[davidl]

I have small fiber neuropathy that typically seems to come on in what I call "flares", often very intense, and then it might subside almost entirely for sometimes weeks at a time if I'm lucky.

I have psoriasis and also a positive ANA. It's consistently positive and the last time it was checked at was at the highest level of positive.

I sometimes think stress is one of my biggest triggers. Also, I sometimes think I notice a correlation between my psoriasis flaring up when I also have the small fiber neuropathy flares.

Bottom line, my doctors at Duke have suggested a 8 week prednisone trial. 40 mgs for 2 weeks, then 20 mgs for 6 weeks, before a taper. They have me diagnosed definitively with sfn through 2 skin biopsies. They also have given me a diagnosis of "mixed connective tissue disorder".

I have asked both my neurologist and rheumatologist about IVIG and they have said that the prednisone respone would be a good indicator as to whether IVIG would be effective, so I should try the steroid trial first.

Does this make sense to anyone? I am currently taking Lyrica, Plaquenil, and a low dose of Cymbalta but am getting eaten alive by the neuropathy right now and have been for a little over a week. Most of the calendar year it has behaved fairly well on the whole.

Just wondering what others think of this?

Thank you!