Chemotherapy Induced Neuropathy | Health Solutions Group

5 Myths about Neuropathy

Since Peripheral neuropathy affects people of so many ages, physical conditions, and other variables, it can often be confusing to find consistent information. Changes in medical research resulting in outdated data, “best guesses” on the parts of sufferers and medical practitioners being reproduced as facts, and just plain likely-sounding rumors all contribute to a host of very basic misinformation about neuropathy. This week, we at NeuropathyDR® will be taking a look at some of the most common rumors we’ve found, and will do our best to set the record straight!

Isn’t neuropathy only found in people with diabetes?

No. While neuropathy is common in diabetic patients and is popularly associated with diabetes, neuropathy affects chemotherapy recipients, those suffering from injuries or illness, people who have lost limbs, even sufferers of common minor ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). If you feel pain, even if you’re not diabetic, neuropathy could be the cause.

Neuropathy is a natural result of aging, right? As people get older, they just start to hurt!

Not necessarily. Neuropathy is more common among seniors, but it affects people of all ages. Just because you’re getting older doesn’t mean neuropathy is a fact of life, either. Because neuropathy can be caused by injuries, complications with medication, or metabolic issues (among dozens of other causes), taking the right steps early can keep you from suffering many neuropathic symptoms as you get older.

I have friends with peripheral neuropathy, and my pain isn’t anything like theirs. I must have something else!

Neuropathy can present itself as tingling, sharp pains, numbness, loss of motor control, and even very dangerous complications in organ function. The term describes many different sensations of pain in various areas on the body, so cases can vary wildly from person to person. Remember: if you believe you have symptoms, they are most easily treated early! See your NeuropathyDR® clinician right away.

IMG 0147 300x225 5 Myths about Neuropathy

It's Important To Have a CORRECT Diagnosis First!

There’s no cure, so if I have neuropathy, I just have to learn to live with it.

Well, yes and no. Although most who suffer from nerve damage and neuropathic pain will have to live with some adjustments to their lifestyle and maybe some discomfort (there is, to date, no overall cure), many neuropathy patients can keep their symptoms from getting worse and, in most cases, even reverse the symptoms. A combination proper ReBuilder® Neurostimulation both at home and in the clinic along with the other factors your clinician sees fit can help ensure that you’ll live a much better life. Whatever you do, don’t let neuropathy go untreated!

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This website I found says they can “cure” my neuropathy!

Be careful! Even though there are some well-meaning, informed, and helpful websites for people with neuropathy, there are also scammers who will try to exploit your pain and cash in on your desire to be neuropathy-free. Be especially wary of any claims of a cure—no actual cure for peripheral neuropathy is known to exist, so any claims to that effect are insincere. Where treatments are concerned, remember that it is almost impossible for a proper treatment plan to be developed without examining you, the patient. Any products or treatments claiming to help without even knowing your specific symptoms are most likely ineffective at best, and could be dangerous. Consult a NeuropathyDR® clinician before beginning any treatment program.

Avoiding some of these myths might seem like common sense, but it can be tricky to sort out the good advice from the fiction and hearsay. Above all, be sure your information is coming from a good source; don’t believe everything you hear or read! Your NeuropathyDR® clinicians are the only ones fully trained and educated in the facts about neuropathy, the complete usages of the ReBuilder® and how to treat many forms of neuropathy. Contact us and we can answer your questions and put you in touch with a doctor who can help you.

http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy-basics

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy/DS00131

http://www.medicinenet.com/neuropathic_pain/article.htm

http://www.footpaincenter.com/blog/?p=26

Neuropathy and Sleep

It’s four in the morning and you’re still awake. You’ve been in bed, and you should have been asleep ages ago. Your alarm will go off in only a few hours, and you’re dreading the long day ahead that you’ll have to spend completely exhausted.

If you suffer from peripheral neuropathy, this scenario is probably all too familiar. Insomnia (lack of sleep) affects almost half of the overall population, but among neuropathy sufferers, that ratio jumps to over seventy percent. Experts recommend between seven and nine hours of sleep for most adults, regardless of their age or gender, an intimidating goal if you’re someone whose chronic pain keeps them up at night.

Neuropathic pain can intensify in the evening hours, both in reality and in perception (fewer distractions of the day can cause a sufferer to focus more on their pain the closer they get to bedtime).

distressedlady 300x225 Neuropathy and Sleep

There Is No Substitute For Caring NeuropathyDR Professional To Guide You...

