Most of us realize that doctors often can’t pinpoint a clear origin for neuropathy; they usually say it’s hard to determine. Since there’s frequently no obvious explanation, what do you personally think caused yours?
I’m leaning toward my inactive lifestyle being the culprit. I think my leg muscles weakened so much over time that it started impacting the nerves.
I have a feeling mine came from Covid. Every other known possibility has been tested and dismissed.
For me, it’s the usual suspect—diabetes!
Mine is also a common one: chemotherapy.
It’s a mix of Type 2 diabetes and my genes. I’m pretty sure my dad, who also had Type 2, had neuropathy while he was alive but kept it a secret from us, especially since my specific type (cachectic) is typically found in men, yet here I am as a woman dealing with it. He had these habits, like needing a small heater for his feet even in the 100-degree Texas heat, and he lost a lot of weight suddenly after his diagnosis. Since he passed away before I got sick, I can’t ask him, but I really advise everyone to talk to their parents about family medical history right now. My condition throws a new curveball every year—like orthostatic hypotension last year, which I had to find out about on Google because my doctors didn’t mention it was a long-term side effect. Knowing what’s coming is the only way to get some peace of mind.
My symptoms began right after I started taking Flagyl.
Lidocaine is giving me some relief right now. I’ve noticed that during the day, gravity probably helps the blood reach my feet, but as soon as I lie down, the circulation drops and the pain kicks in within minutes.
Two decades of heavy drinking.
It could be from thyroid cancer, or maybe taking Cipro. Perhaps just bad luck. My B12 was also on the low end of normal before I started supplementing. I’ll probably never be certain.
Drinking a liter of vodka daily for five years is almost certainly why I’m in this position. There’s a bit of comfort in knowing the cause, though, because I can’t imagine the stress of not knowing. The good news is I’ve been sober for nearly five years now; it was a choice between walking or the bottle. It wasn’t easy and I stumbled plenty, but I’m still mobile. Cutting out salt, sugar, caffeine, and nicotine was the real game-changer for me. Salt especially would cause terrible pain a few hours later, ruining my sleep. I even tried a two-week fast and was shocked at how much better I felt. The sharp, stabbing pains really calmed down. I’ve also started using Nervala to help support my nerves, and it seems to be helping. I’ve really learned that diet and what you put in your body is everything when it comes to managing this.
Chemotherapy was the cause of mine.
Spinal nerve compression.
It started with physical issues—surgeries on my L5/S1, knee, hip, and shoulder—but it got much worse because of treatments from doctors who didn’t quite get it. I’ve had nerves cauterized and used capsaicin that just made the burning worse. Now the pain is extreme. I’ve tried everything from diet and creams to red light therapy and TENS units.
I took Prilosec for twenty years without anyone mentioning it stops B12 absorption. No doctor ever checked my levels. I’ve been off it for a decade, but the neuropathy just showed up eight months ago. I really wish I’d been warned about the risks of that medication.
Alcoholism definitely triggered mine. I’m over five years sober now. Quitting helped the tingling slightly, but mostly it just stopped it from getting worse. I also deal with scoliosis and nerve pinching at L5, S1, and L4. Spinal injections helped the pain on the top of my foot, but the bottom is still pretty numb. Between the neuropathy and the sciatica, I don’t move much, which just makes the neuropathy worse in a bad cycle.
I’m a victim of ‘floxing’ from Cipro back in 2001.
Absolutely no idea what caused mine. I’ve been doing tests for two years and they’ve found nothing.