Okay I give up --- well sort of

I do have neuropathy in my feet, and I am taking a med for it. That’s fine, don’t mind that part…the pain is much better.

However, today, my foot feels like someone dropped a brick on it. Just the outside of the foot, much too painful to walk on. I have arthritis in all my joints, so can’t tell if it’s the neuro or arth. But it hurts like “H”. I give up…on what? The pain. I think everything I do has pain involved at one level or another. I am having a very difficult time dealing with this.

Anyone have ideas, how to make this foot quit hurting?

I wouldn’t say “is it the arthritis or the neuropathy” as it may very well be both? Medical marijuana is supposed to help both of those a lot but it’s not legal everywhere and all the news interviews I’ve seen with the “pharmacists” make me wonder a bit. Still, if you’ve tried the standard litany of treatments and they’re not working, it might be worth looking into?

I know in my State they have to have some compelling research to add medical marijuana as a treatment option for any particaluar malady. So I guess what I am saying is they actually have to go through a medical review board and don’t rely upon the word of these “pharmacists” that are quite obviously enjoying the product themselves (I live in Washington State).

Unfortunately there are no “good” options for pain (at least in my view). Narcotics seem to be one of the best options as far as relieving pain but are usually associated with quite a bit of social stigma and can often be difficult to get Doc’s to agree to prescribe. That is not to mention all the side effects and your personal ability to tolerate them.

Not much help I know but I hope you feel better soon!

I think that it has been shown to effictively treat neuropathy though? All the “pharmacists” interviewed are always like “I am stressed out and have anxiety” which sort of makes me want to club them over the head like a harp seal but I think neuropathy is a very unpleasant condition that should be made more readily available to people with situations like the OP?

Indeed, I ?think? neuropathy may be one of the approved conditions. There are a lot of conditions that people swear that marijuana helps with but since it is illegal no one wants to do the research on it so it is not approved for those conditions. Unfortunately these people like the “pharmacists” tend to ruin it for the people who may actually benefit, like the OP, by obviously abusing a system that was never intended to help them. I think the same can be said of narcotics. Don’t get me wrong these meds are not something to take lightly but more attention is paid to them than I think there are people who abuse them (people who get it for medical purposes anyway).

I take R-ALA, evening primrose oil, and benfotiamin ( a fat soluble form of vitamin B1) and they have helped my neuropathy. The R-ALA and benfotiamin have been studied in Europe and both are used for neuropathy there. Getting better control of my blood glucose also undoubtedly helped too. Here’s a recent discussion about this. Here’s another link that references a study that says it may take 2 - 3 years for your nerves to heal, and explains what is going on that causes the condition.



As regards medical marijuana, all there is is anecdotal evidence, because the government is terrified that actual scientific evidence proving its efficacy will cause even more agitation for legalization. Advocates contend that it is not a pain killer per se but instead makes the pain easier to tolerate, no small thing if you’re the one in pain. The issue is really a political one and not a medical one and goes back to the extreme polarization on this and many other issues during the 60’s. Both sides have dug in their heals and a resolution of this question, based on science, is impossible at present.


Cathy, have you been tested to see if you have Charcot foot? That is a very real possibility since you have neuropathy.



Also, if your current rx for neuropathy is not working as well as you think it should, please don’t hesitate to try something else. When I was first dx’d with neuropathy, I was rx’d neurontin. That med didn’t do much for me at all. When I was switched to Cymbalta, the pain in my feet left.



I know that pain in the feet can be a real pain elsewhere, so I hope you find relief soon. Best of luck!

I know someone who uses marijuana for chronic pain. She has a few hits at night, and is able to sleep through without being wakened by pain. She has told all her docs (physiatrist, endo, pcp, etc.) and all totally approve and want to know why she doesn’t do it every night. The only concern came from the physiatriast, concern about smoke in her lungs. Way better than rx narcotics or benzos IMHO

My feet used to tingle, feel numb, hurt, and burn all at the same time 24/7. They’d swell up and get red too. Then I brought my bgs down and took ALA and B12 regularly. Now I generally only notice them if I walk alot which seems normal but they do put up a fuss every time I drop off the low carb bandwagon for even one meal. High bgs are very inflammatory and I’d be surprised if they didn’t cause flares in diseases susceptible to flaring like arthritis, lupus, etc. I don’t know how your bgs are atm but if they’re high bringing them down could surprise you, especially in conjunction with ALA and B12. Your life and health may not be as simple as mine. Hoping you find your answers in any case.

