Today's post from pain.com (see link below) is short, simple and to the point; exactly what you want when meeting the term neuropathy for the first time. It will give you a good idea of what you're dealing with and what you might come to expect. Absolutely a worthwhile start to your neuropathy journey.
January 20, 2014 (no author mentioned)
The term “neuropathy” is a fairly broad one: it refers to nerve damage, typically to the peripheral nerves, which are those that connect the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), including sensory, motor, and autonomic (“automatic”) nerves, to the rest of the body. Damage to the nerves essentially corrupts communication between the nerves and the body, causing loss of sensation, pain, and weakness. Neuropathy can have any number of underlying causes, including overuse injury, traumatic injury, infection, diabetes, alcoholism, exposure to toxins, and certain diseases.
Mononeuropathy refers to a single nerve that has been damaged, usually by an injury or repetitive use or pressure. For example, the pain and numbness of carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression on the nerve that runs through the wrist, and the tingling, burning, and numbness can even extend into the arm and shoulder. Eventually, the repeated stress on this nerve can cause the muscles of the hand to weaken. Being excessively sedentary can also compress nerves to the point of damage.
Polyneuropathy is more common, and it affects multiple nerves in different places throughout the body simultaneously. It can have many causes, including poor nutrition (especially a vitamin-B deficiency), diabetes, shingles, certain medications, and complications from cancer and kidney disorders. It can also be a sign of certain rare diseases, such as Guillain-Barre disease, which causes the immune system to attack its own nerves.
Depending on the types of nerves that are damaged, neuropathy symptoms can vary, but the most common are tingling, loss of sensation, and burning pain, especially in the hands and feet. Those three accompany sensory nerve damage, whose other symptoms include sensitivity to touch, jabbing pain, and lack of coordination. Autonomic nerves (those that relate to involuntary actions, such as breathing and digestion) can result in extreme sensitivity to heat, dizziness from changes in blood pressure, and difficulties with digestion and bladder function. Neuropathy in motor nerves typically causes muscle weakness and paralysis.
The symptoms of neuropathy can be unpleasant, inconvenient, and painful in and of themselves, but they come with additional complications: people may burn themselves or injure their joints because they have less sensation, fall as a result of muscle weakness and lack of coordination, have ongoing digestive issues, etc. Neuropathy may also be a sign of a more serious condition, so if you experience symptoms, see your doctor.
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/peripheral-neuropathy/DS00131/DSECTION=symptoms
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/peripheralneuropathy/detail_peripheralneuropathy.htm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147963.php
http://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy-basics?page=2
http://pain.com/archives/2014/01/20-neuropathy/
Today's useful Australian animated video shows you precisely why the pain you have when afflicted by neuropathy (amongst other diseases), is called Chronic Pain. Always handy to know the basics!"Brain Man" A collaborative video made by The Hunter Integrated Pain Service and GP Access
As regular readers of the blog will know; every now and then a general post about neuropathy and its causes and treatments will appear. These are all different and represent world wide views on neuropathy as a disease. They are simply written and easy to understand and are meant for new patients, or people coming into contact with neuropathy for the first time. Today's post comes from mdhil.com (see link below) and is written by an Indian doctor. The information is universally accepted as being true of neuropathy in general and can be seen as a starting point for further research into the disease. Other general articles about neuropathy can be found by scrolling down the alphabetical list to the right of the blog. Neuropathy – Causes, classification and treatment
December 6, 2012 By Dr Nisreen Nakhoda
Neuropathy is the medical term given to nerve damage in all the nerves of the body. It could be reversible or irreversible and generally the pain hampers the person from living a normal life.Causes of neuropathy
The causes of neuropathy are varied and range from mild to serious.
The most common cause of nerve affliction or neuropathy is diabetes mellitus. If the blood sugar level of a diabetic patient is uncontrolled, chances of him/her developing peripheral neuropathy are high.
Injury to the nerves or prolonged pressure on a group of nerves can cause neuropathy, so also damage can result due to less blood supply to the nerves.
Systemic conditions like amyloidosis (abnormal protein deposits seen in various tissues of the body), rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematoses and kidney failure can result in nerve damage.Toxins and poisons like lead, mercury, arsenic and pesticides are some of the poisons which can lead to peripheral neuropathy.
