Originally Posted by Aravindan

Hi,

I am also experiencing numbness, tingling, burning sensation and weakness from back side of my left thigh through my leg and foot for the past 2 years.

This has happened after severe back pain followed by Diskectemy and fusioning done to my L4-L5 position.

can any body guide me to get relief.

Originally Posted by Aravindan

Hi,

I am also experiencing numbness, tingling, burning sensation and weakness from back side of my left thigh through my leg and foot for the past 2 years.

This has happened after severe back pain followed by Diskectemy and fusioning done to my L4-L5 position.

can any body guide me to get relief.

Originally Posted by Susanne C.

I am also on the autism spectrum as is my eldest son. We have a hereditary form of neuropathy, my sons are 27 and 30. I can understand how frustrating it must be for you as neuropathy is often a very hard thing to diagnose. Unless it is a hereditary form, caused by diabetes or alcoholism, or due to a compression as yours may be many people have to settle for a diagnosis of idiopathic or unknown origin. Not having a clear diagnosis would have driven me crazy as I really need outside confirmation to feel "justified" about my disability. I am very thankful that I have clear test results that indicated the severity of my disease, crazy as that sounds. My sons know what to expect because they see how I am. Neither have severe pain as yet, both have hands and arms affected, only one has numb feet, the other has weak, unstable ankles.

Living with uncertainty is a reality for many neuropathy patients and it is very hard for people like us to tolerate as nailing down everything we can in life is one of the ways we cope with the things we can't control, mainly other people and our reactions to them. My son plans every day, week, month, and year in order to feel a sense of control over his life. I can empathize with how disorienting this must be for you and the temptation to obsess over it.

As facile as this will sound, please try not to let your life be entirely taken over by this disease. The sensations which seem so overwhelming may lessen over time or retreat into the background as you become used to them. As you pursue a diagnosis they may find a nerve compression is at the root of your problems and that can be fixed. Some of the supplements discussed on these forums may be able to help. I have found that walking on soft trails, not tile or asphalt, really improves my pain levels and functionality. Physical therapy has helped keep some range of motion in my ankles and arms.

Pain relief for neuropathy is, at its best, incomplete. Because it is a disease of the nervous system there is no 100% effective way to shut it off. 50 or 60% reduction in pain levels is a great accomplishment. It is also a trial and error process, which might be frustrating for you. Neurontin, while widely prescribed as a first line medication, doesn't help everyone and is often poorly tolerated. Some people are able to tolerate Lyrica which is similar. Often an antidepressant is prescribed for its pain reducing properties. Opiates are a last resort and in someone your age not recommended because of the long term drawbacks, but they do help in some cases.

You should learn a lot more once you are seen at the university hospital. Do you have a family doctor or therapist that is familiar with your situation? Is anyone aware of your anxiety about your condition?

Originally Posted by zkrp01

Hello Dustin, a mylogram was the test that the Neurosurgeon ran just before he told me that there was nothing that surgery could fix. I had mild numbness under my toes from playing games with my diabetes. Then I had a car accident and had a hard shock to the knee and right hip. Three days after the wreck I could tell something was going on. Your snowblower incident may have caused trauma. Let me clarify, first I was a bad patient for diabetes, then accident, then Mylogram and Conduction study. So I am a believer that trauma can have far ranging effects. (search Double Crush Syndrome). Mylogram is not bad test, they pressurize spine to see if you have leaks, if you leak, candidate for surgery, if watertight, no surgery.If you use the search function here you can learn much but it is early for you and try not to worry about things that have not happened. Good Luck, Ken in Texas.

Originally Posted by Susanne C.

I am also on the autism spectrum as is my eldest son. We have a hereditary form of neuropathy, my sons are 27 and 30. I can understand how frustrating it must be for you as neuropathy is often a very hard thing to diagnose. Unless it is a hereditary form, caused by diabetes or alcoholism, or due to a compression as yours may be many people have to settle for a diagnosis of idiopathic or unknown origin. Not having a clear diagnosis would have driven me crazy as I really need outside confirmation to feel "justified" about my disability. I am very thankful that I have clear test results that indicated the severity of my disease, crazy as that sounds. My sons know what to expect because they see how I am. Neither have severe pain as yet, both have hands and arms affected, only one has numb feet, the other has weak, unstable ankles.

Living with uncertainty is a reality for many neuropathy patients and it is very hard for people like us to tolerate as nailing down everything we can in life is one of the ways we cope with the things we can't control, mainly other people and our reactions to them. My son plans every day, week, month, and year in order to feel a sense of control over his life. I can empathize with how disorienting this must be for you and the temptation to obsess over it.

As facile as this will sound, please try not to let your life be entirely taken over by this disease. The sensations which seem so overwhelming may lessen over time or retreat into the background as you become used to them. As you pursue a diagnosis they may find a nerve compression is at the root of your problems and that can be fixed. Some of the supplements discussed on these forums may be able to help. I have found that walking on soft trails, not tile or asphalt, really improves my pain levels and functionality. Physical therapy has helped keep some range of motion in my ankles and arms.

Pain relief for neuropathy is, at its best, incomplete. Because it is a disease of the nervous system there is no 100% effective way to shut it off. 50 or 60% reduction in pain levels is a great accomplishment. It is also a trial and error process, which might be frustrating for you. Neurontin, while widely prescribed as a first line medication, doesn't help everyone and is often poorly tolerated. Some people are able to tolerate Lyrica which is similar. Often an antidepressant is prescribed for its pain reducing properties. Opiates are a last resort and in someone your age not recommended because of the long term drawbacks, but they do help in some cases.

You should learn a lot more once you are seen at the university hospital. Do you have a family doctor or therapist that is familiar with your situation? Is anyone aware of your anxiety about your condition?

Originally Posted by janieg

Hi Dustin,

Sorry you find yourself here.

I'd like to reiterate Ron's suggestion of requesting an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. I definitely am on the diabetes spectrum despite having perfectly normal Fasting Blood Glucose and A1c results. My problem showed up on the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test as well as home monitoring. If I eat a high carb meal, my blood glucose remains way too high for hours. Still, all my diabetes screening values are normal.

I personally feel anyone who ends up with an idiopathic neuropathy diagnosis should get this test. I know Johns Hopkins is currently doing a clinical study on the effects of even mildly elevated blood sugar and neuropathy. Second one down...

I should add, though, that I have no idea if this is the cause of my neuropathy or not, but it remains a possibility, so I'm taking corrective action with my diet in case it is. Either way, it's good I caught the insulin resistance very early.

Originally Posted by dustinc

I forgot to say that it is interesting you and your eldest son are on the autism spectrum. I have been told there are some doctors who link autism to neurological disorders but I am unsure but I have given it thought.