Well, if symptoms are the same, you hit the nail with the hammer. They were okay during the night, laying down of course, but not really sleeping…What is ALA? My bgs are between 130 and 100…and my doc is pleased, but if this is going to bring on this kind of pain, forget I will need to do something else. I did walk more than usual yesterday when this started, and it was to the point that if they removed my foot I would have been happy… I started having some neuropathy problems about 6 months ago and she put me on a med for it, three a day, and that upset my stomach, so she went down to One per day…at night…but maybe we are to that point where three is what I do, and take it as I did the met with meals. If it weren’t for the arthritis etc, this would be easy, but all the things I seem to get are very painful…NUTS.

I would, but here, the acupuncturist costs $225 per session…and insurance won’t pay for it, nor will medicaid…so that’s out. I can’t afford this guy. I’ve had great luck and success with massage therapy for my back many years ago…but I think if I had someone touch my foot right now, they’d get a big kick. Thanks for the idea…

I’m definitely NOT afraid to ask for something different if this isn’t working, but we did down the dose because of stiomach upset, maybe I need to go up to the original dose. I’ve never heard of Charcot foot…will have to look that one up. And you are entirely right it is a pain some place else right now.

ALA is alpha lipoic acid, a nonprescription (in the US) nutritional supplement widely prescribed in Germany for diabetic neuropathy.



15 studies find ALA effective for diabetic neuropathy



A year ago I could walk a few blocks at best with a cane then came home to sleep for hours due to pain and exhaustion. Now I often walk five miles thanks to diet, exercise, low bgs, ALA, and B12. I can’t say what will or won’t work for you with certainty but I can say every bit of exercise you do, however small, gets you closer to the goal. I don’t know if it’s available but many people with feet or knee problems find swimming to be a low impact way to get exercise with less pain instead of more. Best wishes whatever you do. Bless you for your efforts, you’re worth it.

I’ve wondered about an aspect of neuropathy that I find puzzling. At my support groups, when a participant asks what can be done about it, the CDE usually says something like, “The best way to treat neuropathy is to control your blood sugar.” Well, that sounds logical & simple but it doesn’t explain why some diabetics with higher A1c’s don’t have neuropathy & some with lower A1c’s do.

I happen to come across a book written by Suzy Cohen, RPh (pharmacist). There is a section on neuropathy. She explains that some people develop neuropathy due to a lack of B6 & especially B12. A B12 deficiency causes loss of the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells & that leads to neuropathy. Most oral diabetes medications (including Metformin) cause a B12 deficiency which makes the symptoms of neuropathy worse. In addition, there are many other medications that cause the same problem – including antibiotics & hormone replacement drugs.

She explains that if you take oral diabetes medications you should take a B12 supplement & the best form of B12 is “methylcobalamin.” It is the most active form of B12 & makes its way into the brain and nervous system, so it helps specifically with nerve pain. She recommends avoiding “cyanocobalamin” which is the synthetic form of B12 which is very difficult to absorb.

Another supplement – “Acetyl L-Carnitine” has been shown to have powerful effects in relieving neuropathy associated with diabetes. It has been available in other countries by prescription but it is available over-the-counter at health food stores. It works so well that drug companies here are involved in “phase II testing.”

Hope this helps.

I had a drug rep drop a bunch of these off for free. Check you endo’s office- they may have the mirror’s.

Do not walk on it! Have it checked for Charcot, which is something neuropathy can cause. The veins in your foot do not get a signal to constrict, they stay wide open and wash the calcium from your bones. The bones get soft and, in this state, walking can cause your foot to become severely deformed. Is the foot swollen and warmer to the touch than the other foot? By all means make sure you see someone who knows what Charcot is. My podiatrist did, but my cousin’s did not. She was told she had a bunion, wasn’t treated until it was too late, and her foot is a mess.

Thank you for this information. I have severe neuropathy with low A1C (4.9-5.3).

This is the type of thing that really ticks me off! At my support groups & classes, CDE’s are trained to give the same answer when someone asks what can be done about their neuropathy: “Control your blood sugar” which implies the diabetic is to blame for their neuropathy by not controlling their blood sugar… I’ve heard that many doctors give the same answer. Rather than the tactic “When all else fails, just blame the patient,” I wish they would just be honest & say, “We don’t know what’s causing your neuropathy.”

GUESS WHAT??? This wasn’t just neuropathy, it was GOUT! And it’s worse than child birth with a migrane! I got the meds for it, and even today, it feels 100% better, not perfect, but better. Thank God. My only wish is that I would have hit the doc’s before when I should have gone… I got the meds, a stern talking to about my bgs…and getting back to the pool.
Serious stuff.