I really need to get my mental health in check to properly attack my physical problems.

Howdy! I am impressed with your thorough record taking! How did you go getting a neurologist appointment. Personally, I don't think it is the role of the GP to stop you from seeing one. Ask for the referral because a neurologist can do tests that a GP cannot do.
I have had all the symptoms you describe since I had chemo. I also have no thyroid and this may have influenced my situation.
I saw my endocrinologist and she upped my thyroid meds. Since then my feet are not as swollen ontop or underneath.
I saw my neurologist and she does nerve velocity tests - these show how fast the messages are travelling from one point to another. I would recommend you get tested for your feet to make sure there is no nerve damage further up your legs. Nerves need sodium and potassium - negative and positive charges to work properly so a neurologist can order a special blood test checking these levels; various proteins and also to make sure you have no dormant viruses which may be affecting your nervous system.
Let us know how you get on with an appointment and remain positive. If you feel like a pick-up there try some mocktails or smoothies. With your record taking and determination I reckon you could compile a healthy recipe book for us all! Best wishes! Aggie

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

Hi new member
I can relate to a lot of what people are suffering with
My problem was diagnosed 2 yrs ago
With my toes in both feet , right is worse
Can only describe it as frostbite, and burning , very uncomfortable, seem to get it worse when I drive , especially when stuck in traffic, can get unbearable at times , and have to get out of car , exercise my foot , what makes matters worse also got plantar fasciitis
I have spoke to my specialist and having b12 blood test which in some case can help with adjustments, then physio, then stick wave treatment that can relieve nerve endings and promote repair to them , so have a few things to try , definitely won't be trying the drugs route.made my mind up about that , hope this helps anybody , we all have different thresholds of pain , at the moment mine is tolerable

I've had PN for almost 10 years and I'm still finding new symptoms that can be linked to autonomic dysfunction. The latest one is stomach problems - ibd - bloating, pain etc that tends to crop up when I'm stressed or anxious. I'm working on solution for that one.
I can recommend Vioxx sox, only available on-line. I rub magnesium cream on my feet and put my sox on at bedtime. No more RLS and foot pain. I also belong to a zoom group from the Western Periphery website. We zoom twice a month - it's wonderful to chat with people who understand PN. My greatest fear is falling, so I go to the gym 3 times a week to strengthen my legs. I've had to cut back on my beloved gardening (can get down, can't get back up). I worry about what the future will bring, but as they say, We Go On.