Boom...thank you!

I am considering generalized anxiety because both sleep or a lorazepam seem to make the paresthesia and burning better. It is probably that the anxiety is making the symptoms worse but there is still an underlying systemic issue.

Joanna,

Is there anything that gives you relief from the SFN? Have you tried a TENS unit or IVIG therapy?

Cheers

I don't believe for one minute anxiety caused this for you. It may well exacerbate it though.
Im taking gabapentin, that takes the edge off a bit.
I'm seeing neuro today, I am asking to be considered for ivig and will pursue this until they agree.
Other than that swimming gives me temp relief - helps the AS too.
So its only symptom management really. Ive got a tens but havent tried that yet.
I also wear certain clothes now so ones light on the skin. Fashion has gone right out the window!
I will update you on meeting with the neuro today!

I don't have dry mouth or eyes either. That can be absent with sjorgens I believe. It is so much more than the dry mouth I believe.
Are you in the UK BTW? Just thinking about NHS vs I surance issues when accessing ivig.

Also chronic use of benzodiazepine drugs like Lorazepam, work in the short term, but the dependency on them creates MORE symptoms in the long term. It becomes a vicious cycle that is very difficult to break.

IVIG is only indicated for people with autoimmune disease. It is not only very expensive but has potential side effects including stroke and heart attacks.

THIS^^^

Benzos are highly addictive. I've been sober from alcohol for a few years but I went to rehab to get dry. I saw several people there kicking a nasty benzo habit that started with a prescription from the doc. Withdrawals from benzos can be life threatening if taken long enough in high doses.

I think this may be contributing to my problem. When my bladder issues hit I had to go on Lorazepam for 5 weeks (0.5mg/day) to let me sleep at night. Bladder issues have nearly gone away and I stopped cold turkey on the drug.At the same time I had a scary MRI report on my neck that exploded my anxiety.

At the exact same time my tingling and numbness jumped up 90% and was nearly constant.

So either the anxiety or the withdrawal of lorazepam has dramatically increased my symptoms.

I have had anxiety issues my whole life and it can be very powerful and cause severe paresthesia.

I am in Canada. I am just wondering but was your SFN diagnosed via biopsy? Did they find anything unusual on a full neurological exam?

I have heard from a few ASers that have similar SFN symptoms that once you get the AS inflammation under control your SFN symptoms also improve.

Also, there is something called positional canal stenosis and this can be missed on an MRI. I have this for sure as my MRI looks identical to the ones featured in the following article. Considering my first tingling and numbness occured when I was changing a light bulb with my head tilted backward I would suspect it even more.

http://www.positionalcordcompression...treatment.html

Hi x rox - right I have just seen my neurologist so will update you on that:

Yes I did have a skin biopsy to diagnose SFN. If you supect SFN I recommend you get it. No one has taken me seriously at all and without a diagnosis its easy to be put in the anxiety corner. I recommend you dont suggest anxiety to any of your health professionals as you are at risk of being put in anxiety corner. It isnt anxiety!

My neurologist has said that humira is connected (probably only very small amounts) to demylinating neuropathies. SFN is not that. Demylinating is in relation to brain and spinal cord apparently.

I have had brain scans and spine and neck scans the lot. There is nothing there to show lesions or demylination. I have slight degeneration on L4 and 5 but they are confident this has nothing to do with the neuropathy.

Ive just spoken about IVIG. He said I will have to go to a panel for approval and they will want firm evidence that it mught be useful in my case. He is seeking advice from the professor who took my skin biopsy.

I will have alook at your link, Thank you

There are 4 types of afferent neurons in the periphery ...and 3
of them are myelinated to some extent.

Here is a link with illustrations showing this:
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/cv.html

So demyelinating factors can affect the axons of these 3 sensory fibers.

Doctors don't explain this to patients, and sometimes I wonder if they even know the distinctions themselves!