Terri,

I too live in some pain, perhaps not as bad as yours, and would never tell someone what to do with regard to their situation as each person is different. Having said that I will say I tell my doctor "exactly" how I feel with regard to pain. If I'm hurting I tell her (my docs a female) where the pain is and to what extent it hurts. She may not be able to do but so much but she can do nothing if I don't tell her how much it's bothering me and, IMHO, you should do the same. Don't be a hero as you'll only stand alone, except for what help you may get here BUT, remember the help here is not like your doctor in it's far away and though the folks here may be caring and mean well they can't treat you, as such.

It's a d_mn shame medical science has basically put the neuropathy patient on the back burner with regard to pain issues or anything else for that matter. They seem to view it as incurable and so "you're on your own and good luck" is their attitude. They love to give you nerve conduction test that can be less then thrilling yet 9 out of 10 doctors have never experienced a nerve conduction test. IMO it should be required of all doctors that or going to order such tests that they should undergo them their selves before ordering the test, at least they'd have a idea what it's like.

OK, I'm finished rambling but will finish by saying this; don't expect your doctor, unless he/she is the exception, to "feel' for your pain as most view you as just another patient and so are simply another means for their house or yacht payment. I don't mean to seem uncaring but it's the truth, most doctors simply don't care unless, as I said, you have one that's the exception. If you don't my advice would be to seek one out, at least you'll receive more in-depth treatment, if you know what I mean.

By the way, I haven't posted enough to be able to send PM's so should anyone send me one, as one lady did, I can't reply as yet... sorry.

Hello Pete...

I think you can receive PM's and if you hit reply...you can answer them. You just cannot initiate PMs yourself. This is temporary for new members.

Visitor messages are not PMs... Anyone registered here can see a Visitor message on profiles.

A follow-up....

*edit*
the Zostrix Cream did work but it will take several days, perhaps a week, for you to experience the results. "No" it is not painful to apply, even if your feet are burning, and so I highly recommend it. BUT, I would say to ask your doctor about it, as any medication, before starting use. If he/she says gives you the OK you can buy it over the counter and if you're like me you'll find it works great, as long as you apply it daily. To start you may find you have to apply it 2 or 3 times a day.

Good luck, I do hope it works for you!


Extra comment: For those that didn't read my earlier post Zostrix Cream, if applied, as a topical cream can completely stop the surface burning many experience due to a Peripheral Nuropathy. As mentioned above, ask you doctor before starting the use of this or any medication.

In regards to your Zostrix experiences, our experiences on the PN forum, have demonstrated that many of us find the burning from capsaicin products very painful. I understand that some people don't mind it, but many of us don't last the time period it takes for the substance P factor to start working.

Thanks MrsD, I complete understand. Also understand about the *edit* above. With some luck the person that asked me the question will read my posts and get her answer.

Thanks again, I'll keep your comments in mind for future posts. Have a great weekend!

No problem Pete. If you ever have any questions about how the forums operate you can contact me or any moderator on the team, for help. Our Community Feedback forum is also useful for asking those types of questions.

Capsaicin has been a busy topic on the Peripheral Neuropathy forum all month!

Hello everyone... Thank you all for holding my hand through a few really dark days.
If any of you are members of HMO's you know how hard it is to get doctors to come out of their "Pigeon Holes" I see a Psyche for the depression, I see a Neurologist for the Neuropathy, I see an Internist as my Primary Care, and even though my medical records are on a main frame computer, accessible to all of the doctors, it seems they don't "share" their puzzle pieces. Oh, they can, they just don't want to go outside their own little boxes! It would involve them spending more than their 15 minutes per patient, and that would just be too much effort!

So, now that I have my CPAP machine, which by the way I'm still getting used to... I seem to be sleeping better. And, this morning, as SOON as I took it off, I could feel my sinuses filling up! I mean within SECONDS!!!

Before I put it on last night, I did a sinus rinse, so I could breathe through my nose while sleeping,,, as up to this point, I have always slept with my mouth open because my sinuses are always clogged... allergies....to many many things. So, anyway, I put the little mask on, lie down, and slept pretty good, except for the trying to turn over part... I even got up only ONE time to go to the bathroom instead of the normal THREE times!

I truly hope this will help me to sleep better, therefore feel better during the day, therefore, be less exhausted all the time. Problem ONE of SEVEN tackled.

It has helped me think clearer also.
On my way in this morning... (as you may remember I have quite a long commute)... I broke my issues down into a few categories:
1. Always Feeling Exhausted
2. Depression
3. Neuropathy Pain is Constant
4. Too Long of a Commute
5. Too much work load
6. Daughters putting too much stress on me
7. No money saved or put aside to move or put deposit on a place of my own.

A. The CPAP machine will hopefully address item #1.
B. Doctors appt. on July 15, and medication will address item #2 and maybe #3
C. If I move away from the house, and closer to work, now that Ex-husband has job and daughter with granddaughter is back with her fiance (baby's daddy), that will address Issue # 4, 6 and 3. However, #7 is a big hindrance to this!!!!!

I am going to reach out to step father and ask for a loan...it is a difficult thing to ask, and he doesn't usually do it, but it's worth it to ask.

I realize I have been a real downer here, and have really unloaded some negative thoughts. I appreciate you all holding my hands and hugging me through it.

