Venting According to my doctor, my neuropathy is caused by stress.

[SHThrowAway213]

But when I look it up, stress is not listed as one of the causes for it on various sites. I'm actually the least stressed I've been in ages.
Diabetes was ruled out via a blood test.
It could be my drinking, but I dont drink enough for this kind of damage.
She did begin to offer a medication, but after she saw I was already on 4 medications ( apparently that's a lot for my age, I'm 24) she decided against it.
She didnt offer any other treatment.
I've only had this for a couple months, but it's already progressed to most of the day and now theres stabbing pains too.
According to my research, neuropathy progresses without treatment, to the point it can affect other stuff, like balance. It's already affecting my sleep which I said on the phone.
She just said to call back if it stops me from living a normal life, which sooner or later it will do.
I don't want to be dealing with this.
I already have PTSD, BPD, alcoholism, dyspraxia, asthma and chronic gastritis.
Hopefully this is something fatal.

 

[Huntfish34]

My goodness, I'm sorry to hear you are going through all of that. Wish I could comment more in depth, but I'll just say that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[SHThrowAway213]

My goodness, I'm sorry to hear you are going through all of that. Wish I could comment more in depth, but I'll just say that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you.

 

[Cancún]

dr dont know shit

 

[Winter_Flower]

I didn't realise just how much the body reacts to stress until a visit to a different doctor one day. I'd been getting aches and pains all over, generally not feeling great. I mentioned that my body ached all over sometimes, other times in certain places only. It was only that doctor that pointed out that stress causes it. Since then, other than my sciatica, I can manage the pain if I try and look after myself some more, stretch out. Take time out x

 

[AnnonyBox]

She sounds like a lazy entitled 'doctor.' Schedule another appointment and if she doesn't help tell her you want to her to put it on record that she refused to treat you, and let her know that you will be firing her, and demand a copy of your records. The only thing that gets through to these greedy bastards is a loss of revenue. They say the person who graduated last in their class at medical school is still called 'Doctor.'

Look into having your vitamin B levels checked, and have them check your thyroid, neropathy can be caused by thyroid issues.

 

[Deleted member 1768]

But when I look it up, stress is not listed as one of the causes for it on various sites. I'm actually the least stressed I've been in ages.
Diabetes was ruled out via a blood test.
It could be my drinking, but I dont drink enough for this kind of damage.
She did begin to offer a medication, but after she saw I was already on 4 medications ( apparently that's a lot for my age, I'm 24) she decided against it.
She didnt offer any other treatment.
I've only had this for a couple months, but it's already progressed to most of the day and now theres stabbing pains too.
According to my research, neuropathy progresses without treatment, to the point it can affect other stuff, like balance. It's already affecting my sleep which I said on the phone.
She just said to call back if it stops me from living a normal life, which sooner or later it will do.
I don't want to be dealing with this.
I already have PTSD, BPD, alcoholism, dyspraxia, asthma and chronic gastritis.
Hopefully this is something fatal.

1200 mg vitamin B12 may be missing from your diet. This is definitely compounded by drinking alcohol.

 

[NotCordelia]

So sorry you are going through all this. That's a lot to handle on your own. I don't really believe in mental diagnoses because they are pretty arbitrary and the PTSD is really a basis for lots of things. I agree with the above about vitamins.
however, some low grade autoimmunity can be found across these labels you mentioned. Also a nervous system that's dysregulated can also cause the mental stuff or contribute to it from childhood.
keep trying to get answers that make sense to you..
sending you healing thoughts

 

[Deleted member 1465]

I'm sorry you are suffering from this.

I too suffer from intermittent peripheral neuropathy. It comes and goes and seems to get worse in the cold weather. It started in 2009.

AFAIK it's main causes are alcoholism, diabetes and damage from medications. I've never heard of psychosomatic neuropathy. That sounds like a lazy diagnosis to me. Stress can and will make everything worse, but I'd still suspect an underlying cause. If they haven't found it, it's probably because they aren't looking hard enough.

I have a similar issue. My neuropathy is dismissed as psychosomatic, as are many of my other issues. Precisely because they can't easily be quantified, though certain things I have quantified and presented the evidence, but it's still frowned upon. I think many docs want to give a psych diagnosis if possible, to kick the problem down the road so they can treat it with their cure all SSRIs.

 

[Letmego. Please]

Hi Op, not sure if you will think this applies but there is something called Functional Neurological Disorder that might be worth looking into.
It is a real neuro issue that causes widespread issues & can be progressive, there is a theory at the mo (as they are still researching it) that it does somehow have an overlap with trauma at an earlier point in life, that has then had an effect on the nervous system.
Take care

 

[itsamadworld]

The body does keep score. It remembers those little injuries and those emotional slights from the past. And over the years, you may have forgotten the incident, but the body doesn't. It remembers that incident to where you were so distraught during a stressful divorce, to where you lost control: where at 2 am, you may find yourself and a friend are stumbling home drunk from a bar, you have fallen over someone's lawn- bench banging your right knee on the ground and then not releasing you phone fell out, and the stress of loosing your phone then panicking, you find yourself peeing on a statue of Mary at 3 am, and cussing about how religion ruined your life....Anyways....The body remembers all those stresses. and years later, that same knee sends the body a reminder.......Anyways, When I lay down at night, I itch....It's not a lack of hygiene thing, I use gentle detergents... It's just a neurological response to being allergic to this planet.....That's my theory....becuz like @latinend said, Drs don't know shit..

 

[AcornUnderground]

Where is your neuropathy and what does it feel like?

