I have been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, probably as a result of my celiac disease. My pain in my feet and ankles has recently gotten worse so that wearing socks is very uncomfortable. I am hoping that this is a temporary setback like some I've had in the past where the symptoms get better over time with rest. I'm hoping that I can get back into wearing socks. Other than rest, would my best approach be to: (1) immediately begin increasing my time wearing socks a little each day to build up my time wearing them or (2) treat this more like a sprained ankle and not wear socks AT ALL until the pain in my feet and ankles has improved?

Approach 1 would be based on the assumption that the longer I go without wearing socks, the more likely it will be that my nerves will become iritated when I put them back on. Approach 2 would be based on the assumption that putting socks on during this setback would just irritate the nerves more than they are already irritated and prolong the setback.

I don't wear any socks unless it is very very cold out.

There are socks made for diabetics which are larger, less binding and
softer.

So far the ones at WalMart work for me. They are about $3.00 a pair.

But Footsmart.com has some too.

During the cold months I use leg warmers instead of socks to bed. They keep the blood in the feet warm and don't bind. But these are typically a female thing, and also hard to find. There are some websites with legwarmers..a dark pair would work for a male.

I just bid on 4 pairs of leg warmers for $10.00... a bargain. No stores here even carry them anymore. This bid was for black.

Men would have to come to some understanding about this problem. But some diabetic socks do come in black for those guys.

Here is a good site on Ebay for diabetic socks:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mens-DIABETIC-Cr...QQcmdZViewItem

They are more than WalMart for 4 pr. however.
But here is a real deal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/DIABETIC-CREW-SO...QQcmdZViewItem

Mrsd, you are so funny with your new ebay hobby! I have never done ebay before, and you are making it seem like a lot of fun!! I may have to try it out!

I also wear the diabetic socks and can attest to the comfort of them. Wal-Mart also has them in a tan color. I have gotten black and also have a blue pair from there, although I have not seen the blue color for some time. I am quite surprised there is not more of a market for these types of socks!

MrsD - you are going to start a trend here - and Mel with her knowledge - maybe a request should be put in for a forum - NeuroTalk Ebayers!

Hi mcawthon--celiac here too, my feet hate socks and shoes. It is so hard for me to find anything that is comfortable, especially for work. I work in a doctor's office and he wants us to dress nicely, with dress shoes, which is very difficult to wear all day with neuropathy. I spend 1/2 of the day with my shoes off, under the desk. I have 2 pair of the diabetic socks and for me, they are too loose, which bothers my feet more--weird huh. It's better for my feet to have something that hugs them, then too have something that is too loose. We are all so different!!!

How long have you been gluten free? Some celiac's find great relief of their neuropathy symptoms when they go gluten free, I wish you the best.

Yes, there is everything there at Ebay...

Now that my hours are flexible and I have a LIFE (my job was consuming in that regard), I can sit like I am tonight watching my bids! (12 min left)
Also this DSL is much faster than my old dial-up...that makes a huge difference too. Slow dial-up is not great for something like this!

I lost the propane refrig, because the guy wanted it picked up (it was be a long way all day drive) and I didn't think ANYONE else would want it...but two people bid on it .50 a piece. It went for $27.00 The seller couldn't guarantee that it worked and could not answer my questions. So I let it go. We were going to go to his place if there were no bids on it and look only. It was just one of those things...I'll watch and see if it shows up again with a new seller.
Seems there are people "dealing" there, buying and reselling at higher prices.
The cookware is going that way.

But the leg warmers are a stroke, since I have so much trouble finding ANY locally. They just are not in fashion.

So this thread was very good for me...LOL. Timely.
I am still a bit paranoid about Ebay, and will probably get "burnt". I've yet to have something ARRIVE. All purchases are small potatoes. I've only been at it for 3-4 days!

I like your new avatar Susan. Are those YOUR feet?

I forgot about buying them on Ebay. That would make about 20 items I have bought on Ebay. I have always bought the white diabetic socks.

Alan and share them. While they don't last more than a few months, I wouldn't put anything else on my feet. And this is BEFORE I even had neuropathy. My neuropathy is not bothered by any type of sock.

It's just that these white socks are so comfortable, that the first time I saw them, I said "yup, these are for me". So, come winter, these socks, and a pair of crocks, and I'm good to go.

And these diabetic socks are such a bargan on ebay.

I once went to a store near my house called Castle Clothes. They cater to big and tall men. Do you know how much I paid for a pair of diabetic dress socks. They were white, they were long, and they were marked Diabetic Socks. I paid $6.50 a pair. Then, when I got the socks from ebay I said "Now these are diabetic socks". and I paid something like $1.00 a pair (when you buy them in a bundle). So comfortable.

So happy ebaying everybody!!!!

Melody

Legwarmers...what a great solution! I avoid socks all the time, but my legs get chilly. Hmmmm...wonder if I can crochet some? Now to look for patterns.

Thanks!!

Snikerdudl

I've had that happen only a couple of times especially in the the early weeks of PN when trying to wear socks. Do you have increased sensitivity to bedsheets also? As you probably know it is called allodynia and is quite common with PN.

I don't know whether it is the same cause but I find that my lower legs are now extremely sensitive when under the shower it feels like the water is either too hot or too cold, yet I know that it is not.

Sorry I can't give any advice about what to do, but I hope it improves for you.

I don't really think wearing socks or not wearing socks would improve/worsen your PN. I mean, if it bothers you, then it's because it is irritating nerves that have already been damaged. PN I believe is damage that comes from the inside of your body, so in terms of making your PN worse or better, it wouldn't really matter. I would suggest just go on with your normal life, wear them if it doesn't bother you too much, don't wear if you can't stand it. Make sure you eat gluten free food and take those vitamins to help with the repair! Refer to the stickies for which vitamins and minerals would assist in your recovery. Again this is based on my knowledge, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Hope it helps.