My inner ankles are on fire tonight.

First off, I must tell you that I tried capsaicen therapy. I last three days, then decided I should leaves things alone for a while just using Neurontin, to see how well that dose is working. I've been taking 600 mg three times a day.

So I used the capsaicen for four days, the last time being last night. I didn't wash my ankles off until tonight. They are BURNING.

Can I use ice? I can't find anything about whether or not it's ok to use ice.

I've tried biofreeze and it didn't feel like much. The over the counter pads, salon pas (sp?) really really burned me too

Thanks for any advice.

Kris

Kris, I washed mine off. I put my feet into a whirlpool tub and soaped them up real good and gritted my teeth and washed it off. When the water first hit, I thought I'd die from the pain. It burned so badly. But I perservered and soaped them and rinsed them with cool water and dried them gently and then put lotion with menthol over them. It was really painful but each bath got easier. Just wash your feet separately. Don't put your body in with the capsascian. It might burn delicate parts. I don't know if there is an easier way but this is what I did and it worked. Had to do it about 3 times changing the water, but it did hlep. good luck,

Billye

capsacin alcohol works best. (it is an oil)

There has never been a poster here who could tolerate it, that I
can remember.

If menthol is not working for you, then you do not have a typical sensory neuropathy.

Your pain may have a burning quality, but it may originate
in the joints or ligaments and not in the skin.

Ice is used today for both arthritis pain and ligament inflammation.
It is not recommended to apply it for long periods of time, since that reduces
circulation. But ice is useful for many.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/ma...ticlekey=18347

You might want to search "magnets" on this forum. Application of a high gauss
magnet on the ankle may help with pain. I have used them and so has Brian.
Placement is a bit experimental, but they can really help with pain.(be willing to
move them around a bit to find the best spot)

Also I think Lidoderm patches are worth a try. These are numbing and put the
nerve to sleep.

I am not familiar with that therapy but I can say ice and me equals a big no. My major pain area is the inner ankle/foot/calf so even a finger sometimes bothers me to the extreme. Sometimes what helps me though is if I take off my socks and just lay in bed with them up. Or if I am out I take off my sock and just wear tennis shoes.Everyone is different though. Maybe your doc needs to increase the neurontin cause some people are on a very high dose. Are you taking any supplements?

Ice makes pain worse. If you visit that forum here, you can find threads to this effect.

Another thing you can try Kris, is to soak the ankles in tepid water with epsom salts. The magnesium in there will get into the ankle somewhat and magnesium blocks the NMDA pain receptors. So it might work for you.

And I hope you are taking a magnesium supplement, it will do that orally as well, when you are not soaking.

I washed with the soap to get the capsaicin off. I had the bottle with the sponge on top, 12.5% I believe? Anyway, I could deal with the burning, but suddenly after three days of applying it, my ankles hurt when I touched them with my fingertip! Literally like they were on fire, worse then ever before. It scared me.

I washed, soaked in epsom, applied biofreeze, and waited. By the time I went to bed the burning had subsided.

I'm still awaiting the results on the skin biopsy, and I have to reschedule the autonomic testing. We got 3/4 of the way through, but the sweat test part of the machine broke, so I have to go back for that.

I asked my primary care to do a three hour glucose test and he said no. Maybe because my symptoms aren't typical? This morning I'm going to contact my neuro about any available results and what testing may be next. My foot/ankle surgeon's last words to me were to get a brain and spine MRI, so I will mention that. I've had a sore hip/low back forever, and that worries me.

Thanks again! Mrs. D, I was glad to see you hadn't left for the summer yet! If I don't talk to you before then , have a wonderful, wonderful time!

Kris

My PN is a small fiber neuropathy, in my case this is what gives me COLD-allodynia, COLD gives me terrible pain

I Also have RSD, and ICE or cold gives me the same type of pain

So allways try something new on a very smal place before you soak your limbs in anything!