Research suggests that sleep apnea, a common cause of insomnia, can actually cause peripheral neuropathy, as well. Beyond a mere relationship, studies have shown that apnea is a high-risk condition among the insulin-resistant, which could likely be affecting incidents of neuropathy among diabetics in very direct ways.

Insomnia from neuropathy can perpetuate its own problem, too. Not only is neuropathic pain prodigious when it comes to nighttime restlessness, but the resulting lack of sleep can make the pain even worse! Rest is essential to recovery and treatment, and lack of sleep can lower your pain threshold drastically. You need that sleep, so what can you do?

There are several steps you can take if your neuropathy is keeping you awake at night. Your NeuropathyDR® clinician can work with you to best help your specific situation, but here are some guidelines to get you started:

Do your best to keep a regular sleeping schedule. Be persistent! Getting to bed and getting up at the same times each day is one of the best ways to train your body to sleep correctly.
Limit your intake of caffeine and any medication that incorporates a stimulant (non-drowsy), especially in the evening hours.
Avoid heavy foods in the evening. Our bodies metabolize food for hours after we eat, giving us a boost of energy! Energy is great when we need it, but can be a pain when we don’t. Many cultures eat their biggest meal of the day in the morning and only a small snack at dinnertime for this reason. Try it out!
Try turning off the TV and computer a few hours before bed. Mileage varies from person to person, but electronics tend to stimulate the senses. Try a book or quiet conversation, instead.
Adjust your environment to be ideal for sleeping. Layer your covers to ensure you stay warm but not hot, and minimize light and noise.

There are a number of herbal and natural sleep aids as well, which may help you fall asleep quickly. Sleep expert Elizabeth Shannon recommends entertaining a number of stress-relief methods, psychological conditioning, and homeopathic solutions for insomnia before resorting to pharmaceutical sleep aids, which can often form dependencies and, over time, exacerbate the problems associated with restlessness. Always be cautious with medications, and consult your NeuropathyDR® clinician or other doctor before medicating.

Always remember, altering your sleep pattern won’t happen overnight (so to speak)! It could be three to four weeks before any changes you make to your routine begin to have meaningful impact on your success getting to and staying asleep, and don’t be surprised if your restlessness gets worse before it gets better. Contact us, and we can help you find a NeuropathyDR® clinician in your area and give you even more information about how to get the rest you need while suffering from neuropathy.

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/content/159/1/213.full

http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy-basics

http://www.sleeplessnomore.com/

http://www.neuropathy.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8145&news_iv_ctrl=1221

Tips On Better Managing Neuropathy During The Holidays

If you have diabetes…

Or you’ve had shingles…

Even if you’ve completed a successful course of chemotherapy…

And you suffer from pain or burning in your feet, legs or hands, you could have peripheral neuropathy.

You’re not alone…

You don’t have to just live with it…

You don’t necessarily have to swallow more pills and pay for more expensive prescriptions…

There are things you can do to help manage your pain.

sorefoot Tips On Better Managing Neuropathy During The Holidays

The NeuropathyDR Protocol is Based Upon Combination Therapies

More than half the people suffering from neuropathy report that they’ve tried some complementary treatments in addition to traditional medicine to relieve their pain.

There are many things you can do daily at home to help you improve your pain. Here are few to think about:

If You Have Diabetic Neuropathy, Control Your Blood Sugar

This may sound like a no-brainer but many people with diabetes don’t realize how toxic high blood sugar is. High blood sugar is what causes nerve pain and damage. Keeping blood sugar levels close to normal can not only stop ongoing damage; some damage may even be reversible. That provides even more promise for fighting neuropathy pain.

Take Care of Your Feet

Nerve pain is usually what brings people in to see their doctors. But the numbness in their feet and inability to feel even the smallest injury can lead to infections and ulceration and ultimately end in amputation. If you suffer from peripheral neuropathy you need to take special care of your feet and be very aware of any sign of problems. Some things you can do are:

• Clean and inspect your feet every day. If you have an injury that’s not healing properly, call your doctor immediately.

• Wear comfortable shoes. Don’t wear shoes that pinch your toes or rub blisters on your heels.

• Wear padded socks to cushion the ball of your feet and the heel.

• Either cut your toenails straight across or have a doctor do it for you.