Genetic or inherited conditions like Friedreich’s ataxia can cause nerve problems.
Drugs like vincristine used in chemotherapy and antibiotics like metronidazole have also been implicated.
Tumours, whether benign or malignant can invade the nerves or put pressure on them leading to neuropathy.
Lastly, many cases of neuropathy are idiopathic, that means no cause can be identified.
Classification of neuropathy
Neuropathy can be classified as acute, sub-acute or chronic depending on the duration of the problem.
Another way is to classify them depending on the location of the nerves involved.
Cranial neuropathy – involves any of the twelve cranial nerves coming out from the brain.
Peripheral neuropathy – this term is used for nerve problems outside the brain and spinal cord. It refers to nerves in the shoulders, entire upper and lower limbs and also hips.
Autonomic neuropathy – the autonomic nerves are those around the heart, lungs, liver and other involuntary organs. When these nerves are damaged, it is known as autonomic neuropathy.
Focal neuropathy – this refers to nerves from only one area of the body.
Symptoms and signs of neuropathy
These are characteristic and not related to the cause of neuropathy.
Damage to sensory nerves (nerves carrying receptors of taste, touch, smell, vision and hearing) cause loss of pain sensation and is common in the feet of those suffering from diabetics.
Damage to motor nerves (nerves connected to muscles and ligaments) leads to gait abnormalities, loss of reflexes, weakness in limbs and cramps.
Damage to autonomic nerves (supplying internal organs) leads to constipation, bloating of the abdomen, dizziness, intolerance to heat, blurred vision, impotence and urinary symptoms.
Diagnosis of neuropathy
If you experience any of the above symptoms or are a diabetic, visit your doctor who will take a complete history. This includes family history, history of recent surgeries and exposure to poisons. A complete general and neurological examination should be done to check sensory and motor nerves.
Investigations to diagnose neuropathy
Depending on the cause, several investigations are prescribed. Routine tests like CBC, ESR, liver and kidney function tests, urine and stool analysis and tests to detect HIV, rheumatoid factor and tumour markers are done in certain cases.
Nerve conduction velocity test is done to determine nerve function. This is a simple test and can be done in the clinic. It measures the rate at which a signal travels through the nerve.
EMG or electromyogram is also important as it gives an indicator of nerve function. A thin needle is inserted into a muscle and an electrode within the needle measures muscle activity.
In some cases, a nerve biopsy may be required to reach a diagnosis.
Treatment of neuropathy
The treatment of the cause is important. Nutritional deficiencies must be corrected, alcoholics should be advised to abstain from alcohol and exposure to poisons should be avoided.
If there is pressure on the nerve due to a tumour, surgery to remove the latter should be done soon.
Drugs:
Drugs for pain relief should be prescribed. Simple analgesics like ibuprofen and paracetamol are ineffective in controlling nerve pain. Many types of drugs are used to relieve pain. They include:
Anti-convulsants like lamotrigine, carbamazepine and gabapentin.
Anti-depressants like imipramine, amitriptyline, paroxetine and duloxetine
Opioid analgesics like tramadol
Others: Topical creams containing capsicain (a natural substance forund in bell peppers) or lignocaine help. Antioxidants like alpha-lipoic acid are effective in diabetes.
TENS is a short form for trans-cutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and is used when drugs become ineffective. It is useful for diabetics.
Prevention of neuropathy
Diabetics should go for regular check-up and check their feet for injuries and sores every day. Avoid wearing tight socks and ill-fitting shoes.
Persons working in industries should avoid exposure to poisonous substances.
Inherited conditions causing neuropathy cannot be prevented.
Long term glucose control for diabetics is a must.Written by Dr Nisreen Nakhoda, General Physicianhttp://www.mdhil.com/neuropathy-causes-classification-and-treatment/
Today's post from drugs.com (see link below) is an extensive (if not 100% complete) list of commonly used drug types used to treat neuropathy. If you feel that your medication is missing, type the name in their search box and you'll get the up-to-date information you need. Drugs.com is one of the most reliable medical sites for information about most diseases and following the links shown here, will lead you to a lot of very useful information relating to your problem. With neuropathy, it's very important to take some responsibility for your life with the disease. Don't leave it all to the doctors - they're often not willing, or don't have the time to go into detail regarding the treatment they have prescribed for you. Doing your own research can save a great deal of time and help you understand better what's going on in your body. Having reference to a site like drugs.com is always handy.
