Mine started at 32 years old and I'm now 51...so a long 19 years of PN and AN.

im not in either of those range, im younger than most of you here, but the experience is pretty much shocking.

Well Hopeless, then you are the one we shall look for wisdom since we don't have that yet:D

How did yours start? Was the cause ever found?

I will be 69 soon.... but mine started when I was about 30 or so, and worsened during my pregnancy...due to hypothyroidism not properly diagnosed at the time. After medication in my 40's my PN reversed in my feet, except for a bit of numbness in two toe tips. I can still get flares in my hands and have to wear my wrist braces if I overdo my hand use. I cannot hand sew with a needle for over 10 minutes. I had to give up crochet when I was pregnant.
But I don't have symptoms in my hands on a daily basis anymore.

My PN today is relatively stable. Severe low pressure weather will flare pain for me, but I have escaped progression. My arthritis/lupus now is much more problematic for me. And I am prediabetic like many here now. :(

Hi mrsD,

So glad to see that I was not the only one in the 60's category brave enough to respond to this thread which was directed to a younger audience. :)

Thanks for not leaving me alone in this thread of younger people.

Sad to see that so many are afflicted at such an early age and that most of us older ones have been dealing with PN for so many decades.

Hoping everyone with any type of PN will have better days in their future.

Hi Healthgirl,

You are so sweet to mention wisdom BUT, I only said I was OLD, not wise. :)

With age comes wisdom. (Not for everyone.) :D I may have missed that boat.

There is a lot of learning that can be had from those younger than oneself, too.

Hi Healthgirl,

Sorry I forgot to answer your question in my first reply to you.

The general consensus is nerve damage occurred during a surgical procedure in 1977 and then just continued to worsen with time.

Since then, other nerves have been affected but from other reasons.

What nerves were damaged?

I had some minor symptoms at about 15 while playing soccer and when standing for long period. Pain became constant while standing at age 33, now 13 years ago. Pain in back of legs and buttocks started maybe 5 years after that. It sucks.

Eat a healthy diet, lots of veggies and fruits, exercise, stretch, meditate or something to help with stress. There are all sorts of meditations on youtube. Smoothies are a great way to get in health foods. A blender breaks many more of the cell walls than just chewing does, anyway chewing gets tiresome. For example you can drink a whole carton of blueberries in a few minutes. There are lots of frozen fruits in packages at the store. I know you didn't ask, but I feel obligated to say these things because I think this would help most people a great deal. Look up Drs T. Colin Campbell, McDougall, Ornish, Fuhrman, Barnard.
Ron

If anyone new has been diagnosed with idiopathic polyneuropathy or SFN, feel free to join this thread with your story.
For those of us already here, how are your symptoms lately?

I have some improvement and haven't relapsed to my debilitated state. I can manage most days and can say that I am "ok", just ok though, not fixed. I still have the neuropathy through out my body, but have found ways to manage the symptoms and only use medications only for when it is very bad. I'm still looking for an answer and believe that my nerve damage came from something toxic.