Neuropathic Pain spikes

Quinkes said:

Could anyone explain to me why my Neuropathic pain sometimes is dreadful and the rest of the time bearable? I take Gabapentin 900mg twice a day and 1200mg at night, but like today, it feels like it is not working and the stabbing and burning is making me feel like a cat on a hot tin roof! Any thoughts fellow forum folk... :eh:

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Sorry I'm a beginner at this lark but how do you know it's neuropathic pain?
I too am on gabapentin for spinal arthritis but it's getting to the point it it'nt working and opiates don't do anything at all other than make me very constipated and wreck my appetite.
I suffer a lot of pain and would like to know if theres any pointers for it being neuropathic too.
I'm type two.

Dietary supplements

Two dietary supplements display clinical evidence that shows they are effective treatments for diabetic neuropathy: alpha lipoic acid and benfotiamine.[44]

A 2007 review of studies found that injected (parenteral) administration of alpha lipoic acid (ALA) was found to reduce the various symptoms of peripheral diabetic neuropathy.[45] While some studies on orally administered ALA had suggested a reduction in both the positive symptoms of diabetic neuropathy (including stabbing and burning pain) as well as neuropathic deficits (paresthesia),[46] the metanalysis showed "more conflicting data whether it improves sensory symptoms or just neuropathic deficits alone".[45] There is some limited evidence that ALA is also helpful in some other non-diabetic neuropathies.[47]

Benfotiamine is a lipid-soluble form of thiamine that has several placebo-controlled double-blind trials proving efficacy in treating neuropathy and various other diabetic comorbidities.[48][49]

Any good? ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuropathic_pain

Quinkes said:

Wow, thank you, I will certainly look into that. I never really thought about trying supplements :think:

I am so sorry to hear about your pain Jake, it is just so exhausting isn't? No mine pretty much all about the nerve endings! I also have gastroparesis and other nerve problems, so we are fairly certain that Neuropathy is the cause. Do you have a pain clinic you could be referred to? I am considering it myself...
No I just, wondered why some days it is worse than others.

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I went to the pain clinic a couple of years ago and was there three hours ... four including waiting time.
First I saw a psychiatrist ... then a physio then a doctor.
The psycho apparently was to evaluate my attitude to pain and life changes ... he decided after an hour that I was strong enough mentally to deal with whatever life throws at me. Didn't make much sense to me.
I was supposed to have six appointments with the doc over a couple of months. On the fifth one I was to poorly to go so my wife phoned and arranged another date. Then I was to poorly for that one and she phoned to explain ... no more appointments allowed because they were to busy to be messed about by people who didn't show up!
I'm thinking this is supposed to be about me not being well but nope it's about them and their appointment books. I couldn't do anymore than inform them I was wasn't well enough to attend.
I wasn't impressed at all and got nothing whatsoever from it I'm afraid.