Neuropathic pain: I'm used to the pins and... - AMN EASIER

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Neuropathic pain

monkeybus profile image
15 Replies

I'm used to the pins and needles, the numbness, etc.

But this last week, my left toe feels like it is being pulled up, like I am wearing winklepickers, or extremely tight, uncomfortable socks.

Heat, like the toe is being slowly roasted, and all this is on a hefty dose of Lyrica.

What worries me most, is the left is my "good" leg. God help me.

Then again, I haven't worked since December, sat around the house. This may be a factor.

Shall we all describe our neuropathic pain?

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monkeybus
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15 Replies
monkeybus profile image
monkeybus

Here is me responding to my own thread.

Today I am fine. No pain at all.

What a disease.

leslieann226 profile image
leslieann226

My neuropathic pain started as itching. Massive maddening itching years ago on both feet. It progressed to the warm feeling you're describing and now I have severe burning in both feet each evening. It gets worse as the day goes on. I take 1200 of neurontin throughout the day.

I use all kinds of things to try to help. Ice, biofreeze spray, peppermint oil. Anything that is cooling and stronger than burning. It kind of overrides that burning sensation in the brains pain receptors. Hth

monkeybus profile image
monkeybus in reply to leslieann226

Yes leslieann226 , my right foot is itching right now.

More of a deep, pins-and-needles than an itch. Yesterday's burning is a thing of the past (until next time).

I take far more Neurontin. I've posted before, I take it to stop the spasms.

Do you get the spasms, @leslieann226?

Aaron98 profile image
Aaron98

I have had neuropathic pain in my feet and lower legs for years. It has slowly gotten worse over time, and there are good days and bad days. Some days it is just a mild "electric" pain, and others it feels like someone is peeling the skin off my feet with a knife, or pounding a spike through the top of my foot. I occasionally have radiating pain in my thighs or groin, as well, but fortunately not too often.

My new neurologist prescribed amitriptyline to help with neuropathic pain. I am currently taking 30 mg in the evenings, and have been taking it for a little over three weeks. I'm not sure that it is really helping yet, but the doctor said it could take 4-6 weeks for it to be effective. Another neurologist had told me that any medication would only reduce neuropathic pain by about half, so I have pretty much come to accept that some pain will simply be a daily reality.

Leonie profile image
Leonie in reply to Aaron98

Lyrica 150mg x2 perday

And Duloxetine 30mg once a day if this helps.

It works well for me. Makes it bearable.

SongStream profile image
SongStream in reply to Aaron98

"It feels like someone is peeling the skin off my feet with a knife."

What a brilliant description!

Aaron98 profile image
Aaron98 in reply to SongStream

I'm sure you know exactly what I'm describing, Steve. Keep fighting the pain!

julie_ profile image
julie_

The worst pain I have currently is in the soles of my feet. I recall a vacation I took with friends about 8 years ago. There was a public park where you can take off your shoes and enjoy walking on different surfaces such as grass, sand, small smooth pebbles, etc. Well, I could not walk on any of these surfaces without flinching! I did not experience pain per se, but I did not enjoy this at all. This was before I was diagnosed so I had no clue what was happening. A few years before this, I could not walk on sand under the blazing sun - ouch!

monkeybus - I found the article that accompanies the photo you posted. In the article, it also discusses internal neuropathy which includes excessive sweating. While I don't have excessive sweating when I workout at the gym, I did notice that my feet sweat excessively. I always wondered how women could wear closed shoes with bare feet!

leslieann226 profile image
leslieann226 in reply to julie_

Julie, thank you for posting this. I've never heard of internal (autonomic) neuropathy. I sweat profusely any time I try to do anything. Trying to just stand upright is actually worse than trying to walk. I have thought this was an adrenal symptom all this time. I will talk with my doctor about this.

Again, thank you!

Leslie

julie_ profile image
julie_ in reply to leslieann226

Hi Leslieann, I'm glad this was useful!

Leonie profile image
Leonie

49 year old carrier.....

I take Lyrica 150mg x2 per day

And Duloxetine 30mg once a day if this helps.

It works well for me. Makes it bearable.

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monkeybus profile image
monkeybus

I didn't know about Duloxetine.

Just looked it up. Looks like it is prescribed for all sorts. What interests me is how it is supposed to help with fatigue.

"A review of duloxetine found that it reduced pain and fatigue, and improved physical and mental performance compared to placebo"

i am tempted to ask my neurologist for some, then again I am taking far too many drugs as it is.

Anyone else take duloxetine?

Aaron98 profile image
Aaron98

As I mentioned above, I've been taking amitriptyline for a few weeks. I haven't found it to reduce neuropathic pain significantly yet. I have also had some bad dry mouth since starting this medication. It's manageable, but I'm wondering if it is going to go away in time. Has anyone experienced this with amitriptyline? I may ask my neurologist about going on duloxetine (Cymbalta) instead, when I see him in May.

Vanliz profile image
Vanliz in reply to Aaron98

Hi, my husband was on this on a staged increase in dosage. He got up to 70mg and disaster struck. He went off his feet overnight. Lost all muscle tone. Incontinent overnight as he was in such a stupor and such aggressive spams in his legs. It's taken such a long time to recover and only after reducing right down. Levelling out on 30mg but still dry mouth and a bit wobbly on his legs.

monkeybus profile image
monkeybus

Amitriptyline, I tried it for fatigue. Took at bedtime, in the morning the state of my head. Felt like my brain was liquid, sloshing about inside my head.

That was that. Wasn't prepared to continue, back to Modafinil.

I found SSRI's highly stimulating, and good for pain/spasms.

You cannot overdose on a lot of what they prescribe nowadaya, Lyrica/Benzo's/Prozac.

But those tri-cyclic antidepressants, you can on them. Rarely prescribed for depression nowadays.

My friend takes Amitryptyline for insomnia (when he can get it).

There has to be better painkillers for us, you'd hope so, at any rate.

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