[OneScrewLoose]

I always thought my hands and feet were just sensitive, and it's just something I had to deal with. I always worse socks and shoes around the house cause my feet couldn't touch anything, especially liquid. When I made food with my friend I would ask her to peel the Avocado, cause the texture would drive my insane. I would wash my hands over and over with the littlest bit of grease on it. When my feat walks on carpet, or even touches it, depending on how bad it is that day, I feel this dull electricity in my feet.

I always saw this as something I had to deal with, I didn't know it could be described as neuropathy. I also realized that one of the reasons I procrastinate with my homework so much is because when I grip a pencil I often sweat, and the feeling of this sweat on my hands causes my whole body too tense up. Last semester I wore gloves to do homework and was surprised by the relief.

So here's where I am. Some of the neuropathy has been relieved by Low-Dose Naltrexone (wiki has some good info on this if you don't know what it is), but it's still there. I also have plantar fasciitis that doesn't want to go away despite expensive insoles, shoes, acupuncture and a foot brace at night, which significantly inhibits my exercise choices (I love Tai Chi but can not do it because of that). The tricyclics are out because I have an essential tremor that gets for worse on tricyclics and SSRIs. I have been looking into Neurontin and Lyrica. I have been leaning towards Lyrica because anxiety and insomnia are also major issues for me.

Another thing I like about Lyrica is that I have read that it causes the most weight gain. I am skin and bones. I have celiac disease (no gluten) and am also intolerant to soy, dairy, eggs, nuts and peanuts. So not only are my diet choices extremely limited, and not only is my metabolism fast, but the LDN (low dose naltrexone) has curbed my appetite. So I would love 20 or 30 pounds. I am currently 5'11" and 150lbs. The LDN has made my stomach sensitive too, and I been getting nauseous when I eat. Will it help with that kind of pain as well? The reason I keep the LDN is because it helps the neuropathic pain and it, for some reason, has extremely helped by ADD, which Ritalin and Adderall failed to do.

So, any advice any of you have would be a great help.

[OneScrewLoose]

I was also wondering if Lamictal could help for me, and if anyone has taken it here.

[glenntaj]

--that celiac/gluten sensitivity can present as a neurological disorder, with or without gastric symptoms, and that one common presentation is peripheral neuropathy?

There's a tone of info on this in jcc's the Gluten File, including links to many research papers (it is probably the most comprehensive database yet compiled on the subject):

http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/home

[daniella]

Hi. See what works for one with meds may not for another. It can also take a combo of meds. That has helped me the best. When my condition first started I would try sperate things but either did not give it time or stopped with side effects. After a couple procedures that went badly I went back on the meds and stuck through the side effects of course I am not talking the horrid ones but the ones that could possibly go away and also am working up the doses. Plus I am on a combo for both pain but mentally. Are you currently seeing a pain doctor? If not I would suggest that and also for me a psych has really assisted. It does not take away the physical pain but helps me cope with it much better. My psych is also very interested in my condition so that helps.

[Hockey]

After my spinal cord injury, I discovered just how difficult it is to treat nerve pain. Lyrica works for many people - but not me. It didn't control my pain well, I felt foggy and I gained weight like a Sumo wrestler set loose in an Old Country Buffet. I know you need to bulk up, but it's not uncommon for Lyrica users to pack on sixty or more pounds depending on the dosage. The drug is also expensive and can be hell to discontinue.

For now, I'm on that old standby Carbazepine. Heaven knows its got its fair share of side effects and I'm by no means pain-free, but, for me, it's working better than the Lyrica.

Good Luck

[Hope15]

I had a terrible experience with soy this week. It is known to help some woman with menopause symptoms, so I decided to give a try again. I had tried it a year ago, but the soy bars I ordered were too expensive and I didn't continue. This week I tried again, because my menopausal symtoms are very bad, and are actually making my neuroapthy worse. After two days on the soy bars, my stomach was in agony. I had complete digestive distress. When I stopped the soy, it went away. It's strange how we can tolerate some food source and then down the line develop an allergy to it. Best of luck to you....

[Marty SLC]

There's a good chance that your plantar fasciitis is really not plantar fasciitis but rather another symptom of PN. What works well for me is (and I see it as a symptom of PN) is ice and led light therapy. Ice for a half an hours then a half an hour with the led lights. I'm on Lyrica and I like it. Yes I'm sensitive to light, sleepy and it made me gain weight but it's worth it for me. I've lost the weight now and really it isn't that hard to keep it off if you watch your calorie intake.

You may want to try supplements since you might may not be absorbing since you are intolerant. If you do want to give them a try make sure you get the right ones with the correct dosage.

[OneScrewLoose]

I am not worried about gaining 60 pounds. I've been on a lot of meds that were supposed to make me gain weight and I never did. Seroquel (for insomnia), for instance, was supposed to make me huge, but I didn't gain a single pound from that. The only one that ever made me gain a little was Buspar, but I had too many negative sides from that. What dose of Lyrica do you guys take?

I suppose the plantar fasciitis could be more PN, but I had an x-ray a few years back that did show that it was plantar fasciitis.

[OneScrewLoose]

Also, I currently take Metanx. This gives me a hefty dose of P5P, methyfolate, and methylcobalamin.

[echoes long ago]

i had an experience with plantar fasciitis in both feet at the same time....the agony in trying to walk was unbelievable.......one foot it went away on its own and in the other foot i had a cortisone injection which took care of it.