I wish Janke still posted actively. I know enough to know how much I still need to learn, but thank you.

Yes, it would be nice to have the added input from Janke. It would also help that you would not have to be the primary responder. Everyone needs a break now and then.

Enjoy your time away from NT for the next few days. Talk with you upon your return.

Hopeless

cani your neurologist is very inconsistent which im sure you realize. he says you can work with pn but then tells you to rest more, work 15 minutes and rest 30 minutes. there are no jobs in the economy where that is possible.
Many people with PN are treated by neurologists or even GP's for pain since most people with pn are treated with antidepressants and anti seizure medicine for pain. Not many use opiates since they are of limited value in nerve pain and consequently dont wind up using a pain management clinic.

Echoes made me think about another point.

Echoes is right, many neuropathies are not treated with analgesics but with anti-seizure meds.

They will also look at your medications. If someone claims extreme pain but are not taking any type of medication for pain, that is a flag.

I can not tolerate oral pain meds. I have to use pain patches, otherwise, I get terrible nausea.

I made sure I stated that so there would be no questioning about why I was not taking any oral pain meds. My medication list was long but none were analgesic oral meds. I made sure my patches were listed.

Not everyone sees a pain mgt. doc, but if your claim is based upon PAIN due to a condition, having a pain mgt. doc would be a plus in my opinion.

I would probably have self amputated my leg had it not been for my pain mgt. doc.

But, for neuropathies, the anti-seizure meds are what they use as a first line med for the controlling of neuropathic pain. So, I think I'll be OK with that. I have multi-health issues going on all the time. I have been under the care of shrinks for the last 8 years now. I have DX's for BP, OCB, GAD and ADD. It would appear that having worked 25 straight years of teaching elementary PE, plus my age (51) plus TONS of medical records on MANY conditions . . . Yeah. I feel a little better now. The KU doc is young and very inconsistent. I like him but . . .

Here I go again with the devil's advocate..... OK, if you have had the mental conditions for 8 years and were working during that time, then those conditions do not prevent you from being able to work.

From what I have read in your posts, it is actually the PAIN of SFN that has put you over the top and exacerbated the other conditions. So you are still stuck with all the issues that come with documenting the condition that has caused your pain and then exacerbated your other conditions.

If all I had was some paperwork in front of me as an employee of SSDI that documented your mental conditions during a time period while you were working full time and now pain without a doctor treating you for the condition that causes you the pain substantiating the reasonableness of it, I would not be inclined to approve you at the initial stage.

They may not deny you, but instead send you to their physicians for evaluation. Just a thought.

The pain for the SFN is being treated with GabaP. Prior to that it was compression stockings, prescription creams, custom-made orthotics, etc. etc. Cause it unknown and it has been with me for over two years so according to echos . . . the chances of me getting better are very small . . .

The last 8 years of treatment won't be a real factor. Why? Because you were able to work until 6 months ago. SS will look at med records going back 1 year from your AOD for the PN and 2 years for the BP disorder. If you're claiming your mental health is severe enough to prevent you from working, SS will expect you to be seeing a mental health professional frequently--I would say once a week is the norm.

BTW, very few pain mgmt docs are willing to prescribe narcotics anymore. Your neurologist might be providing adequate pain management, but if you're saying you are frequently hitting an 8 out of 10 on the pain scale, that doesn't seem adequate.

You might also consider seeing a pain psychologist.

And what of his comment that 'many people with PN work'. What has been your experience with that? The few PN people I know, are all on disability. Thanks.

Echoes, and Mz. Migraine help out as often as I do and are as knowledgeable. Janke was in a league of her own, no disrespect to anyone. I'm impressed with how much you've picked up, btw!