Yesterday I missed a dose of Lyrica. I didn't realize it until I started feeling pain in my foot on the bottom close to my toes. It hurt so badly that I started rubbing and then finally I noticed there was a lump on the bottom of my foot. So I had my husband look at the bottom of my foot. Seems there is a little hair buried in the foot. (little dog with coarse hair). We did the sterilize the needle thing and he opened it up about a 1/4 of an inch and was unable to get to the hair because it hurt so badly. I now have an appt with the podiatrist tomorrow and they are very anxious to get me in. Tried to today but couldn't.

I have said before that you need to have someone inspect your feet often. I can't see the bottom of my feet due to knee replacements. There is no way I know how long that hair was buried and I probably will have to have it surgically removed. Seems I need to take my own advice. I would not have noticed if I hadn't missed the medicine dose.

Billye

Thanks Bilye, this is an important concept. I bit myself big time in the lip and it hardly hurts (at least not right now.) My mouth is usually quite a good distance from my foot, but not always. I do try to check over my feet.

They do make mirrors that are on these long sticks so you can see the bottom of your foot....however, you can't really see between your toes I don't think. I have to have my 2.50 power lenses and my nose in something to see it these days. I have been cruising websites with adaptive devices in my spare time...OK, trying to use up time...Lord, there has to be some better way to occupy those extra minutes...no wait, hours.

My doc's office has a sign, 'If you are diabetic, please remove your socks and shoes'. They should change that sign to 'if you have PN'. Diabetes is so closely linked with PN, they forget that other people get PN. It is the PN not the diabetes that causes the numbness. No one offered to look at my 'dawgs'....I can still look at them myself.....my hubby would wrinkle up his nose, but he would look. Gee, I THINK he would. Eh, he can't see close up much better than I can (he can spot something a mile away)....but, he is more deaf too.

These are the golden years because...........(please feel free to finish this sentence-I am at a loss for words.) Don't say it is because you can join AARP.

I wonder if you may have a splinter in there and it is in deep and looks like a hair? I have in the past, pre PN, dug some things out of my feet that ended up being a lot bigger than they originally looked, or I would have booked a surgical suite if I had known their true size.

Get in to see a doc tomorrow, if not your own, an urgent care?

They really wanted to get me in today once the nurse found out I have neuropathy and I'm NOT shy about telling them that I have neuropathy. It makes a big difference in how they treat your feet. I have an appt at 2:00 tomorrow. We took the bandaid off and reapplied ointment tonight and put another bandaid back on. That part of my foot has already had a morton's neuroma exploration there so I don't tolerate pain in that part of that foot anyway. It was left numb around the toe area but exquisitely painful back on the ball of the foot. Took forever to get the thing well.

Things always happen in bundles around here. Guess God thinks "Hmmm, she's got some slack time, can't have that." WHACK!!!! up side the head again with another sack full of trouble. Still battling that bladder thing, broken bones, hairy foot, and then we added a vascular surgeon to my group of specialist today. There is a vein on the side of one of my knees (think metal knees) that breaks and causes a large bruise. This happens at least once a week. So the ortho decided to send me to him. Personally I think that if the ortho had done his job properly I wouldn't have the problem in the first place. Oh welll......

And if that's not enough, my husband has been scheduled for eyelid surgery. Seems he didn't pass his vision test, he's been affected about 50%. He can't see anything that is in the upper quadrants of his vision due to the upper area of his eyelid sagging down over his eyes. So he has to have surgery in order to drive. He's a thin man so it's not fat, the doctor said it must have been hereditary.

And that back surgery didn't permanently fix the problem. Looks like he will wind up with the mess we all have. We've got an appt with the neurosurgeon next Monday. I get to learn to drive in Dallas again.

But back to the foot, it is very important for all of us to check these feet every few days. Right after a shower would be a good time.

Billye

I've gotten hairs imbedded in my feet before. My husband has such thick wiry hair that they become ingrown on his face. If one of his hairs is on the floor and I step on it, it pokes right into the bottom of my foot like a splinter, and boy, is it hard to get out!

I wear house shoes with rubber soles on them most of the time when I'm in the house to protect my feet. I have to check my feet periodically because of ingrown nails and deep cracks from dryness that sometimes cause problems, so I look for any cuts or other oddities while I'm at it.

Hope fixing your foot isn't too big an ordeal. Lord knows you're having more of your share of them right now.

fanfaire

They have a dark pinhead appearance, and hurt when you step on them.
When small they look just like a splinter or sliver.

It is always best to have any suspicious wound looked at by a doctor of some kind. I'd go to a podiatrist first.

Hope all goes well at the podiatrist today - it is hard sometimes to remember to check our feet (theres so much else it seems going on sometimes eh?) I know I had long sewing needle in my foot for I have no idea how long about a month ago - would never have known but the end bent over so it didnt go all the way in my foot - noticed it only cause it was catching on my bedsheets... did not hurt one bit - thank goodness it bent and then bled a lot when I pulled it out so didnt seem to be any infection.... but PN definately has dangers we dont think about!

Sorry to read of your situation Billye, hope it all works out well

One thing that interested me is that it took missing a dose of Lyrica for you to feel the pain. I just started Lyrica and hope it works as well for my PN
75mg twice a day, will switch to 150mg twice a day next week.

I was wondering what your dosage is and if the Lyrica has caused you any other side effects besides not feeling the dog hair.

Sally

Lyrica dosage is:
75mg morning
150 lunch
150 night

I've gained weight from it and last summer my ankles swelled terribly. But had other things going on too so not sure that's what caused the ankle swelling.

It has made my life so much better overall.

I need to go up one bump in the dosage, but I couldn't do it the last time I tried. My eyes are so terribly dry.

My foot seems to be getting better. Wish I could say the same for my tailbone area.

Hope this helps.

Billye

Billye,
375mgs a day is still a 'medium dosage.
I didn't find it helpful til I got to 450-500
and even went up from that to 600mgs/day,
to be at my present level- with 400mgs/day Tramadol.

Bob,
Thanks for your dosing schedule. I know I have room to go up but I'm really struggling with my eyes. Can't watch TV without putting on wrap around sunglasses. The dryness has progressed. And the Lyrica seems to dry my eyes more. I'm trying an increase at bedtime only for the next increase. I'm usually my most miserable by about 4:00 in the afternoon with the tailbone pain and by bedtime 8:30, I'm so anxious to take the night time Ambien to knock me out, I could crawl thru my skin backward. But I'm being forced into an Ambien withdrawal that is going to be pretty steep because the insurance company says I can't take the dosage that the neuro/pain doc says I need to sleep. I have a long established sleep problem. Something in my nervous system. Came from working really long hours for so many years.

Lately I'm having serious skin issues in the middle back on the side where that sitdown pain has been for so long. Skin crawls and burns and feels as if it is tightening up. I had a migraine type headache yesterday. Probably all related or possibly Ambien withdrawal symptoms. It really makes me panicky because that's almost where the shingle breakout was over a year ago. And it was reallllllly painful. We put a Lidoderm patch on it today and it seemed to help some. Think I'll try that for awhile.

Anyone heard from Cyclops? I know she was really suffering.

Billye