Walk, or Better Yet Cycle As Much As Possible

You don’t have to run a marathon or even walk one. You don’t have to race a titanium frame bicycle. Just move the big muscles in your legs as often and as much as you possibly can. Exercise, even very gently at first improves circulation and improved blood flow to the legs and feet will help nourish damaged nerves.

A Warm Bath Can Do Wonders

Warm baths increase blood flow; reduce stress and aid in relaxation. All three of these benefits will make the pain a little easier to tolerate. But a word to the wise, check the water temperature with your elbow or your wrist before you get in the bathtub. The nerve damage in your feet makes them an unreliable source for judging temperature. Use a thermometer. We like 100 degrees Fahrenheit with some added minerals and antioxidants.

Take Targeted Supplements

Vitamins B-1, B-12, B-6 and folic acid are all vital to healthy nerves. We have found certain combinations in professionally tailored packages for each case often works best. If you eat a healthy diet, you may still not be getting the recommended daily amount of some vitamins and other nutrients. Talk to your doctor first, though, before you take any supplements to make sure they won’t interact badly with the medications you’re taking.
You can easily check for drug-nutrient interactions. Special caution is advised in thyroid disease and cancer therapies during neuropathy care.

feature33 Tips On Better Managing Neuropathy During The Holidays

Better Self Care Means Better Quality of life...

Control Your Alcohol Intake

High intake of alcohol is a toxin to your nerves. And if the nerves are already damaged, it’s even worse. Some people think that a drink a day is good for your health. I respectfully disagree. If you have nerve damage, that’s a chance you don’t need to take. Don’t drink more than four alcoholic beverages a week if you suffer from peripheral neuropathy, and none would be even better

That’s Why NeuropathyDR™ Doctors and Physical Therapists are trained

Before you begin any self-care regimen or add supplements, herbs or vitamins to your healthcare regimen, always talk to your professional first. Virtually everything has some side effects so make sure that what you’re planning to take won’t cause you more harm than good.

And Above All Else…

Don’t give up. Self-care is vital to managing your neuropathy. While you may need a combination of these self-care tips and medication, sorting out yourself is not always wise.

Contact a local NeuropathyDR doctor or physical therapist to explore treatment options in addition to taking care of yourself.

Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy, you know what the side effects can be. Most side effects are well known, even to the person who has never experienced them.

- Nausea

- Hair Loss

- Digestive problems

Another less widely discussed side effect is chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

It’s virtually impossible to predict which chemotherapy patients will develop chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. Some never do. Others suffer terribly with symptoms like[1]

- Shooting pain

- Burning and numbness

- Tingling in the hands and feet

- Inability to sleep because of the pain

For many, their symptoms last well beyond their chemotherapy.

If you suffer from CIPN, there are drugs that can be prescribed to help deal with the pain. If you want to be even more proactive and do everything you can to alleviate your current symptoms and lessen the possibility of permanent nerve damage, you might want to check into additional, alternative therapies to help you deal with the chemotherapy induced neuropathy symptoms.

What Else Can You Do?

While many think of anything outside of conventional medicine as “alternative”, that’s really not accurate. Alternative treatments are defined as anything not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The treatments we’re talking about here are more complementary or integrative therapies. In other words, they’re therapies you use in addition to and to complement traditional medicine, not take the place of it.

Because of the growing popularity (and effectiveness) of these complementary and integrative therapies, the medical community has actually named them – Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Some complementary and alternative therapies providing good results for chemotherapy induced chemotherapy patients are:

- Cancer treatment specific diets

- Herbal supplements

- Non-herbal supplements (like Vitamins B6 and B12, alpha lipoic acid)

- Acupuncture

- Massage therapy and Reflexology

The NeuropathyDR Protocol is Based Upon Combination Therapies

- Exercise

- Homeopathic and ayurvedic medicine

Any of these therapies, in the hands of skilled practitioner, is a great complement to your chemotherapy and other cancer treatment and can provide substantial relief from chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy pain[2].

Talk to Your Oncologist

Before you start any Complementary and Alternative Medicine regimen, talk to your oncologist. Make sure that what you’re planning to do will not have an adverse effect on your chemotherapy regimen (some antioxidants do). Always keep your oncologist in the loop on what you’re doing to complement your chemotherapy regimen.

Many of the Complementary and Alternative Medicine regimens we mentioned above will help you deal with and even alleviate some of your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms.

The body is a finely tuned instrument and all the systems work together. Massage therapy, acupuncture and Reflexology can help with muscle pain and stimulate the systems within your body you need to fight your cancer.

