Advice needed

[cold ethyl]

Eddie, I haven't read all of the thread but have you considered the possibility of something like fibromyalgia? I have had this for years and it gives numbness and tingling in extremities and all over at times. In 2000 my right leg was so bad I was dragging it like I had MS - saw a chiropractor which helped enormously. Now I get the odd week of tingling in feet and back pain and some hand pain if I do repetitive jobs. B12 supplements are good for it as well. Some people also take a low dose of the anti depressant amitryptaline as this has some therapeutic benefit. Worth mentioning to GP.

 

[seaspray1998]

Sign up to the American Neuropathy Association, they will send you regular emails full of info (all free whereas the uk one is very small, does nothing like they do and you have to pay to join) and they hold live webinars on their facebook page - there's one about now to an hr, where you can ask q.s live from people experienced in neuropathy.

 

[seaspray1998]

It's about the latest research

 

[seaspray1998]

http://www.neuropathy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8725&news_iv_ctrl=1101

 

[seaspray1998]

Free info leaflet on peripheral neuropathy you can download

 

[seaspray1998]

Please fire yr present GP! And as for the so called private neurologist, especially what his collegue said to you, should be given a good slap!

Shocking!

 

[seaspray1998]

 

[seaspray1998]

Do any vitamin therapies help with neuropathy? “ Do any vitamin therapies help with neuropathy?” Eddie J. Dr. Shanna Patterson: Eddie, This is a popular question. Certain types of neuropathy can be caused by vitamin deficiencies, such as vitamin: B12, B1, or B6. Also, vitamin B6 toxicity can cause neuropathy (taking a lot of vitamins isn't always a safe idea!). As part of an idiopathic neuropathy work-up vitamin levels can be checked (in the blood). If the vitamin level is low (or high for B6) then vitamin-targeted treatment can be the cure. However, there are many vitamin products marketed to help neuropathy, and some are expensive. In my opinion these might not be helpful, or worth spending a lot of money on, unless your neuropathy is specifically related to disorders of vitamin deficiency or excess. There is a lot of ongoing research related to this topic, but so far there is no clear medical evidence to support that taking certain vitamins, if you are not deficient in them, will be beneficial.

 

[Adelle0607]

I've had pins and needles since last year in my hands and feet and most of the doctors aren't concerned about it anyhow because it occurs often enough in people so was just given the usual b12 supplements because there is "nothing much they can do about it". It happened right after working too hard, took a lot of business projects and was very happy career-wise but wasn't sleeping well, doing erratic hours and thought I was "invincible" and my body can cope---but didn't.

Another medication they prescribed was gabapentin but wasn't too keen in taking it the fact if it's only going to treat the symptom not the cause. So I ignored it and learned to live with it.

They did the conduction tests last year, cranial MRI with contrast, electrolytes and came out normal. One thing I was sure of was that "I wasn't diabetic" because I tested okay a few months back and didn't have a test for it till 4 months after. That one test I should have taken, lol.

I asked around, and a few people had experienced this. One friend had it worst couldn't walk for a while and another one couldn't lift his arm or write. (They didn't know each other btw) They both took b12 supplements and a banana for a year. But it took months before they saw any difference and a year for it to go away. And they're all good now and they eat more healthy food too. I can't vouch for their experience but that's what they did and worked for them.


Now I'm eating nuts, and noticed once I started including it with my diet, it seems to resolve it as well. It's better now though not as bad as before especially now that I'm eating more healthy choices. Or maybe it's because my sugars are okay too? But I still have it on and off although not as bad as it was...And I cut back on stress, I don't work crazy hours anymore, spend more time with my husband and friends---I've cut back on work not worth it.

 

[semiphonic]

And I cut back on stress, I don't work crazy hours anymore, spend more time with my husband and friends---I've cut back on work not worth it.

The one thing, apart from diet that I've changed, is this! Had an operation on my knee (not diabetes related) in May, ordinarily I'd have been at work on crutches, but decided not to go to work and let the doctor sign me off. I'm still not back yet and have been signed off now until the end of August, and I'm thinking about stretching it into September! I've never felt so relaxed! My boss phones me every week but seems almost submissive when he speaks to me.....

 

[seaspray1998]

Sighing - and I repeat if for instance you have a neurological disorder such as small fiber neuropathy which is a subset of peripheral neuropathy - the usual tests such as MRI, CT scan, nerve conduction test, will ALL come up as NOTHING.

ONLY if you take the skin punch biopsy test do you have a chance of it being diagnosed

 

[seaspray1998]

Even then it can come up as inconclusive, as we are talking about microns of tiny tiny small nerve fibers which are intertwined with the large nerve fibers in the WHOLE of the body, so it's incredibly difficult to diagnose - BUT it also has to depend on the skill, knowlege and experience of the doctor to know what to look for in the first place.

 

[seaspray1998]

This is exactly what happened to me - even the neurologist treated me like 'it ws all in my head' - it took me over another year of fighting with my GP (who has no clue about neurological disorders, didnt know for eg that you can inherit one - and didnt even think I needed a conclusive diagnosis!) to get referred to see a small fibre neuropathy neurologist, where I had the thermal test done - you get judged by how you react to hot or cold stimuli and also again the skin punch test done.

THIS time I proved that I had nerve damage, and I was right along

 

[seaspray1998]

Yes stress can make yr body mimic one of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy of pins and needles - which is why GP's who are ignorant of neurological disorders, immediately jump to and then refuse to take anything else into consideration.

The causes of peripheral neuropathy are as varied as the myriad of neurological disorders that exist, one of them being lacking in vitamin B.

 

[seaspray1998]

In Eddies case he has had chemo for his cancer, and it is well known in some people to unfortunately cause peripheral neuropathy afterwards.

His blood sugar levels are already in the pre diabetic range (again doctors who are poorly trained will tell you that everything is normal) while in actual fact it means that yr body is in the throes of suffering a metabolic imbalance

 

[seaspray1998]

It would be advisable to take an oral glucose blood test

 

[Adelle0607]

The one thing, apart from diet that I've changed, is this! Had an operation on my knee (not diabetes related) in May, ordinarily I'd have been at work on crutches, but decided not to go to work and let the doctor sign me off. I'm still not back yet and have been signed off now until the end of August, and I'm thinking about stretching it into September! I've never felt so relaxed! My boss phones me every week but seems almost submissive when he speaks to me.....

@semiphonic yes it's good isn't it? Might as well stretch your holiday till Sept lol x (your boss might hate me for saying that haha!)

 

[seaspray1998]

You dont have to be fully diabetic to sustain neurological damage

 

[Adelle0607]

Yes stress can make yr body mimic one of the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy of pins and needles - which is why GP's who are ignorant of neurological disorders, immediately jump to and then refuse to take anything else into consideration.

The causes of peripheral neuropathy are as varied as the myriad of neurological disorders that exist, one of them being lacking in vitamin B.

Hi @seaspray1998 yes I've had it for a year now, there was a time when it went away and then goes back again...feels like 'moving sand' especially if I move my hands (flap)

 

[seaspray1998]

Also Eddie is suffering not just pin prick sensations, but also burning and numbness in his feet.

Peripheral neuropathy ofton starts out in the feet