NeuroTalk Support Groups - Other DX besides PN?

NeuroTalk Support Groups (https://www.neurotalk.org/)

- Peripheral Neuropathy (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/)

- - Other DX besides PN? (https://www.neurotalk.org/peripheral-neuropathy/82768-dx-besides-pn.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nide44 (Post 489533)

Raglet,
The gold standard test for Small Fober Neuropathy (SFN)
is the Skin Punch Biopsy Test (Not the Sural).
This will detect damage to the small fibers.

Bob,
Could you elaborate a little on the skin punch test for me? I had a test years and years ago where they took a cork screw looking thing and took a small round circle out of my arm. They said that was for Lupus, so I don't think it's the same one, but... that was when I was 18 and I'm now 52. Things change fast nowadays! I ask because they are checking me for SLE via blood test now. My mom was told when I was 18 that the skin test for Lupus was the only one of all the tests for various diseases they ran on me that was definative and they would never find Lupus on me since it was negative at that time.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raglet (Post 489497)

hi there

I have sle as well, and at a guess I would say that PN is the most likely candidate as it is not uncommon with lupus. The nerve studies may or may not show it, depending on which fibres are being affected. If a person has PN in the small fibres, it will not show up on the tests so a negative test does not rule out all types of neuropathy.

Remember to check that none of your supplements have alfalfa in them (commonly used in supplements) as it can trigger a lupus flare.

nice to meet you dave

raglet

Erg... I just checked and the suppliment does have Alfalfa listed as an ingredient. Oops.. wonder if that is why it has been hurting my stomach and I have been feeling fatigued. I am at the tail end of my flare so a lot of the issues I feel I am attributing to Prednisone withdrawal so hopefully I havent done something stupid. Going to dump these and go try to find a local shop that sells the Methylcobalamin type, then order some online.

Thanks for the tip!

dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by ras1256 (Post 492277)

Bob,
........Could you elaborate a little on the skin punch test for me? I had a test years and years ago where they took a cork screw looking thing and took a small round circle out of my arm. .........

The skin punch is when they take a circle about the size of a dime from (in my case) 3 areas - hip, leg & ankle. It goes about 1/16" deep, and is just a band-aid to heal.
No shower or bathtub (just sponge bathe, away from areas) for 5-7 days, and about 2 weeks more to heal completely.
Non invasive, can't feel it cause they numb the area beforehand.
Then it is sent off to the lab to be stained and read under an electron microscope to tell if the small fiber damage is there.
Takes special labs, stains, and trained (lab techs & docs) interpretation to do it correctly. I had mine done at Hopkins.

Thanks for the details, Bob. The one I had was only about 1/4" diameter and I believe was a lupus test. I was just curious, cuz that was when I was 18 (34 years ago) and out of it. My 76 year old mom is the one who told me it was for lupus, and I'm not so sure I trust either one of our memories :D.

Becky

Quote:

Originally Posted by nide44 (Post 492523)

Hi I know someone else suggested rsd but that is what I was going to say too. I have PN and RSD. At first I would of swore I had a pinch nerve cause my pain was isolated before it spread to both legs and eyes/ear. It started in inner ankle/foot/calf. Anyhow I was told even if it was a pinched nerve that it was just about finding the right pain control through meds or invasive treatment but not surgery with the nerve. It is the last thing they possibly want to do. I was at one time suggested tarsal tunnel surgery and for my condition that would of been a horrible mistake.