Peripheral Neuropathy

[foxglove]

Hi , I have peripheral neuropathy in my lower legs and feet. I am taking pregabalin 50mg twice daily which helps...a bit. My main concern is the pain in my feet (soles) I feel I am walking on a pebbly beach all the time, or crushed egg shells . Anyone know how I can get relief? I have been attending hospital podiatry but they are not doing routine apps. meantime. Do you think it is worth seeing a normal podiatrist privately?

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer]

🤔 If you’ve noticed you definitely get relief from Physiotherapy it could be worth it, but given the current situation, it could be just as difficult to get an appointment. If you do decide to go this route, check that the Physiotherapist is familiar with your condition.

Capsaicin cream

If your pain is confined to a particular area of your body, you may benefit from using capsaicin cream.

Capsaicin is the substance that makes chilli peppers hot and is thought to work in neuropathic pain by stopping the nerves sending pain messages to the brain.

Rub a pea-sized amount of capsaicin cream on the painful area of skin 3 or 4 times a day.

Side effects of capsaicin cream can include skin irritation and a burning sensation in the treated area at the start of treatment.

Do not use capsaicin cream on broken or inflamed skin, and always wash your hands after applying it.

Tramadol

Tramadol is a powerful painkiller related to morphine that can be used to treat neuropathic pain that does not respond to other treatments your GP can prescribe.

Like all opioids, tramadol can be addictive if it's taken for a long time. It'll usually only be prescribed for a short time.

Tramadol can be useful to take at times when your pain is worse.

Common side effects of tramadol include:

feeling sick or vomiting

dizziness

constipation

As peripheral neuropathy can be a very painful and troublesome problem that may only partly be relieved by standard treatments, you may be tempted to try other therapies.

These may include:

acupuncture

herbal medicine

benfotiamine (a form of vitamin B1) supplements

alpha-lipoic acid (an antioxidant) supplements

But while some people may find these helpful, the evidence for them is not always clear.

Speak to your doctor before trying these treatments in case they could interfere with your ongoing treatment.

Copied from nhs.uk

[foxglove in reply to wobblybee]

Thanks for long considerate reply. It was private PODIATRY I was thinking about. Physio. no use, only suggested stronger pain relief. I would be willing to try tramadol but problem at present is even getting a phone appt. with GP.

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer in reply to foxglove]

🙈 Apologies..I did intend to refer to podiatry. The info given was for Neuropathic Pain.

[foxglove in reply to wobblybee]

No problems!

[wobblybee Administrator Pioneer in reply to foxglove]

🤔 Just something else I came across..

In my experience, the two most common drugs I have seen podiatrists prescribe for painful neuropathy are pregabalin and gabapentin. Pregabalin dosage begins as 75 mg twice a day for three to seven days.4 Sep 2015

podiatrytoday.com › cu...

[foxglove in reply to wobblybee]

Thanks for the trouble you've taken to help. I am on 50mg pregabalin twice daily, did go up to 100 mg twice daily but did nothing but sleep all day and it increased another problem I had. I am sorry I ever started pregabalin as it is not a pain killer - just sort of tells your brain to relax and forget. I have tried several times to get of this drug but just can't I think it is a very tricky drug!!!

[Freedom57 in reply to foxglove]

Hi Foxglove

I have Neuropathy & used to take Gabapentin then took Duloxetine

Have been off meds for a year now

Do you get any relief from exercise

My pain changes every day & its difficult for me to stay calm, my anxiety is really high even tho I’m taking Prozac

[foxglove in reply to Freedom57]

Hi, exercise helps but not when I'm really in pain! - makes it worse. I was advised by a physio to try duloxetine but I'm reluctant to set myself up for another disappointment How did you find duloxetine? and how did you manage to get of meds.? Know the feeling about being difficult to stay calm!