Herbal and non-herbal supplements can help give your body the nutrients and vitamins it needs to repair itself and eliminate the possibility of permanent nerve damage caused by your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.

Your Treatment Specialists Need to Get Acquainted

None of the medical specialties you employ to help you fight your cancer and treat your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy operates in a vacuum. They all need to know what the others are doing.

Luckily, most oncologists these days are familiar with the Complementary and Alternative Therapies chemotherapy patients are turning to for relief from the chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms. Make sure your treaters are communicating with each other. That will help them help you and design an effective treatment program that will get you the optimum results you deserve.

model 2407 close up leads no background CORRECT MANF Name 300x240 Alternative Therapies for Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

The ReBuilder Can Be Used In a Variety of Ways in our Centers To Enhance Results...

For more information on complementary and alternative therapies to deal with your chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/ncicancerbulletin/archive/2010/022310/page 6

[2] http://ndnr.com/web-articles/oncology/mar-09-chemotherapy-induced-peripheral-neuropathy/

Taking Chemotherapy? You Need A Healthy Diet

If you’re taking chemotherapy to fight cancer and you’re suffering from

Talk to your local NeuropathyDR™ clinician or other medical professional about diet planning.

Loss of appetite
Nausea
Post chemotherapy peripheral neuropathy
Dry mouth

You can help yourself heal without resorting to even more medication.

By giving your body the nutrients and vitamins that it needs for repair and recovery.

If you’re suffering from loss of appetite, telling you to eat may sound crazy but you have options. You can eat a healthy diet, with foods that are appetizing, and give yourself a head start on healing.

Nutrition and Cancer

Chemotherapy wreaks havoc on your immune system[1]. You need to give yourself every ounce of immune support possible. A diet of whole foods that are easy on your sensitive digestive tract is your best option.

Get plenty of anti-oxidants and protein. Your chemotherapy nutrition plan must include foods rich in vitamins, especially vitamins C, D and E and nutrients like soy isoflavones, amino acids, folic acid, l-glutamine, calcium and carotenoids. Make sure you stay well hydrated (especially if you are nauseated) and forget about counting calories. Eat every calorie you can get your hands on – this is not time to worry about weight issues.

If you’re having problems with digesting food, invest in a good juicer. A juicer will make it easy for your digestive system to break down the food you take in and still get the nutrition your body desperately needs to build itself back up.

The Best Foods For The Chemotherapy Patient

To make it easy for you to remember which foods you need[2], here is a simple cheat sheet of foods that will ensure that your body is being well nourished while undergoing chemotherapy:

Vitamin C

Red cabbage
Kiwi fruit
Oranges
Red and Green Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Strawberries and tangerines

Vitamin D

Salmon and tuna

Vitamin E

Nuts, including almonds and peanuts
Avocados
Broccoli
Mangoes
Sunflower seeds

Carotenoids

Apricots
Carrots
Greens, especially collard greens and spinach
Sweet potatoes
Acorn squash

Soy Isoflavones

Soybeans
Tofu
Soy milk – might be easier to digest than regular milk because it’s lactose-free

Folic Acid

Asparagus
Dried beans
Beets
Brussels sprouts
Garbanzo beans
Lentils
Turkey

Talk to your local NeuropathyDR™ clinician or other medical professional about diet planning to make sure that you’re getting everything from your food that you need to rebuild your immune system.

The Beauty of Herbs and Spices

Adding herbs and spices to your food will not only make them taste better (which is vital if you have no appetite), many herbs and spices have medicinal properties. Some really good options are:

Cinnamon
Cardamom
Basil
Coriander
Cumin
Ginger (natural anti-inflammatory properties)
Garlic (natural anti-biotic properties)
Mint (great for fighting nausea as well)
Fennel
Turmeric
Parsley

Again, talk to your NeuropathyDR™ treatment specialist about cancer recovery nutrition and diet planning. Sit down and formulate what you need to eat and gather recipe ideas that sound appealing to you. By working with your medical professionals and doing what you can on your own to rebuild your immune system, you will have a much better chance of recovery, both from your cancer and your chemotherapy treatment. By giving your body what it needs, you can also give yourself a better chance of fewer long term effects from post chemotherapy neuropathy.

Have this article handy for your next doctor appointment and take it with you when you go to the grocery store. It’s a great reference for planning your weekly diet and making sure you’re eating the right foods for chemotherapy recovery.

