I'd like a bit of feedback to ensure I'm on the right track with what I'm doing for my peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy. n October 2010, I fell in the gym while lifting heavy weights and injured the L5/S1 disc. I had surgery to remove fragments, which got rid of the excruciating pain, but now I have numbness along the outside edge of left foot (this started after I fell - before the surgery) and little toe (which twitches all the time) and, increasingly since the surgery, other unpleasant and sometimes very painful sensations in the left foot and calf. For a while the big toe and most of the right side of the left foot seemed unaffected, but now most of the left foot is weird. Also, now most of the toes on the left foot are weird/numb, with the big toe sometimes feeling ok and sometimes not. I get burning, feeling like a wire is wrapped around my little toe (or the next one) and around the heel, twitching, crawly skin, stabbing, electricity... I sometimes get burning in the right foot now, too, or sudden sharp pains, crawly feelings, etc. The crawly feeling can appear on an arm or on my face, scalp... anywhere. I also get a lot of pain in my glutes and hamstrings and along the sides of both legs, which is sometimes more disruptive than the foot pain, because I can’t sit for long. I’m changing careers now so I don’t have to sit all day.

I was on Lyrica briefly but had to stop it because I had bad side effects. Endep was also prescribed but I didn’t respond well to that and it also gave me frightening side effects. I have a current prescription for Gabapentin, at 300mg x 3 times a day, a pretty low dose, I think, compared to some people. But I have stopped taking the Gabapentin (over a couple of weeks) and the pain is manageable.

I have noticed a couple of things that may be relevant. I can make the twitching of the little toe stop if I focus on it. I don’t physically prevent it from twitching (which doesn’t work), but if I look at it and relax my breathing the twitching stops. Unfortunately, I can’t spend the whole day looking at my little toe. Also, when I press the outside of my left calf the toe twitches furiously. I wonder if these things mean anything, or if anyone else has this sort of experience.

My best resource has not been my regular doctor or the neurologist, but my chiropractor, although until recently his treatments have helped more with general issues than with the PN. He has done some seminars recently in something called Quantum Neurology and has started treating me using that protocol. He has been treating me for over 25 years and I have a lot of confidence in him, although I have my doubts about this new protocol. However, I have noticed since his recent adjustments (3 in 3 weeks) that I have much less pain in the foot and less twitching. I am not getting my hopes up, though, because every time the symptoms have reduced in the past, they flared up again, worse and sometimes weirder than before.

My last scans were in 2011 and they didn’t show any interference with the nerve/s. A steroid injection was a painful waste of time. Whenever I describe my increasing symptoms to my doctor he talks about changing or increasing my pain meds - no mention of anything that could be causing the symptoms. I have figured it out for myself – the chiropractor agrees and that is what he is currently treating. I have no confidence in my doctor about this and don’t want to waste time seeing the neurologist again. I have a new referral to the neurologist for more scans, but what’s the point? The only reason I can think of to go back to him is so I have evidence if things get really bad... so I don't plan to go anytime soon.

2 days ago I started taking the following:
Vit B12 – 2gm (I have not had my B12 levels tested)
B Complex (not a very potent one, but it’s what I already had)
C – 1000mg
Calcium + D – 333mg + 333iu
Magnesium chelate – 1gm
Fish oil – 2gm
Folic acid – 1000mcg
A-L-Carnitine – 1gm
A-L-Acid – 800mg
Coenzyme Q10 – 150mg (they come in 150gm caps)
Probiotics
Garlic

My diet is pretty good, with plenty of fruit n veg, lots of plain yoghurt with home made muesli, but maybe a little too much red meat. Fish every week. Very little dairy or wheat. I also walk most days and stretch a lot. I use a heavy duty massager on my glutes, hamstrings, calves and soles of feet.

I’ve cut my alcohol back to almost zero about 9 days ago and I’m wondering if my reduced pain may be related to that. Or to cutting out coffee, which I’ve done too. It’s hard to work out what is helping. I know it’s not the supplements, because I just started them.

So I want to know if this looks ok and if there is anything else I should be doing. I’d appreciate any feedback I can get.

While not entirely and completely diagnostic, there may still be some utility in obtaining an EMG/NCV. I am assuming that post-surgical MRI's were done with contrast?

I know I had some scans after the surgery, but I can't remember what they were. I don't really understand what good more scans will do, since so far the only treatment I've been offered is surgery and drugs. And the steroid injection that didn't work. But I'll think about it.

Thanks, Dubious.