Nerve Damage

[COOL BREEZE]

I am kind of interested in hearing from Vets here who have N/P. The doctor at my compensation hearing noted I have severe N/P b/l upper and lower. She wanted to know what the VA was doing to treat this issue. Well, they aren't. I am just limping around staying in bed most of the time or sitting down until its time to go to work. There is no mention of anything given for this condition. It does state medication stopped due to side affects by Veterans VA doctor

In fact, the knees are getting so bad it takes a while to get out of bed. Wife was wondering what in the hells was wrong with me-go see a doctor. As far as I know this is a medical condition where you just get doped up with 1200, 1800 mg of gabatin or something else as there is no cure. It is pretty embarassing when she is about 2 blocks ahead of me while I am slowly proceeding. I was asked about using a cane. I use it when I take my dog for a walk because if I fall, it will help me get up.

How bad will this go. Could it cause me to be completely bedridden in a few years?

[jvretiredvet]

Well, the silence is deafening here. I understand you are probably venting to some degree. I'd like to add some comments, kinda shotgunned around.

There are different neuropathies. There are the sensory types (loss of feeling and perhaps experiencing pain); motor neuropathies that cause muscles not to work and thus to atrophy; and, mixed types.

With few exceptions, ie., mechanical defects such as carpal tunnel or spinal nerve compression, neuropathy does not improve. The "cure" for neuropathy is curing the underlying pathology. And even if the underlying neuropathy can be "cured", function of the end unit (arm, hand, leg, etc.) does not always fully return.

For some types of neuropathies (and I suspect primarily neuropathic pain), medication can minimize symptoms albeit with side-effects, which apparently you have discovered. Here is a link that discusses a magic pill for neuropathy: http://www.neuropath....0&dlv_id=13191

Living with neuropathy is but a series of accommodations to one's decreasing function. Canes, rollator walkers, power chairs, home adaptations, hand controls for automobiles, etc., all help. Though, these things do not replace skiing, playing softball, rock climbing, and so forth.

As for How bad will this go. Could it cause me to be completely bedridden in a few years? Neuropathy is generally progressive. In my observation, neuropathy tends to plateau and at some point later, you "fall off that plateau" to a lower plateau. Some of this is probably perceptual, that is, "all of a sudden", you discover you can't do <whatever> anymore.

Being bedridden is not an impossibility. While that is a tortured way of saying something, it pretty well is the truth - but there are many levels of disability before being bedridden.

Of course, FWIW and YMMV.

I am kind of interested in hearing from Vets here who have N/P. The doctor at my compensation hearing noted I have severe N/P b/l upper and lower. She wanted to know what the VA was doing to treat this issue. Well, they aren't. I am just limping around staying in bed most of the time or sitting down until its time to go to work. There is no mention of anything given for this condition. It does state medication stopped due to side affects by Veterans VA doctor

In fact, the knees are getting so bad it takes a while to get out of bed. Wife was wondering what in the hells was wrong with me-go see a doctor. As far as I know this is a medical condition where you just get doped up with 1200, 1800 mg of gabatin or something else as there is no cure. It is pretty embarassing when she is about 2 blocks ahead of me while I am slowly proceeding. I was asked about using a cane. I use it when I take my dog for a walk because if I fall, it will help me get up.

How bad will this go. Could it cause me to be completely bedridden in a few years?

[COOL BREEZE]

Thank you for your response. Since the VA is not interested in treating me for this even though they ordered a nerve conduction test which the compensation doctor read and explained what it meant, I am going to have to once again go out side the Va to a private doctor for treatment.

[SP4RVN1971]

Cool Breeze ,

The Doctor's at Va have no knowledge in this subject. They gave me 20% for legs and which i had to quit my job because I cound not walk. The cancer medicine inflames the PN. The pain thru out my I can't explain the electrical storms at night and loss of the use of my hand. Thank Agent Orange! Oh, by the way get off the gapatin, it is today's LSD, My Pri. Dr. put me on Lyrica drug and it works better and I take 750mg, is a drug to be on. Sorry for your condition.