For more information on nutrition to help you fight cancer and post chemotherapy neuropathyget your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.webmd.com/cancer/nutrition-cancer-8/eating-right

[2] http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/supportivecare/nutrition/Patient/page3

Flu Vaccine and Peripheral Neuropathy

It’s that time of year again…

For the average, healthy person getting a flu shot is a no-brainer.

Pre-flu season…

And everywhere you look are signs advertising “Flu Shots – Walk Ins Welcome” or “Get Your Flu Shot Today.”

For the average, healthy person getting a flu shot is a no-brainer.

After all, the flu accounts for 200,000 hospitalizations every year and up to 36,000 deaths. If you can take a shot and avoid that, why wouldn’t you?

But if you have peripheral neuropathy caused by

Diabetes
Cancer (and you’re undergoing chemotherapy)
Shingles
HIV/AIDS or some other immune system disorder
Exposure to toxins
Gluten sensitivity (also known as celiac disease)
Kidney or liver disease
Hereditary neuropathy

You may think that a flu shot isn’t for you.

HIV patients tend to be especially skeptical about receiving the vaccine.

If you have peripheral neuropathy caused by any of these underlying illnesses, you need to make an informed choice about whether or not to get a flu shot.

This is what you need to know.

The Flu Vaccine Will Not Actually Make You Sick

Contrary to urban myth, the flu vaccine will not make you sick. It works by stimulating the immune system to produce antibodies that actually fight the virus. It does not give you the flu.

You also need to know that there is no evidence that the flu shot will make your neuropathy symptoms worse if your neuropathy is caused by any of the underlying illnesses we listed above. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control strongly recommends that peripheral neuropathy patients with any of these illnesses receive a flu shot every year because they’re more prone to developing serious complications if they get the flu.

A Word of Caution for Guillain-Barre Syndrome or CIDP Patients

If your peripheral neuropathy is caused by Guillain-Barre Syndrome or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), talk to your NeuropathyDR clinician or other medical professional before you receive the flu vaccine.

Because the vaccine keeps you from getting the flu by tricking your immune system into producing antibodies to fight it off, if you have neuropathy caused by Guillain-Barre Syndrome or CIDP, this immune stimulation may actually cause a relapse in patients with a history of either of these illnesses.

If you have had Guillain-Barre Syndrome and the resultant peripheral neuropathy in the past, it might be a good idea to wait at least one year after your symptoms are gone before you receive the flu shot.

If you have CIDP and your symptoms are still present, you might want to avoid the flu vaccine. Talk to your NeuropathyDR clinician or other medical professional and consider the chances of complications from the vaccine as opposed to the health risks of actually getting the flu. Take into account:

Advanced age
Other chronic medical conditions
Possible relapse triggered by getting the flu virus

Who Should Get a Flu Shot?

The Centers for Disease Control recommends that you receive the flu shot every year if you fall into any of these groups:

You’re six months to 19 years old
You’re 50 years of age or older
You have a chronic medical condition (lung, heart, liver or kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes)
You live in a nursing home or other long term care facility
You live with or care for someone at high risk for complications from the flu (healthcare workers, people in your household (i.e., children too young to be vaccinated or people with chronic medical conditions)

In the end, the decision to get the flu shot or take a pass on it is up to you. Talk to your NeuropathyDR clinician or other medical professional before you make your decision and do what’s best for you.

For more information on coping with your peripheral neuropathy, get our Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com/.

Do You Have Peripheral Neuropathy?

If you have

Diabetics are not the only people susceptible to peripheral neuropathy in their feet and hands.

Diabetes
Cancer (and you’re undergoing chemotherapy)
Shingles
HIV/AIDS
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Exposure to toxins

You have a pretty good idea of what to expect from your disease. Your doctor has probably given you a list of symptoms that you’re likely to experience, if you’re not experiencing them already.

But if in addition to the symptoms you were expecting, you’re having[1]

Swelling in your feet, legs or hands
Muscle cramps in your legs
Changes in your skin and nails
Numbness in your feet and hands
Inability of feel heat or cold
Sleepless nights due to pain
Muscle weakness
Painful burning and itching in your hands or feet
Feeling like you’re wearing gloves or socks when you’re not

You could be developing another symptom that your doctor might not have told you about.

And it could cause permanent nerve damage.

You could have peripheral neuropathy in your feet and/or hands.

