New kid on the site
 

Hello everyone. Found this great site by pure accident while looking for info on PN. I am trying to learn as much as I can as I feel my doctors are just processing me, not treating me. Here's my story.

My primary care doctor thinks I may have PN and says I may have to learn to live with it. (Not a good answer.) I am 63 and otherwise healthy except for my aching back. The full panel of blood tests shows I am not diabetic and do not have any problems with my thyroid, heavy metals, lead, mercury, toxins,etc.

It all started back in Sept. 2006 when I was standing on a step ladder (shoes on) reaching up to do some tree trimming. At that moment a very sharp knife like pain went across the balls of both my feet and a few days later my toes began to tingle and get numb. I thought I had a neuroma in both my feet. Went to a podiatrist who told me it was probably due to my back as I also have some disc problems at L4,L5 and S1. My primary doctor then sent me to PT for 5 weeks and I just finished up with 15 weeks of pain management which included a nerve conduction study which included and an EMG. The results showed no indication of PN. Everythint is working fine except for a delay in my ulnar nerve of my left hand. He also performed 6 nerve block injections (flourescopic) on my back to see if he could help alleviate the tingling in my feet, but they did not work. Yet, the severe tingling and numbness on the balls and toes of both feet got progressively worse. I have tried gabapentan, neurontin, CYMBALTA, and am now taking LYRICA 75 mg, 3 times a day, but sometimes I take 4 or 5, depending on how I feel. It helps a little. LYRICA is the only med I am taking right now aside from Zetia for high chloresterol. I am also taking (for two weeks) a homeopathic solution called "ARTALGIA" which claims to help reduce the tingling sensations. It's advertised on the internet. Still waiting for it to kick in.

So, as I write this the toes and balls of both feet are tingling and the feeling of a sock "balled up" in my shoes predominates as it does all day long. This will continue all day and tonight i will take another LYRICA to dull it down. In the morning we start all over again.

I wonder if I should go see a neurologist and if I should get a skin biopsy to see if I have small fibre neuropathy. I am definitely going to order some Methyl B-12. I have been taking vitamin B 12 but it appears that the methyl is better from what I have learned on this site. I am also considering an accupunturist and if that doesn't help back surgery.

To be honest, I am very frustrated and not a happy camper. Right now this condition is consuming me a little at a time. I can feel it as it occupies my mind 24 hours of every day. I need to work out a plan of action as to what it is I should do to . My wife bought me "the SECRET" cd's and told me it will help.

Well, that's it. Thanks for listening and I pray that each of you on this site feel a little better each day. Thanks for caring.

welcome 19Fordy

I have also copied your post to our PN forum so that the members there can meet you and offer their support and shared experience to be of help to you

here is the link to your post there
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ad.php?t=18865

Hiya 19Fordy!
 

It's really great to meet you! Welcome to the NeuroTalk Forums! It sure sounds like you've got something a little complicated going on there, and I wish I could tell you what it was. But it sounds to me like you've researched it pretty well yourself already, and are on the right path. I would think a neurologist would be a logical doctor to see. Over the past five years I have seen almost every kind of specialist, and it seems to me that when you have any kind of limb problems, either a neurologist or a rheumatolgist are the ones you want to see. I sure hope you get to the bottom of this problem, and get your quality of life back again. Best of luck and wishes!

Idealist