I'm 35 yrs old been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy and Arthritis of the spine. These past months have been crazy. The burning,pain, itching, and body soreness is unbearable I'm currently taking Cymbalta 30mg 3 times a day, nothing has helped with these symptoms. My nerves now makes me nauseated and makes my head hurt daily. I haven't been given any pain meds to see if that helps. I have used Epson Lotion, heating pads, and Arthritis creams still no relief. Any suggestions please help!!!!

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

Well, I think heating pads make PN symptoms worse. So I'd stop that for a while and see what happens. There is a type of neuropathy called RSD which is different from PN in that those patients crave heat. Most PNers, prefer cold treatments, but RSDers are intolerant to cold. We have an RSD (CRPS) forum here for you to check out as well if you need to.

A common side effect of Cymbalta is nausea. Also this drug stimulates the norepi nerves which can raise blood pressure and can cause headaches etc.

If it does nothing for you, I suggest you taper off Cymbalta, with your doctor's supervision and see what happens. Most PN symptom changes do take time, so be patient while you do this, as instant results typically do not occur.

It would be helpful to know more details about you and your symptoms.

Thanks Mrs D I appreciate your advice and information.

Good afternoon; I am a brand new user and this is my very first post to this web site.

My name is Darrell and I am from British Columbia, Canada. I was diagnosed with "Idiopathic Peripheral Neuropathy" just over eight years ago. Idiopathic is just a fancy term for unknown cause. I am currently 48 years of age & prior to my diagnosis, I had no other health concerns.

It has been a bit of a roller coaster of seeing different Neurologists, blood work, nerve conduction tests, punch biopsy and a whole multitude of different pharmaceuticals.

I completely understand and sympathize with the extreme burning and electrical shocks that can be associated with "P.N.". Please don't give up hope on treatments. During the last eight years I have charted my progress and have found that I do have periods of almost complete remission, followed by periods of intense pain. I used to make note of the types of food that I ate, amount that I exercised and even took the weather into consideration.

Here is what my Neurologist currently prescribes for my "P.N.". I take Lyrica (75mg X two-twice daily), Amitriptlyne (3 X 10mg-once nightly) & Topirimate (25Mg-twice daily).

You mentioned that you don't take any pain medications. You definitely should speak to your doctor regarding pain management options. My regime for pain management includes taking (Hydromorphone-13mg-twice daily); this is a slow release opiate, so it is basically in your system twenty four seven. If I have what is called a flare up, I use 4 mg Dilaudid, which are fast acting & definitely help to nullify the pain quickly. I will be honest and say that I have never been prescribed anything, narcotics included that will manage my pain completely, but the trick is to keep it under control.

Exercising even when you are in pain or discomfort is absolutely paramount. I'm not stating you need to go out and do a marathon (absolutely not), but even a gentle walk around the block a couple of times to get the blood moving to these damaged nerves will help.

I don't want to overload you with information, but my Neurologist also encourages me to supplement my treatment by taking certain supplements and vitamins on a regular basis. Here is just a few of them: R-Lipoic Acid, Benfotiamine, Methylcobalmin, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Hi Potency Vitamin B, etc.

My regime of medications and supplements may not be the best regime for you. It has simply been trial and error over the course of eight years to find what works for me best. It has not been easy by any means, but I do have to support myself, which means that I have to manage full time job. Some days are no problem, other days I really have to fight through every minute of the day.

NEVER loose hope and remember that you are not alone. We may not know each other, but we have more in common already that most people do.

Clinical trials on underway all over the globe, and I simply keep my fingers crossed that it will simply be a matter of time before the headlines read “Cure for Peripheral Nerve Disease". What a day that will be for all.

kind regards,

Darrell

Hi there! I was fortunate to meet a neurologist who put me onto Intragam as soon as she discovered my condition - virtually no reflexes in hands and feet (which have dropped) so I was tripping over my big toe!
Anyway, Intragam is a blood by product which protects nerve endings from any nasties while they regrow. It is by infusion so I go to hospital once a month for 3 hours to have it done. I go as a public patient and it is no cost to me. I also have private health cover just in case.
Doctor tested for all sorts of dormant viruses initially which may have contributed to PN but I was clear. Had 3 lots of B12 injections to and this did help so do get your B12 levels checked out. Also I found that cutting down on sugar and eating mandarins and peanuts was good for me. Peanuts have nutrients which aid nerve impulses. My Neurologist gives me 18months for full recovery and I am 11 months down the track. I went through a very wobbly period but got through it. Rest and be kind to yourself. I find that not even my family fully understand the level of pain or effort you are putting in to every smile. Best wishes!