Flares
 

I think it might have been Glenn who mentioned this to me once in an email. I am curious to know what exactly are flares? Is this when ones neuropathy settles somewhat into a pattern, and then something causes it to "flare up", only to have it settle down again? In reading about neuroapthy, I have heard this term quite a bit....

Many neuropathies--
 

--especially those with some sort of nutritional or autoimmune component (if that can actually be determined) are prone to "flaring", or what might be called, in the MS model of autoimmunity, "relapsing-remitting".

Such up-and-down symptom patterns are, of course, common in autoimmune conditions, in which the antibody load and attack on tissue fluctuates over time.

Moreover, with nerves, increased symptoms can often signal some form of healing attempt--it's not uncommon for nerve growth cones fighting through tissue to produce signals the brain has difficulty interpreting, and these feel like pain, or shooting, or tingling, or the sensation of something on the body that isn't there . . .it's often difficult to tell what's happening overall except in long-term retrospect (the reason many of us keep diaries).

Flares have been handy (although unwelcome) for me.

Once I am not in a flare and one comes, I then examine what has changed in my life. New shoes, over-exertion, re-introduction of a food, virus infection etc. This is how I isolated potatoes and how they can cause burning for me, as well as MSG.

I do think autoimmune flares would be harder to detect. They might come up after a flu shot or some other invasive situation.
But they may seem more random in general.

I will say my new Dr. Scholl's memory foam slip ons have been great. I am having much less foot pain/discomfort at night on the days I wear them alot around the house.

Hi Hope,

Flares come when:
I exert myself to much
When raining outside
Sitting to lone
Walking to much
Fan blowing or air conditioner air is on me to much
When I am not feeling well, it seems to make it worse
And just sometimes it just happen.

I do seem to have pain 24/7 but flares seems to put me out of commission.
Not sure if this is what you were asking but thought I give it a shot. :grouphug:

hi there

I have frequent flares with my lupus, but although a flare can worsen my PN (new area of motor damage usually) getting over the flare generally help my PN any because by that time the damage is done and I just have to live with the new motor loss.

So, although other areas of my lupus improve, my PN never does, if this makes any sense at all.

cheers
raglet

Me Too
 

I have to say....the good days are cherished. The burning, aching days are not. I do have a bad back, so there hasn't been clear evidence that it isn't a contributing factor to my foot pain. I always had a hard time understanding how nerves in the feet can be disrupted, without pain moving along the nerves eminating from the lower back.
I believe that alcohol can also be a nasty little reminder of PN hiding in the feet.

I have flare ups all the time and I'm not that good pin pointing the cause. I'm working on this area. I do know that my flare ups can last just a few hours to weeks. I don't know if food at this point contributes, I do know heat, stress, weather, overall well being (sickly), types of fabrics, all shoes, sitting to long, standing to long and not moving around. But the big ones for me would be heat, and overall well being and over doing it.

I have pain always but I have better days and not so good days with some major flare ups. Sometimes I see a connection like with being extra active as I have delayed pain,knocking myself or weather etc. Sometimes there is no connection. My pain doctor said this is common of these conditions. He said try to do the most you can on your good days and the best you can on your bad.

Hello,
Monday the wife and I painted the living room ceiling, she trimmed the borders and I stood on the floor with an extension and rolled the ceiling. Have been sore, stiff, throbbing and laid up since then. Have not increased the methadone and lyrica intake, is there an otc pill that might help. Thanks

I take xtra strength ibuprofen - Aleve or generic.

My husband finds taking magnesium helps after working too much.

This happens for him mostly in spring with the yardwork.

I doctor is really good to work with me on these kinds of days. He give me samples of Lyrica, you know the 75mg ones so I take one of those and 2 50mg tabs of tramadol and 800mg of ibuprofen. Sometimes this doesn't help but others it really knocks the pain out. I don't understand why it works only part of the time.

I'm just looking and trying to understand Peripheral Neuropathy.

And I do have flares whether from this or something else. And nothing
seems to help mine. So I am hoping to gain insight.

Donna

Marty your doctor gives you lyrica for flares? It was my understanding that since lyrica is an anti seizure medicine that it was dangerous to take only once in a while.

I take the extra Lyrica on top of my daily amount.

Marty,
What s your daily Lyrica amounts?
How much do you take, above that - for flares?
Is it truly helpful?
Where is your doc located ?
(I'm in MD - Hopkins)
I'd never heard of using Lyrica
as a breakthru med before

Mrs D recomended Aleve liquid gels otc. Not for my PN/RSD pain does it help me but for the aches I get I guess it surrounds it so to speak and my head aches I take it and it does help sometimes more then other OTC for me. Thanks Mrs D again and maybe try that. The liquid ones though.

I take 150mg of the Lyrica twice daily. Then when I have a flare up I take the extra 75mg plus 2x50mg of tramadol and 800mg of Ibuprofen. I think it's the combo of the three together that work. Sometimes better then others. It really seems to work well with burning and moderately on the pain.

I live in Salt Lake City Utah.

Hello,
Up and about today although the legs are weak, got into my extra meds and took some Tramadol,Flexeril,Lidoderm, Eleve and Magnesium Gel. Wife informed me there is a leak at the kitchen sink, will address that problem tomorrow. Fall is in the air here in Virginia and will bird watch today, the humming birds are really hitting their feeders, I hate it when they leave for winter. Have a good day.
Lanny

Glad you are feeling better. Our hummers left last week.
I had two guys all summer. They stayed around even tho we were gone, and when I put the feeder back up in late Aug, they were still here. But I haven't seen any since last Thurs or so.

Oh flares... how i hate them... most of the time I am left baffeled as to what caused them, and I have no clue as to how to make them better- I usually have to wait until they decide to go away.

The things I CAN pinpoint that seem to make me flare are:

Getting too cold
Standing or Walking for too long (my feet decide this)
Sitting in one position for too long
Standing on hard surfaces
Trying on Shoes
Rainy weather
Stress (usually makes it worse)