FOR 4 YEARS I HAVE TIN NITUS,FEELING LIKE DIFFERENT PARTS OF BODY ARE STUFFED UP,BRAIN FOG,DIZZINESS,BURNING AND COLD FROM INSIDE OUT.NUMBNESS AND TINGLING,MUSCLE WEAKNESS,BELLS PALSY,FORGETFULNESS CRAWLING SENSATIONS,MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND JERKS.ASHTMATIC BRONCHITIS THAT LED TO RESPIRATORY FAILURE.PETECHIAE RASH.INTERMITTENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE,LOW GLUCOSE(NOT ALL THE TIME.SEVERE ANXXIETY.i WAS BETTER WHEN I WAS TAKING STEROIDS,SOMEWHAT,ALTHOUGH STEROIDS MADE ME EMOTIONAL.MY DOCTORS THINK THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS BUT i THINK THAT JUST MADE THINGS WORSE BECAUSE I HAD THESE SYMPTOMS BEFORE LONG BEFORE.i MUST ADD THAT I DRANK BEER AND SMOKED DAILY,HAD A LOT OF STRESS,DIDN'T EAT RIGHT OR SLEEP GOOD.I HAVE TAKEN VITAMINS AND BEEN NONSMOKER FOR MONTS

Your symptomsbate actually very TYPICAL and common with Lyme disease, especially the tinnitus and Bella Palsy. Please read my threads on Lyme- you find them by searching. You might want to go to the Lyme support group I talk about and be sure to the blood test where your blood is sent to Igenix.

The IlADS website ia good. Buy I've posted on Lyme and don't recall all the info just now, so I'd urge you to search for my posts on it. Your symptoms are just very typical.

Hi Liza Jane,
I took your advice awhile back, been on it about a month, somewhat better. Just started watching diet closer, cutting out all processed food, bad sugars, keeping carbs lowered. I am not diabetic but wonder what this diet will do. Tried everything else, I was gluten intolerant for years before finding out a year ago so the damage done during that time is probably the culprit but digestion is great now w/o gluten, so I'm doing the CoQ10, acetyl carnitine, evening primrose, R-lipoic acid and multiple vitamins. Also exercise an hour a day. Thanks for your input. I hope you didn't have to have the spinal surgery.

I just had a MRI and the results was...disk degeneration at L5-Sl with a with a midline annular tear and shallow central disk protrusion but without nerve
encroachment or canals stenosis. Does this mean I may not have small fiber neuropathy just as you are saying.

--you may still well have neuropathy; there are many more systemic causes of neuropathy besides nerve compression in or near the spinal cord. ("Radiculopathy" is the term for nerve symptoms caused by compression of the spinal nerve roots.)

LizaJane - Thank you for your inspiring message. I have do not yet know the cause of the neuropathy that I have. I have autoimmune symptoms akin to Sjogren's, but I don't meet the strict diagnostic criteria.

I noticed you said that as long as someone doesn't have a Sjogren's picture or CIPD, then the neuropathy can improve. Does that mean those of us who may have Sjogren's or CIDP or some other autoimmune cause are doomed?? Is there no way to stop the progressin of neuropathy caused by autoimmune disorders?

Thanks.

LizaJane,Yah, right. I told them I had learned how to care for it--the secret is feeding the mitochondria needed to grow axons (CoQ10, acetyl L carnitine) and taking antioxidants to keep inflammation from causing harm. In addition, keep using the muscles, whether you feel them or not. That was the secret I learned on this forum.

And really, my symptoms are so small compared to 10 years ago. Yes, they're not gone, but they are not that significant.

It can be done. If you've got an idiopathic small fiber neuropathy, or long fiber, and don't have an ongoing CIDP or Sjogren's picture, your peripheral nerves can heal.[/QUOTE]

Well this does work and the only problem is the money to continue the program we start for ourselves. I came herelloking for a solution to using Cymbalta for nerve pain and this made sense to me as I used these itmes years ago and had no burning of my feet./ But got very ill with a viral infection I had to do the doctors way of meds for a while. Now I am, back on my burning feet and am seeking relief with out Cymbalta ebing my only answer. I also use Manuka Honey with Bee Venom as I am not allergic to it and find Same to be of great benefit too . But as you say the nerv e can heal . I thought so and to read this i s so good!! big hug and thanks

I have a similar diagnosis. I had a L-3-L5 laminectomy Small fiber, long fiber whatever you want to call it problems but I will never improve because my nerve fibers are mostly all dead. Irreversible, I am afraid.
Good Luck
Lyrica is helping cover up the burning and numbness by breaking up nerve transmission is all

Hi everyone. I am new in this group. So, kindly bear with me... i hope to get some insights from members of the same condition as mine.
Last July 2011, I was diagnosed of Peripheral Neuropathy due to my feet pain (which I thought was just a result of my regular walking). When my neurologist said that I have PN, I told him that I have no diabetes (which I thought was the only cause of PN). He said that mine is idiopathic neuropathy.
I thought that it was just one of those "passing conditions" that will go away with enough rest knowing that I was not given any prescription or any tests or further follow-ups.
Months after my visit to my neuro, I went to a rheumatologist for my arthritis. I was given Plaquenil mid September 2011 and by October 20, I experienced this severe itching all over my body: arms, legs, neck and torso (but mostly in my legs and arms). I thought it was due to Plaquenil. My rheumatologist told me to stopped Plaquenil and gave me Vistaril. I was on Vistaril for 2 weeks but nothing improved. The itchiness became a deep, sharp stabbing pins and needles and burning sensations. I went back to my neurologist and he gave me several tests: 1. thyroid antibodies, 2. Lyme Disease, 3. Sedementation Rate, 4.Cyclic Citrullinated Peptide, 5. CRP Standard, 6. Rheumatoid Factor, 7. Anti-Hm Antibodies, 8. Immunofixation Serum, 9. RPR, 10. Urine test - to find heavy metal and 11. Brain MRI, 11. Vit B12 (normal). All results came back negative.
I would have been happy of the negative results but it makes me sad because there was no underlying condition to be treated to stop the neuropathy. The symptoms came on so suddenly and severely.
I am now on Gabapentin 100mg 3caps 3x a day. My neuro said that i can play around my dosage for as long that I dont exceed 12 caps. I have been trying to experiment what dosage works for me but so far I am still in the process. I am so frustrated with this horrible pain. Even the touch of my clothes is giving me so pain.
I tried a number of acupuncture sessions, unfortunately, it did not work for me. I am also using Capsaicin cream, and it gives me severe burning sensation. For 2 weeks, the burning sensation masked the stabbing pain but it does not do anything for the pain in my feet. After two weeks, the cream just gave me the very uncomfortable burning sensation and no longer work to mask the pins and needles pain
I am taking Synthroid, Glucosamine, Vit B12, Calcium and Vit E. I stopped taking Plaquenil afraid that it might aggravate the neuropathy. So now, other than my painful fingers, I have to live with the neuropathic pain.

I am encouraged by your improvements because sometimes, I don’t know how to cope with this horrible pain.
Thank you very much in advance for your thoughts. I will also equally appreciate any ideas and/or experiences that other members can share with me.

I would start researching both "Cymbalta" and "Lyrica", as they can be very useful in their own respective ways!