Hello, Has anyone out there have neuropathy in the abdomen and sides that didn't start in the arms and legs. I have been in pain for 3 years now and all they can tell me is it "might" be a small fiber neuropathy. I get sharp pains, cramping pains, burning pains, and electrical shock like pain. I just recently started having trouble in my arms. My digestive system slowed dowm quite alot also. I started taking Gabapentin and within a week I started having bowel movements again. I currently take 4800 mg a day. Back in March I was experiencing heart attack like symptons when i woke up. I went to ER and it took 4 nitro pills to ease the pain some. My blood pressure was up in the 180's and I don't have high blood pressure. They sent me by ambulance an hour away thinking I was havimg heart problems. After seeing a heart doctor for a couple months he said I didn't have a heart attack or any other heart problem. Could this have been related to neuropathy? I have read you can have blood pressure problems along with sweat galnds and intestinal problems among others. Learning about others experiences would help a great deal. Thank you

--involves an attack on the distal limbs farthest from the body center first, that's not the only presentation that's been seen. Some get symptoms in other areas first, or more globally across the entire body.

This does sound like you may have experienced an attack on the autonomic system, which made up of mostly small fibers. People with such attacks can experience problems with their sweating, blood pressure, heart rate, digestive/eliminative motility--indeed, any autonomic function.

Take a look at some of the info on dysautonomia, and see if it rings a bell:

http://neuromuscular.wustl.edu/autonomic.html#primary

http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/wom...sautonomia.htm

http://www.ndrf.org/

Thanks, Glen, for this information. I have been diagnosed with small fiber polyneuropathy. I have what I would consider a normal amount of sweat in my arm pits and other areas of the body but sweat quite a lot in my face. The left side of my face is also affected by the neuropathy and the information you provided give some possible explainations.

Thank you for your reply. I have read the links and some of the things they mentioned are very familiar. I have autonomic problems and widespread pain. I have like an "MS belt" meaning I have constant tightness around my waist and anything around my waist causes pain. The pain is not immediate but comes on rather quickly. I get other kinds of pain all around my abdomen and sides. i have a;ways gotten cramps in my calves but don't know if that is related and cramps in my chin. i have had all kinds of testing and they can't give me a definate diagnosis. Any activity makes it worse. After my heart problem back in March I was not able to finish the stress test yet I somehow passed. i am not extremely overweight and have always been in pretty good shape and very active and now I can't even finish a stress test. Showers even make me hurt for hours and hours. i can lay on my side and after a few minutes it feels like I'm laying on a fat pencil and it is jabbing into my ribs. Sorry to rant but just a few more symptons someone might be experiencing. Thank you for you time.

Hi moparman---I am new to having some type of dysautonomia too.

I am trying to work very hard with my doctor as I go through tests. I got tired of keeping a symptom journal, but realize I need to keep it again to help find the cause---if possible---of my orthostatic hypotension and sensory ataxia.

It is hard going through all this and having all these baffling symptoms and not know where they fit into the big picture.

I wanted you to know you are not the only one new to all of this and are not at all alone. I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I hope your doctors figure things out soon and you at least understand what is happening in your body.

Take care---lifesaver

Moparman--have you explored gluten intolerance? Many people with neuropathy, start out with a gluten intolerance, even some who do not think they are intolerant, will find some relief with going gluten free.

I do have neuropathy, and I am gluten intolerant. Before going gluten free, I had pains in my abdomen like you are discussing. So many of us with gluten intolerance become B12 deficient. B12 deficiency causes so many problems. Have you had your B12 level checked?

Hi. Welcome to the board though I am sorry about your pain and condition. What typs of blood work have you had? Have you had a ct scan,mri,etc? I know it is hard to know when something is connected and something is not symptom wise. Many I have noticed on the board and myself have a couple dx. It is like what came first who knows and are they connected. Have you tried other meds as well? Hope you feel better and get more direction

I was on gabapentin last year,it made me gain weight,did not do alot with my chronic nerve pain,so I was taken off of it.The part that scares me,is that the pain doctor I saw,said that 2500 m.g should be the max,3200 tops, and you are taking soo much more,did your doctor tell you to take so many? Please,be careful!

I was very carefully monitored by my PCP and neuro while taking gabapentin and had been upped to 4200mgs/day by my neuro at Hopkins.
Eventually I switched to Lyrica,but had been taking gabapentin & tramadol successfully to control pain and symptoms for over 6 years before switching.
Everyone's drug tolerances are different, and just because someone says 3200mg or 3600mg is way too much, is out of touch with the reality of treating PN successfully.
There are very few absolutes in this world and if one is willing to admit that - they will be traveling on a road to many possibilities of action.