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy[2] is a condition that develops when your peripheral nerves are damaged. That damage can occur because of your diabetes, as a result of toxic chemotherapy, nerves being damaged by shingles, a lack of oxygen to the nerves caused by some other underlying condition or even as a result of HIV.

If you have the symptoms listed above, the nerves in your hands and feet have probably been damaged by your illness.

Granted, when you’re dealing with the debilitating effects of diabetes or cancer or HIV/AIDS, peripheral neuropathy may sound like nothing to really worry about.

But you know how miserable it is to have constant nerve pain…to be unable to feel the simplest sensation in your hands and feet…or on the opposite end of the spectrum, to go to bed at night and be so hypersensitive that even the sheets touching your hands and feet is torture.

How Serious is Hand/Foot Peripheral Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy can be very serious. How many diabetic patients have you seen with amputations below the knee?

Those amputations are usually caused by damage to the circulatory and nervous system caused by their diabetes. Peripheral neuropathy plays a big part in these complications.

Diabetics are not the only people susceptible to peripheral neuropathy in their feet and hands. If you are taking chemotherapy, if you have HIV/AIDS, if you’ve had shingles, or even if you’ve had some other infectious disease, you’re a candidate for peripheral neuropathy.

The damage caused by peripheral neuropathy can be so gradual that you don’t think much about it.

One day you have a small cut on one of your feet. The nerves in your feet are damaged so you don’t really feel it and you don’t know it’s there if you don’t pay really close attention to the condition of your feet.

That small wound becomes infected. Your immune system and circulatory system are compromised so the tissue doesn’t heal properly. Before you know it, you have a serious infection and you lose your foot.

You’re a little less likely to have that problem with your hands simply because you see them all the time and you’re much more likely to notice if something is wrong. That means you’ll seek treatment faster.

What To Do If You Think You’re Developing Peripheral Neuropathy
The first thing you need to do is make sure your treating physician is aware of the problems you’re having with your feet and hands. Then you can take steps to help yourself.

First, find a local medical professional specializing in treating patients with peripheral neuropathy, like a NeuropathyDR® clinician. Make an appointment as soon as possible.

To get ready for your appointment –

Make note of what your underlying conditions are
Make a list of all medications you take
Write down when you first noticed your symptoms
Write down all of your symptoms
Write down what your typical daily diet looks like

Get started with treatment as quickly as possible to avoid additional nerve damage and possibly even reverse the damage that’s already there. Your NeuropathyDR® clinician will work with you to treat your symptoms, adjust your diet if you’re not eating like you should in light of your underlying condition and give you information and help on coping with the effects of peripheral neuropathy.

It’s critical that you seek treatment immediately.

For more information on determining whether or not you have peripheral neuropathy and how to cope with it if you do, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm
[2] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy/DS00131/METHOD

Gluten Sensitivity and Peripheral Neuropathy

Gluten free bakeries…

Many people who have peripheral neuropathy symptoms with no other indicators for neuropathy should be checked for celiac disease.

Gluten free cereals…

Totally gluten free diets…

You can’t look through a magazine or turn on the TV these days without seeing something about the benefits of going gluten free in your diet.

Going gluten-free is more than just the latest fad diet.

Especially for the growing number of people with celiac disease (aka gluten sensitivity)[1].

If you’re one of those people, you’re probably all too familiar with the symptoms of celiac disease:

Anemia
Change in weight
Chronic diarrhea or constipation (or both)
General weakness
Oily, foul-smelling stools
Stomach problems, cramping, gas, distention, bloating, vomiting

Those symptoms all make sense when you understand exactly what celiac disease is.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that damages the lining of the small intestine. If you have celiac disease, eating foods that contain gluten – a protein found in wheat and other grains – starts a reaction in your autoimmune system that directly affects the small intestine. Without treatment, celiac disease can lead to cancer, anemia, seizures, osteoporosis – any of these can be fatal.

Since celiac disease directly affects the small intestine, digestive issues make perfect sense. But what about these symptoms:

Burning, tingling and numbness in hands and feet
Loss of feeling in hands and feet
Numbness, tingling or reduced sensation in the face and body

The Celiac Disease – Peripheral Neuropathy Connection

At first glance, it’s hard to make the connection between gluten sensitivity and peripheral neuropathy. A recent study discovered that about 10% of people with celiac disease had peripheral neuropathy symptoms before their digestive system issues appeared. For that reason, many people who have peripheral neuropathy symptoms with no other indicators for neuropathy, should be checked for celiac disease as a possible cause of their peripheral neuropathy.

