Looking for advice on biopsies. The SFN is today so horrific I can't think straight. It's so so severe deep inside my back passage and surrounding my coccyx. The coccyx area is so severe I want to have my tailbone surgically removed. My cheek buttocks are also absolutely horrendous beyond words. I have zero muscle mass in these parts now also. I want to beg my neuro or rheum to cut away at me to figure out what exact mechanism is at work. Can you request a biopsy of flesh to investigate? Could I have a nerve biopsy from my bum? Can muscle or blood vessels from my bum be examined?
My entire body including face, lips, nasal cavity and teeth are affected by the sfn. I feel like I have gone insane today. My post probably sounds insane. I cannot think clearly. I can't cope with this. I don't know how to do this.

SFN is a horrible monster and I can understand hurting so badly you can't think straight.....sometimes I just sit on the couch rocking back and forth hoping the pain will lessen. Other times I go to bed and cry.

I'm so sorry you have it in the places that you do. I imagine it is very hard to find a comfortable position to sit or lay.

Have you had a skin punch biopsy done ? And yes it's my understanding there are several sites for which they can take the 3mm punch biopsies.

They only did mine above the right ankle in 2 places. My results were 0....actually 0.00 and the other punch was 0.06. Mine is a result of being pre-diabetic and having 6 rounds of chemo.

My symptoms started in my feet and have now spread to my legs, hands, arms and teeth/gums. The teeth/gums only bother me about once a week but boy that pain is profound and all I can do is just put my hand against my mouth and put some pressure on it.

I'm on 1800 mgs a day of gabapentin, BuTrans pain patch 20 mcg/hr and 3 oxycodone a day. It helps some but I'm still basically housebound.

I hope this message finds you in a little less pain than when you wrote.

Debi from Georgia

Hi Joanna,

So sorry to hear you are in so much pain. I have painful SFN in most of my body as well so I totally understand how hard it is to cope.

Have you tried a pain management doctor and/or clinic? Most often when the Neuro doctors can't help they will suggest pain management.

I pray you get some relief soon.

Cliffman