Neuropathy treatments

I am currently on Neurotin for it. They might give me Lycria. B12and co-enzyme Q10 is supposed to help, but I did not notice a difference. The co-enzyme Q-10 is expensive. This is all I know about.

Hopefullt someone else knows more, good luck.

SOCAL and others, I have peripheral neuropathy in hands and feet from chemo, it was just your generic ACT, with the Taxol giving it to me.  But it's supposed to go away within a couple months.  Numbness really doesn't bother me much, I drop things more.  The swelling is more annoying.  I massage my hands and feet to perhaps keep the nerves "alive" since swelling locks them off, I presume.  Coolish water helps with discomfort.  Could be an online peripheral neuropathy organization might have some tips on drugs for it and so forth. 

MA I think you will like Lyrica, I have taken both Neurontin and Lyrica, and like L much better, I also take it for other nerve pain issues from a busted-up back.  I don't know if it helps or not, haven't paid attention, it's on board all the time so... post-chemo leg bone pain is driving me up a wall more than anything else, takes a lot of opiates to kill it, but it's not related to the ever-present neuropathy.  GG

I too thought it was caused by Taxotere (what isn't) - I've had my neuropathy for three years now and mostly it's out of my mind but there are days when it flares up and I get pretty ticked off - it can make walking fast difficult on those days - it affects my hands somewhat too and I do drop more things in the kitchen and of course the swelling is in my hands (I need all my rings re-sized but with gold at an all time high don't know when that's going to happen).  I tried neurontin - way too powerful a drug for me I slept for 20 hours, onc agreed not a good idea, then tried B-12 - nothing happened - I haven't tried anything else - I seem to metabolize drugs too well so I'm waiting to see if something comes on the market unless anyone has any more good ideas - I wish I'd been told before treatment - I sure would have rather had Taxol.

socalllisa, If your is getting worse and you are not on a Taxene, than go to your family doc. There are other causes of neuropathy like diabetics, etc.

208sandy, It is very frustrating when walking and the feet fail to move and you almost fall flat on your face.

Sorry to hear that socall lisa, that sucks.

NJ,

try going to the Lycria web site and see if they would help with the cost. Most drug companies will.

I have neuropathies from my MX and injuries. VA has case studies about elavil for nerve pain. You can start at really small doses and get pain meds with it, it has taken 8 months but my family doc and ONC think we have the right mix. I have been able to decrease my pain meds and take ibuprofen in between...my pain meds are down to twice a day from 6 times a day.

I take most of my meds at bedtime, docs are so afraid to order stronger meds, but sometimes one needs that to get relief and figure out what works. There are things that can be prescribed  to help the pain meds work better like a low dose sedative/ tranquilizer.