Grasping at ideas
 

As my PN progresses the loss of feeling to my feet was not as worrying as loosing my right hand. Over the years I have become very attached to it & wish to do all I can to retain it as a usable essential. While I can still walk round on my strange feeling feet it's unsettling realising that I now have to be careful how I pick things up. Even typing this is becomming more difficult.
I find that keeping my finger tips moist helps to turn pages & pick things up.
I had been using my wifes hand cream, but got to wondering if there was something else that may help to stimulate the nerves. I found some Vicks Vaporub that was beyond it's better buy, & are currently using that. It seems to stay on a bit longer but it stinks of cause.
Any other ideas?

I'm thinking vaseline - same texture as vicks, but without the pong.

It's cheaper too.

cheers

raglet

Bag Balm (used for cow's udders) is a long lasting, petroleum based, application
for dry, chapped, cracked, etc.........hands & feet

I am wondering if you have excessively dry skin?

The Bag Balm suggestion by Nide is great! This product is even sold in stores that sell sewing supplies!

Excessively dry skin will give odd sensations. And when this occurs on the hands and feet, that may signal a deficiency of essential fatty acids (Omega-3).

People who over use alcohol hand disinfectants, who are printers or who do alot of car repair, or even masonry work (lime), can defat and damage the skin.

Some find that good old Aquaphor helps. Or Eucerin products which contain the Aquaphor base, can help too.

I'm sorry
 

I feel for you..

Thank you all for the replies.
I realise there are a veriety of products I could use to keep the skin moist but I was wondering if there was something that might help stimulate the nerves.

hi there

Just a local recommendation (readily available in NZ) is Gardners Handcream. I get it from the local chemist - it is cheap, only about $14 and is fabulous lubricant. It doesn't even smell too girly.

There is a cream that is said to be good for nerve damage that is available from health food shops, but I am struggling to remember the name of it. I will let you know if it suddenly springs to mind (most likely when I am sound asleep at 3 in the morning hahaha).

hth
raglet

There is a cream made in Canada....that has arginine in it.

This is one example
http://www.footexpress.com/Merchant2...oduct_Code=509

Here is our thread on Healthibetic cream:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=arginine

The geranium oil, is a possibility for you too.

If you REALLY want to test the feeling in your hand, give some
Capsaicin a try...It will either drive you nuts (like it does me) or you may like it. It certainly will reveal how much feeling you have. Not many people here have been able to tolerate this remedy which was originally put on the market for post herpetic
neuralgia!

Interesting reading, not sure which way to go. (grasping at ideas)
In reality there is probably no way of stoping the progression.
Shame really, I'm down to one finger that still has enough feeling left to pick my nose properly.

The Capsaicin is really a replacement feeling/symptom- for an existing one.
The hot pepper reaction is so severe you forget about your original problem.
It's supposed to block out the nerve reaction and if you get used to it,
cancel out the PN symptom.
I didn't care for it, at all.
I use a menthol based cream to cool and soothe the burning of my feet.
'Biofreeze', or 'Icy Hot' (or the generics) is good for this.

I'm very lucky, I don't have the burning now.
I did initially but only in my feet.