Neuropathy

[Bilirubinthesidekick]

Jeremy, my S.O. has recently went back to the doctor to get his glucose levels checked to find out if he ACTUALLY has complications with diabetes After two years of being discouraged and making no moves as to trying to diagnose/help his situation, he has made his first step towards a brighter light by attending an appointment with a General Practitioner. They did do a 3 month blood glucose check (?) and they have concluded that he does not have any diabetic issues at this moment.

My Question is... does anyone here actually not know the cause of their Peripheral Neuropathy and does anyone know of any peripheral neuropathy specialists in the southeastern U.S.
... Unfortunately, Jeremy is located in an area where medical resources are severely minor if not depleted and its EXTREMELY HARD to find a physician that will take him seriously. (As if his inability to walk was not serious enough to motivate them.)

We have now resorted to a website (www.wrongdiagnosis.com, for those interested) to educate ourselves and have decided to go from 0 to 60 by creating a binder that will include our research and all of the characteristics specific to his health issue/family history. We feel that this will help up be more thorough when visiting the specialist and help with the anxiety that hinders his ability to ask questions when he is in the presence of a knowledgeable physician.

As for tonight, we are recovering from being slung violently back to step one. Definitely a hard hit... but not one that will stop me! (As for him... he's rehabilitating for the night on the couch watching "The Unbeatable Banzuke!" lol :0))

[Dayfydd]

It's interesting that the word, neuropathy, is underlined as a misspelled word even as I type it in this forum, given the fact that this is a health portal, and the word is found in most modern dictionaries; i.e., American Heritage Dictionary - neu·rop·a·thy (nŏŏ-rŏp'ə-thē, nyŏŏ-) Pronunciation Key n. pl. neu·rop·a·thies
"A disease or abnormality of the nervous system".
Neuropathy, like so many nerve conditions, is something that the medial community would like to know more about. Nerve irritation and discomfort can be triggered by a multitude of reasons, and sometimes by several factors present at the same time. There is no guarantee that your diagnosis will be 100% correct if made by a physician specializing in neurology or diabetes.
There have been major breakthroughs in the last several years in treating the pain associated with peripheral neuropathy though, and there's no reason for a physician not to prescribe new remedies in an effort to relieve your partner's distress.
Researchers have found partially by accident that many of the drugs designed and used to treat disorders such as depression can be of help to curb nerve pain, which has also brought more attention to regimens specifically for neuropathy itself.
Some of the many names that are discussed as being effective are Neurontin (Gabapentin), Cymbalta (Duloxetine Hcl) and Ultram (tramadol). These anti-depressant and/or pain relievers, and many others can be researched online under drugs to treat sensory and other manifestations of neuropathy. As always, effectiveness for your particular condition will vary based on the root causes and a very personal chemical balance. It is always suggested that you experiment using the guidance of a physician, and it may take a number of trials before you find the regimen that works best for you.
One of the most important factors when investigating treatment for neuropathy is the selection of a physician. Some will take the required time and effort to work with you through the often time-consuming process of formulating an effective drug therapy, and some will not; I advise you to continue looking until you find one that will. I recognize that this can often seem an overwhelming task for those of you who are locked into a government-care or managed health-care program (read restrictive), but it's your own health and future. It unfortunately takes courage, assertiveness and persistence to guarantee the best quality of health-care for you and your loved ones in the times we live in.
I sincerely hope that you find some relief for this particularly difficult to treat and painful condition in the very near future.

[Llove]

You asked "does anyone not know the cause of their neuropathy". I would
expect countless yes replies to that question. I certainly reply yes and many
authoritative medical references cite "ideopathic" as one designation. That
term is used often in medical writings and sounds so scientific when all it
means is "unknown cause". I have had many of the symptoms for several
years and have simply learned to live with my symptoms more out of
ignorance and the refusal of the doctors I have seen not paying much
attention to my complaints. I was recently tested by a neurologist on my
left leg and am awaiting results of the 'shocking' tests he performed.

[DKENEPP]

I live in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh area. Surrounded by all of the teaching hospitals and it took me 10 yrs to get a proper diagnosis of small fiber nueopathy. I went to a neurologist who took a skin biopsy, the only way to diagnos this type. All of the other tests are for large fiber or large nerve neuropathy..like the EMG test, etc. Which all came back good. Not all doctors know what they are doing, ask questions even before or at the time you make the appt. "Does the doctor test for both large and small fiber neuropathy? And treat for the pain?"

I take a high dose of Topamax, 150 mg, anti seizure med for nerve pain block, 50 mg Amitripyline, old anti depr, for nerve pain, Vicodan as needed, 800 mg Motrin as needed, 2 mg Requip for Restless Leg Syndrome and the muscle twitches, and 2 mg Klonepin at night to sleep, because I sleep walk. An 200 mg of Provigil twice a day to stay awake. Oh and of course now sleep apnea came along with the neuropathy too, so I have a bipap machine. And B-12 injections twice a month.

I am a lot of fun especially trying to get through security at the airport! So the key is I have one great neurologist for the sleep disorder and one for the neuropothy. Primary doctor is informed of what everyone does, but you have to almost go in with ideas too. Doctor is only as good as the clues you give them. I am not diabetic, but they always check and are shocked.

The Topamax takes a bit to get used to, makes you a bit cloudy, but I work full time and go to college full time and manage to get good grades. It can be done but it is hard.