There are definitely times when we all have those really dark days that we just can't find the exit door.... and if we just stop and take a few breaths, relax a little, and let God guide us, He will show us where the door is. Also, some friends holding our hands and hugs help a lot!!!!

I am looking forward to having some space of my own again.
I am however worried about some things....
1. That my step dad will not loan me the money.
2. That my drug addicted daughter will find out I have an apartment of my own and try to come back to "pretend" she is getting sober again and park on the couch. I have always told her that if she wants to get drug free, she can come home to do so... but at this point, I am just not strong enough to do so any more. She has cost me too much. Two apartments, a car, and my health suffers when she is around because of the stress.
3. That my daughter with a child will "again" break up with her boyfriend and need a place to stay... but I'm going to leave that up to her dad!

I guess I'll cross those bridges when I get there!

I'll keep you all posted on my progress....

I feel like every time I get my head above ground, there's a giant hammer that comes and slams me back under again!

Oh, Step-Dad... no go. He won't help! I didn't think so!

Soooo.... I've got my appt. with Psyche coming up Thursday, excited about that! Finally may get some meds to help me through this!

Drug addicted daughter comes to me last week, says she really needs to talk. I'm all happy, maybe she's ready to get clean. What was I thinking? She just wants to unload some of her guilt. So any of you who know how Meth is used, know there are different ways of ingesting it.
Novice users snort it. It is manufactured in a powder form and they crush it up and sniff it up through a straw or whatever means they can find through the nose into their sinuses. Well, after a while, that gets to be icky.
Hard core users have a glass pipe they use. they put it into the end of the pipe and light it, and inhale the smoke into their lungs. Apparently this is a "better" high. It gets into the system faster and is more potent.
REALLY Hard core users shoot it intravenously! So, that is the stage my daughter is at! For some reason, she felt the need to share this with me.


So, I'm pretty overwhelmed by this information, and I go and talk to my other daughter, later in the day. I think this is something new, and a scary step she has taken. "Oh, Mom, are you kidding? She's been doing that for a while!" "She also sells herself to a few guys for drugs too!... she has a couple of REGULARS that she sees" "And she owes me and my boyfriend over $400.00.... oh, and the check she asked me to cash for her friend, it bounced!" "Mom, she is ripping people off everywhere she goes, and lots of people are after her... if she goes to jail, she's gonna get her *** kicked because even people in there are mad at her!"

Then on Sunday, I go out to the garage to get some paint brushes for my granddaughter to paint in some of her coloring books. I open a cabinet where my daughter kept her school supplies for college (she was studying to be an interior designer) and inside the cabinet, RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF MY FACE was a glass pipe!!!! One she used to smoke her meth!!!!! It may as well have been a snake to me! I screamed! I cried... I just wanted it to dissapear! It was such a vivid slap in the face! My beautiful, intelligent, articulate, daughter was now a junkie who was selling herself for drugs!

Oh... now on to "ME"... last week... I got written up at work! For being late... (not having a car and having to depend on public transportation). For not completing tasks on time. (Losing focus and not following through) and finally, bad attendance. (Too many doctors appointments and too many days spent sleeping all day and night avoiding reality!)

I am on a 45 day probation period.
Yippee. (that's sarcastic)

Wow, somebody wasn't kidding when they said it gets darkest before the dawn.... Where the hell is the dawn? This is the LONGEST night of my life!!!!!!!!!

SEVEN YEARS OF HELL!!!!! I'm wondering what mirror I broke. Who did I **** off? All this has happened since my mom shot herself. I can't break free of this. I have been praying, and praying!

I have been afraid to take medication for depression. I have been afraid to "give control" to anyone else. To let anyone help me.

Terri...I'm sorry for all the problems in your life. I think that sometimes we just have to step away from our loved ones and let
them learn the hard way from the choices they make. You need to
take care of YOU, as our David would say.

I wish you would give depression meds a try...they might help you more than you could imagin.

I'm glad you came back here..you aren't alone in this because this family cares about you.

It can be a long and very exhausting road to find the right medication but it truly does work... YOU have to make YOU worth it. Everyone who has written to you here is writing from their own personal experience ... and all of us wish (well, at least I certainly wish....) that we could wave a magic wand and make being a human being just a little bit easier.

We can't help that we were born with the depressive gene or whatever "it" is that makes us who we are today.

There are many differences between us, universally (different life circumstances - different health plans - different environments)... but for the most part, we are all simply humans battling the unknown inside our brains.

Seams, I applaud you for recognizing that you need help... it takes a ton of energy that will perhaps send you deeper into the pit before you climb out... but we really do know that that pit is indeed climbable (is that a word)... however, when I am in the deepest part, I tend to forget, too.

I am so sorry that your work place has put you in an even more dangerous position (mentally) by putting you on probation. I sincerely hope that you can get a doctor's note which will allow you time off (disability with pay) so that you can work through this. My medical plan (I'm in Canada) thankfully allowed me to work through the worst times in my life by taking up to a year off work.

The more you talk to people, the more you will find you are not alone. Being here and writing about it is a huge step towards wellness... many of us who come here know that as it has worked for us.

I love my medication and will never go off it again... it took MANY different tried to find the one that worked for me. I am so grateful that I had the patience and support of friends (here and in "real" life) and family.