The best thing you can do for yourself is contact a neuropathy specialist, like your local NeuropathyDr® clinician, to undergo the appropriate testing to find out if celiac disease is causing your peripheral neuropathy.

Testing and Evaluation

If you have peripheral neuropathy and/or celiac disease symptoms and haven’t been tested for one or both of these conditions, this is what you can expect.

To determine if you have peripheral neuropathy, your NeuropathyDR® clinician will conduct a thorough neurological examination, electromyography and nerve conduction tests.

If you determine that you have neuropathy and you don’t have any other underlying potential cause, the next step will be to test you for celiac disease. Those tests will include blood tests and possibly a biopsy of the lining of your small intestine.

Living with Celiac Disease and Peripheral Neuropathy

Once your testing is completed, if you have celiac disease your NeuropathyDR® clinician will work with you to manage your condition. In order to manage your celiac disease symptoms you will need to:

Follow a gluten-free diet for the rest of your life[2]
Avoid all foods containing wheat
Avoid other grains that contain gluten (rye, barley and oats – that means no pasta, grains, cereals and many processed foods).

To help cope with your peripheral neuropathy symptoms caused by your celiac disease, you should:

Stop taking any medications that cause peripheral neuropathy (like statins to lower cholesterol)
Modify your lifestyle to reduce your pain – like avoiding standing or walking for extended periods of time
Wear looser shoes
Soak your feet in ice water
Take pain medications prescribed by your NeuropathyDR® clinician
Take safety precautions to compensate for your inability to feel sensation in your feet and hands
Ask your NeuropathyDr® clinician about special therapeutic shoes that may be covered by insurance or Medicare

Celiac disease and peripheral neuropathy can wreak havoc on your body. Talk to your local NeuropathyDR® clinician to take steps to minimize the ill effects of both your conditions.

For more information on coping with celiac disease and peripheral neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://peripheralneuropathycenter.uchicago.edu/learnaboutpn/typesofpn/inflammatory/celiacdisease

[2] http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-kitchen-11/truth-about-gluten

Exercising Caution With Autonomic Neuropathy

If you’ve been diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy[1], you know you’re at risk for some serious medical issues.

Exercise can help control the symptoms of your underlying illness and by doing that, you can help lessen the symptoms of your autonomic neuropathy.

Autonomic neuropathy (i.e., nerve damage to the autonomic nervous system) can affect every system in the body, especially:

Cardiovascular – your heart, blood pressure and circulation
Respiratory
Gastrointestinal – your digestion, ability to ability to empty your bowels
Genitourinary – erectile dysfunction and loss of bladder control

While you’re dealing some or all of these issues, exercise may not be on your radar.

But it should be.

Exercise can help control the symptoms of your underlying illness (whatever caused your autonomic neuropathy) and by doing that, you can help lessen the symptoms of your autonomic neuropathy.

But a word of caution is in order here.

The very nature of your autonomic neuropathy can affect the systems that are most sensitive to the effects of exercise. Any exercise program you begin should be designed and monitored by a medical professional well versed in the effects of autonomic neuropathy, like your NeuropathyDR® clinician.

Use Vs. Disuse

When you’re thinking about starting an exercise program[2] and you’re thinking about how dangerous it can be, you also need to consider the effects of not starting an exercise program. The effects of not exercising are called “disuse syndrome”. If your level of activity seriously out of synch with your level of inactivity, you can develop:

Decreased physical work capacity
Muscle atrophy
Negative nitrogen and protein balance
Cardiovascular deconditioning
Pulmonary restrictions
Depression

The effects of any of these symptoms of disuse syndrome in combination with your autonomic neuropathy symptoms can make a bad situation even worse.

What You Need To Think About Before You Start Exercising

Think about what happens to your body when you exercise.

Your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes labored, you sweat.

Every single one of those results is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Autonomic neuropathy can seriously impact how your body responds to the stimulus of exercise. And your body may not react as it should.

