New
 

Hi, im new...its been over 6 months of insane pain that makes it so hard to walk, not sure if i can stand another day of it!

Hi, Cass!

I am new here as well. Are you taking any vitamins for your condition? There is a wealth of information on this forum. I have found a lot of help.

I am so sorry. Yes, learn all you can. Lots of information here about supplements, foods, blood tests and books, links to help. Too many doctors do not seem to learn what they need to help. :(They just know how to write prescriptions.

Integrative MD's have been wonderful and helped me with my CFS, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and neuropathy with no meds. I have done hours of research every day and we work together. We have to heal the nerves.

Hi...I am also new...I too have bn experiencing CIPN for abt 6 months...my last chemo was in Nov and a few months b4 the end I started getting the numbness, tingling, pins and needles feeling in my feet...my ONC said it should subside after the chemo but it hasn't yet! It has gotten worse. I tried the Neurontin cream and pills...nothing...will be seeing a neurologist next week....I hope you feel better

Hi Cass
 

Welcome to Neuro Talk. I really hope you get some help for the pain you are experiencing. Do you have a pain specialist? a Neurologist? those are two fields that you might want to investigate. If you have a diagosis, up at the top of the page is a search bar. Just type in the dianosis, and that will bring you to the forum with that condition. You found a great site and some caring people here. I will be here to listen to you and try to help. Again welcome to Neruo Talk. I found this site about two years ago, and never left. found some good friends, and help for my conditions. Again welcome to NT. ginnie

Thanks everyone its go to find a place where people understand... i have Peroneal neuropathy in my feet and in the middle of meds, the last one i was on caused horribul side effects. I have been on 8 different kinds but i have kidney issuses that were severly aggrivated by them. I just found out i either have Autonomic neuropathy or a cysts or "some kind of lump" as the doctor called it on my spine that is causing the other major issues im having. Waiting on the doctors to get things together so i dont have to keep being in so much pain. Hope fully i will hear from them today

No i have kidney problems and im cant take any

I also am new here. Hope to get abundant amounts of information to help with PN. I would like to find something to help with the pain at night to help me sleep better.

Then :welcome_sign:

There are definitely abundant amounts of 411; I think I spent the better part of my first 2 weeks here catching up with the Sticky's, Sub-forum, and tried to go back a month or so of current posts. I can be slow/distracted, so it may take others less time... :o It's been over a year, and I can still get lost in the archives doing a search and getting sidetracked... :rolleyes:

Many people get help sleeping with a low dose of amitriptyline. Take a look, discuss it with your doctor, and see whatcha think.

There's also this:
http://psychcentral.com/news/2009/06...tors/6761.html
(English translation: it may also help in the process of regrowing nerves.)

Doc

HJello Rahrah
 

Welcome to Neuro Talk. You will find information here and alot of support. I am sorry to hear you suffer with PN. If you arn't getting enough help for your pain, please go back to your primary care physician and ask for a referral to a specialist. There is is more help for this, and he may recommend a specility field that can help. A pain management physician might help too. You are welcome to talk in any of the forums here, and respond to any posts. Feel at home and weclome. I do hope you find more relief than what you currently are experiencing. ginnie:hug:

Benzgirl there have been posts here on supplements to take for peripheral neuropathy caused by chemo therapy treatments for cancer. i cant remember all of them but i think acetyl L carnitine was one and there were others. do a search of this forum and you should be able to come across useful posts for yourself. sorry i cant remember them my memory has been suffering of late.

hi thanks for the reply, i am currently taking elavil 75mg each night at bedtime... and i have been taking this dosage for a while.. i started on 1 pill a night but after no sleeping the dr raised it to 2.. still no sleep so raised to 3 and still not sleeping and im getting so tired of taking all the meds i take..

Is it possible you're taking something, or there's something in your lifestyle that may account for not sleeping? Some medications that put most people to sleep have been known to keep small numbers of folks awake. Too much caffeine, food additives...

So you might try going through all your meds, and thoroughly check side effects (online) for any kind of sleep disturbances. Also labels/ingredients of foods, especially prepared foods.

-----

Just saw your other post about the burning pain of PN keeping you up. That's different. R-Lipoic Acid knocked out my burning pain (which was keeping me up and in pain) very quickly. Some people take it in combination with Acetyl L-Carnitine and/or pantothenic acid (B5) for additional efficacy.

There are other sugestions in the PN Tips, Resources, Supplements & Other Treatments forum.

Doc

Poor sleeping is a cardinal sign of low B12 levels.

MethylB12 (the activated form) is the cofactor for making melatonin (our sleep hormone) from serotonin.

If you don't have enough of the methyl B12, you can't sleep.

I'd get a B12 test and bring the results here.

A secondary cause is low serotonin. But testing for this is more difficult as only non-brain serotonin shows up in testing.
People taking SSRI antidepressants end up with low serotonin in the cells, because the antidepressant stops the manufacture of serotonin in the cells because the reuptake feature keeps it in the synapse so the cells make less over time. This low serotonin is responsible for the withdrawal when antidepressants are stopped.

You might find Melatonin more effective at night. If so this points to a low synthesis of this sleep hormone for you.

My SO has been on Celexa for at least 10 years and has had insomnia for the past 3 years. Could the Celexa be contributing to the insomnia?

Yes, most definitely, IMO.

http://bipolarworld.net/Medications/...ht/ssrilt.html

so would b12 help with this? I opened the bipolar link on my ipad but it's very hard to read. When I switch to a laptop I'll read it thoroughly.

Thanks for your help.

For people taking drugs...like SSRIs with insomnia...I'd test it out by taking 3mg of melatonin at night for a month.

It will take a while for the melatonin to move around and work. It is a slow solution, a more natural one. So getting "knocked out" quickly will not happen at first, and duration may be shorter than traditional strong sleep inducing drugs.

But if there is some improvement, I'd consider getting the B12 tested to see if she is low in that.

It is not safe to take serotonin boosting things, when on SSRI's.

Also any light at all, at night will shut off any melatonin you make and prevent getting back to sleep properly. Do not turn on overhead lights, to use the bathroom. Have nightlights in place.
We found little motion activated lights you put along stairways, (we have lots of stairs) to light your way at night. And I have a little night light in the bathroom. So as we age we tend to get up at least once at night to relieve ourselves, and if you put a bright light anywhere along that path, your sleep than night may be gone!

Ours are GE Auto night lights-- with a rotating head. We have them along the hall and stairs plugged into an extension cord set up. Item 50311
http://www.amazon.com/50311-Directio.../dp/B000089DCL
Hubby buys ours at Kroger's.