Neuropathy?

[hyphenate]

I found a potential treatment for the diabetic neuropathy in my legs, though it's certainly not a cure-all regardless, but something that helps the burning sensation as well as the sensitivity to touch in general: Solarcaine. The lidocaine in the Solarcaine helps to numb the pain and the burning sensation which can be very wearying.

I bought some Capsaicin creme as well, which is supposed to be another possible treatment--does anyone have experience with that? I'd be grateful to know more about it as I'm hesitant to try it, since I've had bad reactions to capsaicin patches in the past. (Itch and burning)

[Warpy]

1. Capsaicin cream will always burn a bit

because that's how it works, by causing all those pain neurons to fire in a controlled manner and use up their substance P on something besides neuropathy or arthritis or whatever.

My pain is very deep pain, so I can't say it did much for me. It did wake me up one morning when I staggered home from a 12 hour night shift and picked up that tube instead of the toothpaste...

I'm not surprised topicals like Solarcaine work. I'm just surprised nobody else thought of it a long time ago. Just read the labels, folks, and it's certainly worth a try.

[hyphenate]

2. Yikes!

That would be very painful, I imagine? All the mucous membranes? Sort of like a super dose of the red hot chili peppers that capsaicin is derived from? And since it's an oil, water probably didn't have any effect or made it worse? Ouch!

I also have that damned stabbing pain in my legs and it really drags me down. I got used to the muscle pain from arthritis and fibro, and mobic has helped to tame that, but the nerve pain is so different! It strikes out of nowhere and for the most part it's so unpredictable as where on my legs it hurts.

Regardless, it adds to the depression, and that's pretty much par for the course. Nothing new there, I guess. :)

[truedelphi]

4. My husband did Lyrica for a while. It's a medication

That has only been out for the public for about eighteen months.

The upside was that he got his old sleep patterns back. In the weeks before he went on it, he almost never could sleep from the pain. And once on it, he lived a pain free life.

The downside was that it increased his weight, and made him lack motivation. But those effects took about three or four months to set in.

He gave up the Lyrica after about nine months on it. During that time he was on it, he cleared up his eating habits. Now he is off of it totally and no longer has any neuropathies (Knocking on wood)

[flamingyouth]

3. I remember that stuff from my childhood.

It helped many a sunburn!

Glad you've found some relief.

[Lurking Dem]

5. Capsaicin

I used the original creams with some success.

"Back in the day" you used to have the ask the pharmacist for it and they would compound it there. They loved you for it as they rarely got an opportunity to do such things. :)

It is HOT. Do NOT get it on your hands and then touch anyone or anything. Use an applicator or wear gloves.

I would run around with no socks or shoes (run being a relative term at that point in my life) but if I had to put socks on the heat would intensify greatly.

The thing is, if you use it religiously, say 3 times a day, for several weeks, then you don't have to use it anymore. I went from 3 times a day to once a day in a month or 6 weeks. Then was able to stop altogether for quite a few months.

NO systemic side effects like taking pills was another huge plus.

I had 3 types of neuropathy pain and they really have to be treated differently. But for the surface kind of electrical pain, capsaicin worked wonderfully.