Heart rate – If your autonomic neuropathy affects your cardiovascular system, you need to make sure that your exercise program is designed and monitored by your NeuropathyDR® clinician. Your autonomic neuropathy can lead to abnormal heart rate, inability to properly regulate blood pressure and redistribution of blood flow. Your cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy may cause you to have a higher resting rate and lower maximal heart rates during exercise.
Blood pressure – Blood pressure response with posture change and during exercise is abnormal in patients with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy. Postural hypotension, defined as a drop in blood pressure may be seen. This can mean that the blood pressure doesn’t react normally during exercise. Symptoms are similar to hypoglycemia and may be mistaken for a drop in blood glucose even though it’s actually a drop in blood pressure. Patients should be alerted to the potential confusion in these symptoms and instructed to check blood glucose before treating for hypoglycemia.
Sweating and Disruption of Blood Flow – Autonomic neuropathy may reduce or even eliminate your ability to sweat. The loss of sweating, especially in your feet, can cause dry, brittle skin on the feet and you can develop skin ulcers. It can also make it more difficult for your body to respond to cold and heat. You need to make sure that you’re taking proper care of your feet before and during any exercise program. Make sure your shoes fit properly and examine your feet regularly to make sure you don’t have any sores, cracks or ulcers.

Autonomic neuropathy can have a serious effect on the very systems in the body that are directly affected by exercise. Make sure you talk to your local NeuropathyDR® clinician before you start an exercise program and let them monitor your progress.

For more information on coping with autonomic neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001780/

[2] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autonomic-neuropathy/

Answering the “Why” of Neuropathy

If you’ve been diagnosed with neuropathy as a result of

Neuropathy doesn’t just affect the hands and feet.

Diabetes
HIV/AIDS or some other autoimmune disease
Chemotherapy
Shingles
Heredity

You probably have more questions than answers.

Neuropathy is probably the one symptom you never expected when you received your diagnosis.

To understand why you developed neuropathy, it helps to understand exactly what neuropathy is.

What Is Neuropathy?

Neuropathy[1] is a condition caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system. The peripheral nervous system controls communication between your brain and your spinal cord and every other part of your body. When you pick up a hot pan and feel the pain of the burn, that’s the peripheral nervous system at work.

When the peripheral nervous system is damaged by whatever your other condition is, the communication super highway of the peripheral nervous system is disrupted. The signals from the brain and spinal cord don’t make it to whatever part of the body is affected by your neuropathy. It’s like going into a dead zone with your cell phone and not having any “bars”. Your nerves just don’t make the proper connection.

And neuropathy doesn’t just affect the hands and feet. It can affect your digestive system, your cardiovascular system, your reproductive system, even your brain.

What Causes Neuropathy?

Any number of things can cause your neuropathy. Here are a couple of common examples:

If you have diabetes and your blood glucose levels aren’t controlled and have been high for significant period of time, the blood vessels that carry oxygen to your nerves can be damaged. Sort of like a potted plant that doesn’t get enough sunlight or water. Your nerves will wither and cease to function, just like your sunlight deprived plant.

If you HIV/AIDS or some other autoimmune disease, your immune system begins to attack your body and that can include your nervous system. That causes damage to the peripheral nerves.

Any of the conditions we discussed earlier can cause neuropathy because they all can damage your nervous system. The damage and the part of the nervous system damaged can vary as much as the patients with neuropathy but any of these illnesses places you at a much higher risk than the average person for developing neuropathy.

What Happens Once Those Nerves Are Damaged?

If your nervous system is damaged you can experience[2]

Numbness in your arms, hands, legs and feet
Inability to feel heat, cold or even pain in your arms, hands, legs and feet
Burning or tingling or even the “pins and needles” feeling you get when your legs or arms “go to sleep”
Changes in the shape of your feet caused by weakened muscles
Carpal tunnel syndrome

If your neuropathy affects your autonomic nervous system, you can experience

Digestive problems like nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea
Erectile dysfunction
Irregular heart beat
Loss of bladder control
Inability to regulate your blood pressure

Your NeuropathyDR® specialist has an exclusive treatment protocol with proven results for neuropathy patients. An integral part of that treatment protocol is nutrition counseling and diet planning. Your specialist will sit down with you and plan your meals to include the proper portions of each of these categories on a daily basis to make sure that your blood sugar remains as constant as possible.

Assess your current medical situation and take note of any of the symptoms we described. If you are experiencing any of these issues associated with neuropathy, contact your local NeuropathyDR® and take full advantage of their expertise in the treatment of neuropathies.

For more information on coping with diabetic neuropathy, get your Free E-Book and subscription to the Weekly Ezine “Beating Neuropathy” at http://neuropathydr.com.

[1] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy/DS00131/METHOD

[2] http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm