[canagirl]

Hi

I've asked this before in a thread with a bunch of questions but I haven't gotten any answers. I was hoping the lack of response was just bc it got lost in the other questions and not because nobody has gotten better.

Has anybody gotten relief or really good improvement with their burning pain? How long did it take? ( improvement not due to masking symptoms with meds)

Thanks!!!!!

[groucho]

Originally Posted by canagirl

Hi

I've asked this before in a thread with a bunch of questions but I haven't gotten any answers. I was hoping the lack of response was just bc it got lost in the other questions and not because nobody has gotten better.

Has anybody gotten relief or really good improvement with their burning pain? How long did it take? ( improvement not due to masking symptoms with meds)

Thanks!!!!!

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I think you've already received your answer. There's nothing wrong with looking for natural alternatives, but you are most likely to get "relief or good improvement" by the use of drugs to mask the pain. I think most of the folks on here who have had their various pains for a length of time have come to terms with their illness, and the fact that they are most likely to have to learn how to cope with it in their own way. I wish there was, but I don't believe that most natural "cures", at the present time, will give you the kind of relief you (or I) would like.

[en bloc]

Well, actually, it's an easy question and the answer is YES! But the hard part to the question is WHAT gives people that relief? Sadly, it may not be the same thing that gives you relief. Some people find that magnesium lotion helps, others find that biofreeze helps, where others must use prescription medications like neurontin, lyrica cymbalta, etc. After those have been tried, then maybe bigger guns like IVIG might help. And then there is the ones that have exhausted all options and the only that helps with narcotic pain medications.

You have to take this one step at a time...and this can be a very frustrating process. But it is possible to be trying these different options WHILE you still look for answers. But you need a doctor that is willing to start at the beginning and look at B12, glucose levels, autoimmune processes, neurological conditions, etc...one at a time and maybe an answer to the cause can be found.

But in the meantime, there is no reason why you shouldn't be trying some of the many options discussed here to see if you can get some relief. The only thing I would suggest NOT to try during the testing stage is steroids as they can skew results of testing. Also, try ONE thing at a time because if you get side-effects, then you won't know which item caused it...same for if something helps--you won't know which helped.

We all understand how difficult (and painful) this can be. But I feel confident you will find something that helps your symptoms. Just keep trying and talk with your doctor about different options and give each an optimistic approach.

And let me just add: If your doctor doesn't find an answer to the cause and therefore can't truly treat the reason for it, then 'masking' (as you put it) is better then living with the pain. It all comes down to quality of life.

[groucho]

I'd just like to say that I agree with en bloc. If you wish to pursue and perhaps discover the cause of your Neuropathic pain, you should, by all means. And, as my Neurologist told me, "if we discovered the cause of your neuropathy, that doesn't mean that your treatment for your pain would not be the same". I know I have been at wit's end trying to find if Vitamins make a difference, and finding shoes for comfort is challenging. It may all come down to how much frustration you are willing to go thru, without accepting the fact that the drugs may help make TODAY a bit less frustrating while you are looking for something that may continue to be elusive. I went a year and a half, suffering while turning down the drugs. Today, I do what I need to do to keep on going.

[jurgen975]

Yes i have got improvement with my burning pain i think i forgot to mention this in my mail to you.

I used to have burning pain in my under arms and hands,the pain in my under arms took 4 or 5 mouths.
The palm of my hands and fingers 4 to 5 years.
Burning pain on top of my feet took i think 3 years or so
Burning pain in my under arms was the worsed in my fingers not so much.
I only have this burning pain after physical exercising at night.

[canagirl]

Thanks for the responses. However, I'm lookin to find out if the burning has stopped for anyone because they have healed.

I know med may be an option but I am scared of it. And I guess I'm just liking for hope. That people have healed or gotten much better. Any story would be appreciated.

People keep saying exercise is important to healing. I can exercise without too much difficulty but afterwards I burn like crazy for weeks. Is that normal?

[jurgen975]

Originally Posted by canagirl

Thanks for the responses. However, I'm lookin to find out if the burning has stopped for anyone because they have healed.

I know med may be an option but I am scared of it. And I guess I'm just liking for hope. That people have healed or gotten much better. Any story would be appreciated.

People keep saying exercise is important to healing. I can exercise without too much difficulty but afterwards I burn like crazy for weeks. Is that normal?

Canagirl,

I think it depends on the type of damage.For me my underarms started to heal when doing push ups.And the burning started the day after i did my excersises
A year after that i starting going to the gym and i did this for 1,5 years then i had to stop because my hands could not handle it anymore the felt to unconvertible.

Now 3 years later i can handle it but i am still not healed.

What i am saying is i think that healing is different for every body,i think that in your case ether you have to wait a year or more till your body can handle it.
And even now when i am starting to weightlifting the inside of my hands start burning again not always and not every night but they do.
My concern is now with numb frontal part of my left foot.And i am thinking did i start to early with weightlifting.

One other think i dont think there is a med that helps reducing the burning ,only time and maybe acapuncture will help in my opinion

[en bloc]

It all depends on what's causing it.

If it is due to trauma, then after the trauma heals or is surgically corrected and time passes so nerves can heal, then yes, the pain may go away.

If it is due to toxic neuropathy, then after the toxin leaves your body and possibly after time the nerves may heal, then yes, the pain may go away.

If it's due to diabetes, then once you get your glucose in order and time passes and you do things to help aid the nerves healing, then yes, your pain may go away.

If it's due to auto immune process or neurological condition, then you may not heal and your pain may not go away...UNTIL you do something to treat the underlining cause or help the healing process with bigger gun treatments.

If hereditary, then likely your nerves will not heal and your pain will stay.

This line of answers can go on and on for many different scenarios...but I think you get the idea.

So again, it all depends on what it causing it (if that can be found). If you sit and wait for the pain to go away, you may be sitting for a very long time and more damage may occur in the meantime.

[bluesfan]

Hi canagirl
Hope you get some answers to your question and find a way to relieve some of your pain or at least manage it - sometimes with chronic conditions cures are elusive and 'management' is all we have. I'm still on the road to a definitive diagnosis but the pain and numbness are slowly but surely increasing - I consider myself fortunate that at this still relatively early stage I have found this website and am learning lots from people like yourself and the many others who are willing to share. Stay strong & keep asking questions.

To enbloc (& others)
Thanks for your concise answers - however one thing you mentioned has raised further questions for me:
"The only thing I would suggest NOT to try during the testing stage is steroids as they can skew results of testing." (sorry I don't know how to to do the quote in a box thing)
Do you have any further information on how steroids can skew testing? (particularly B12, glucose and any other tests you might know of as being relevant to PN). If someone is already on a maintenance (ie:low) dose of steroids and unable to stop them does this mean that the testing is not viable for PN diagnosis? Thanks for your help with this.

[en bloc]

Bluesfan,

Steroids effect MANY tests. I don't know how it may effect B-12 (MrsD would know,if it does or does not), but I know for sure that steroids increase glucose levels...especially if you have taken them for a while (even low doses). There is actually a condition called steroid induce diabetes.

They can also effect any autoimmune testing, since they effect the immune system (suppress it).

But one of the other common causes of neuropathy is inflammation (from trauma, toxins, and a vast array of other medical conditions) and steroids reduce inflammation. So testing while taking the steroids will mask the inflammation and hinder any ability to find that inflammation and then treat accordingly.

So, taking a low dose of steroids can very likely skew your testing for PN. It is always best taper off and be off for several weeks (if not longer), but of course this is not always possible. So the doctor has to keep this in mind during diagnostic testing...but it will make his (hard job) even harder.