Mayo Clinic
Care Notes
Medication List
Definition of Peripheral Neuropathy:
Peripheral neuropathy is failure of the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord. This produces symptoms like pain, loss of sensation, and inability to control muscles.
Drugs (by generic name) associated with Peripheral Neuropathy
The following drugs and medications are in some way related to, or used in the treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy. This service should be used as a supplement to, and NOT a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.
Drug Name 
(View by: Brand | Generic ) Reviews Ratings
capsaicin topical (Pro, More...)
class: miscellaneous topical agents 2 reviews
Rate it 9.0
carbamazepine systemic (Pro, More...)
class: dibenzazepine anticonvulsants 5 reviews
Rate it 8.2
gabapentin systemic (Pro, More...)
class: 68 reviews
Rate it 7.5
duloxetine systemic (Pro, More...)
class: serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors 15 reviews
Rate it 6.8
pregabalin systemic (Pro, More...)
class: gamma-aminobutyric acid analogs 15 reviews
Rate it 6.6
levocarnitine systemic (Pro, More...)
class: nutraceutical products 0 reviews
Rate it 4.0
phenytoin systemic (Pro, More...)
class: group I antiarrhythmics, hydantoin anticonvulsants 2 reviews
Rate it 1.0 L-Carnitine (More...)
generic name: levocarnitine class: nutraceutical products 0 reviews Not rated
Be the first
Carnitor (Pro, More...)
generic name: levocarnitine class: nutraceutical products 0 reviews Not rated
Be the first
Qutenza (Pro, More...)
generic name: capsaicin class: miscellaneous topical agents 1 review Not rated
Be the first
Carnitor SF (Pro, More...)
generic name: levocarnitine class: nutraceutical products 0 reviews
Rate itAlternative treatments for Peripheral Neuropathy
The following products are considered to be alternative treatments or natural remedies for Peripheral Neuropathy. Their efficacy may not have been scientifially tested to the same degree as the drugs listed in the table above. However there may be historical, cultural or anecdotal evidence linking their use to the treatment of Peripheral Neuropathy.
flax
Topics under Peripheral Neuropathy
Brachial Plexopathy (0 drugs)
Small Fiber Neuropathy (3 drugs)
Learn more about Peripheral Neuropathy
Micromedex® Care Notes:
Back Pain
Back Pain, Ambulatory Care
Bell Palsy
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical Strain
Chronic Back Pain, Ambulatory Care
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Diabetic Neuropathy
Gastroparesis
Gastroparesis, Ambulatory Care
Hip Pain
Low Back Strain
Low Back Strain, Ambulatory Care
Lumbar Radiculopathy
Meralgia Paresthetica
Morton Neuroma
Peripheral Neuropathy
Piriformis Syndrome
Radial Nerve Palsy
Sciatica
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Pain, Ambulatory Care
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Related encyclopedia articles:
Acute adrenal crisis
Alcoholic neuropathy
Amaurosis fugax
Autonomic neuropathy
Bell's palsy
Brachial plexopathy
Brachial plexus injury in newborns
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Collagen vascular disease
Complex regional pain syndrome
Diabetes - resources
Diabetes and nerve damage
Epidural injections for back pain
Face pain
Facial nerve palsy due to birth trauma
Facial tics
Femoral nerve dysfunction
Gastroparesis
Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
Low back pain - acute
Mononeuritis multiplex
Mononeuropathy
Morton neuroma
Muscle atrophy
Neuropathy secondary to drugs
Peripheral neuropathy
Progressive supranuclear palsy
Radial nerve dysfunction
Sciatica
Trigeminal neuralgia
Ulnar nerve dysfunction
Mayo Clinic Reference:
Peripheral neuropathy
Synonym(s): Neuropathy
http://www.drugs.com/condition/peripheral-neuropathy-generic.html
