Alternative treatment for Neuropathic pain

Posted , 7 users are following.

I have been taking pregabalin for nerve pain for a couple of years now. I have also taken Gaberpentin and Amitriptyline in the past. All these drugs have caused weight gain and Amitriptyline caused nightmares. I am not happy about weight gain especially as i don't eat so called junk food, i try to eat a varied healthy diet and an occasional treat. I accept that i am not very active due to having had both knees replaced and supporting rods in one leg. I do walk everyday to get out the house. I am 63 but had my first knee replacement at 39 and a revision done at 52, my other knee was a partial knee replacement at 60. My Neuropathic pain started a few years ago, i guess because of all the surgeries i have had. Can anybody give any advice on alternative medicines or treatments, i struggle to sleep as my legs feel like severe sunburn and prickling sensations, pins and needles. i cannot bear clothes touching my skin and i am worst at night. Any advice would be helpful, thou i accept what works for one doesn't always work for others, but willing to try anything.

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Your best bet is to take nothing for your neuropathic pain because the medcines often make things far worse. My doctor would not accept my fears about these side effects and tried to tell me that they didn't exist. He was completely useless on this. I told him point blank that I didn't want these drugs and I manage my neuropathic pain with heat treatment. Hot Italian summers work wonders for my symptoms; cold weather sets them off again. There is no real, effective medication for neuralgia and no cure either.While the pain, tingling and numbness are annoying, considering a nurse in my surgery caused one of them and got promoted to Practice Nurse, I have learned to live with it which can be done. However, I will always wonder how any one can be rewarded for failure.

  • Posted

    Hi Pippa thank you for your reply. I am not in a position to travel to a hot Country and i really don't like the heat. I have looked at trying Vitamin B supplements, these are supposed to help with the nervous system. I understand there is no cure for Neuropathic pain.

    I am sorry that your suffering also and that the Doctors and medical profession don't seem to have any understanding of what we go through everyday.

    My friend had ultra sound on her feet which caused Neuropathic pain and can barely walk now because of a medical person giving treatment for Planta Fascia.

    Knowing we can support one another on this forum is good to know.

    • Posted

      I hesitate to take any medication because I react to so many things and the medical injury put me off getting any bump or bang examined so I just have to hope that they heal on their own . Unfortunately, old injuries have not cleared up and I just have to put up with them. I have had plantar fasciiitis several times because of being heavily footed due to having flat feet. Each time it has got better on its own. I have a back injury and an injury to my elbow which turned neuropathic six months after I thought it had healed.

      I am Scottish and the climate is very cold and wet all year round and we don't really get a proper summer which played havoc with my bones and joints. I now live on the South Coast of England which is milder and hotter which helps a little but because it is still variable, it takes tremendous heat over a period of months in Italy to silence the neuropathy. Such a pity that there isn't a treatment that suits everyone without side effects.

    • Posted

      Hi Pippa,

      I see now why you go to Italy to a warmer climate. I agree the cold and especially damp weather isn't helpful with our types of pain. I think we have to find what suits each of us individually and find our coping strategies.

    • Posted

      We are probably better at finding coping techniques for our pain than our doctors?

  • Posted

    I to have a lot of neuropathy pain in my feet and toes !

    I've had 7 back surgeries and the 7th one did away with most of the back pain !

    About 10 years from my lst back surgery, I started this pain in my feet and toes !

    I took all the meds that you have without and pain relief !!!!

    About 2 months ago,I went a neurologist ,that is a specialist in neuropathy pain !!

    He 1st took a lot of blood samples and he checked me over really good and then he told me that I might not have neuropathy pain !??

    He did prescribe a drug named HORIZANT and it has helped a lot !!

    My next visit , the doctor is going to give a EMG and that hurts terribly bad !

    That's about it for now !

    Donald

  • Posted

    Hi Donald, Sometimes i wonder isn't it enough to suffer from one thing, in my case Osteo Arthritis without all the other unexplained pain, Neuropathic.

    I hope your new drug works. I haven't heard of that one. I don't know what a EMG is?

    Hoping you get some relief whatever the cause, nothing worse than being in pain all the time.

    Best of luck.

    • Posted

      I also have arthritis and I also live in pain every day !

      I try to keep active but it's a struggle all the time !

      I would suggest that you see a Neurologist and see if he can give you a prescription of Horizant !

    • Posted

      Do you get side effects from this drug? I read that the side effects are very similar to other nerve medications.

    • Posted

      Thanks Donald i will look into that drug Horizant. Thou it's virtually impossible to get an appointment to see the Gp for a referral!!

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