 

[BridgeJumper]

I FEEL you T.T
Im faking bipolar disorder to get social security
My ear pain is psychogenic because 'theres no inflammation'
The cure for my vertigo is to lie down.
Heart rate in the 170s during sleep is something normal apparently.

LOL
Basically everything that ever happens to me, I made up.
So now my ears hurt like fuck, everyday Im puking violently from dizziness, and I get the neuropathy thing too I guess since theres so much pins and needles and everytime I wake up from sleep both my hands and feet are numb, but I wont see a doctor because I aint gonna waste 10 minutes of my time on being told its in my head.

You wont catch me going to get myself checked up until Im so ill Im legit dying.
Tried magnesium and b12 supplementation, eating more meat and less sugar and thats it

 

[NoDream]

I FEEL you T.T
Im faking bipolar disorder to get social security
My ear pain is psychogenic because 'theres no inflammation'
The cure for my vertigo is to lie down.
Heart rate in the 170s during sleep is something normal apparently.

LOL
Basically everything that ever happens to me, I made up.
So now my ears hurt like fuck, everyday Im puking violently from dizziness, and I get the neuropathy thing too I guess since theres so much pins and needles and everytime I wake up from sleep both my hands and feet are numb, but I wont see a doctor because I aint gonna waste 10 minutes of my time on being told its in my head.

You wont catch me going to get myself checked up until Im so ill Im legit dying.
Tried magnesium and b12 supplementation, eating more meat and less sugar and thats it

Have you heared about POTS?

 

[AcornUnderground]

Neuropathy can be a sign of autoimmune. If you have decent health coverage, I would ask for my ANA and basic autoimmune panel to be checked.

 

[schopenh]

If you send me a message with an email address I can send you some very useful papers you can print and take to your doctor highlighted with tests to do. They sound inept, incompassionate or both; like most doctors. Here's a flow chart I took in highlighted for my doctor because she's a fucking moron.

 

[RayoSinSol]

Can diabetic nerve pain be stimulated by stress. Asking for my partner. I'm leaving him behind to CTB, but I want to know if there was is any research to guide him toward to help his nerve pain after I go?

 

[SHThrowAway213]

Where is your neuropathy and what does it feel like?

Well first of all it was tingling.
Then it progressed to light stabbing.
Now the stabbing pain is more intense, more frequent and is affecting my sleeping.

Neuropathy can be a sign of autoimmune. If you have decent health coverage, I would ask for my ANA and basic autoimmune panel to be checked.

Luckily I am in the UK.
Unluckily the NHS is so underfunded they won't do shit.

 

[RileyTanaka]

At the risk of sounding strident, I have to say - your doctor is clueless if she thinks neuropathy is induced by stress.
Doctors always pull this kind of stuff when they simply don't know the etiology behind an illness, so they resort to blaming your mental health. It's why I advise most people who go into the doctor to deny mental illness to take away some of the last legs they stand on when they're stuck. Obviously this is not possible in your case, since it sounds like you disclosed your mental health history.

As someone who also suffers from this condition I can assure you neuropathy is caused by nerve damage - but your task is to figure out what is causing that damage. Certainly heavy alcohol use along with unstable blood sugar (or at least a predisposition towards diabetes) can bring it about. My advice to you is to find a way to control the symptoms - control your sugars/carb intake and look into megadosing turmeric for inflammatory control. Stop all alcohol usage. Also consider that one of the pharma drugs you're on now may be contributing to the pain somehow.

 

[Ireland]

I'm sorry you are suffering from this.

I too suffer from intermittent peripheral neuropathy. It comes and goes and seems to get worse in the cold weather. It started in 2009.

AFAIK it's main causes are alcoholism, diabetes and damage from medications. I've never heard of psychosomatic neuropathy. That sounds like a lazy diagnosis to me. Stress can and will make everything worse, but I'd still suspect an underlying cause. If they haven't found it, it's probably because they aren't looking hard enough.

I have a similar issue. My neuropathy is dismissed as psychosomatic, as are many of my other issues. Precisely because they can't easily be quantified, though certain things I have quantified and presented the evidence, but it's still frowned upon. I think many docs want to give a psych diagnosis if possible, to kick the problem down the road so they can treat it with their cure all SSRIs.

Totally agree with you. So demoralising when they dont listen to you. We know our own bodies better than they do!

 

[lymestolemylife]

I FEEL you T.T
Im faking bipolar disorder to get social security
My ear pain is psychogenic because 'theres no inflammation'
The cure for my vertigo is to lie down.
Heart rate in the 170s during sleep is something normal apparently.

LOL
Basically everything that ever happens to me, I made up.
So now my ears hurt like fuck, everyday Im puking violently from dizziness, and I get the neuropathy thing too I guess since theres so much pins and needles and everytime I wake up from sleep both my hands and feet are numb, but I wont see a doctor because I aint gonna waste 10 minutes of my time on being told its in my head.

You wont catch me going to get myself checked up until Im so ill Im legit dying.
Tried magnesium and b12 supplementation, eating more meat and less sugar and thats it

I'm literally dying here with a ripped up stomach nausea for 3 months, neuropathy every day, constant infections, frequent migraines, not able to stand anymore due to joint/bone pains, sharp stabbing pains in my tailbone heels, feet, hips, knees, and they cant find anything wrong with me and wont accept my Lyme Diagnosis as a real disease. lol how much of a failure at your job can all these doctors be???

 

[BridgeJumper]

I'm literally dying here with a ripped up stomach nausea for 3 months, neuropathy every day, constant infections, frequent migraines, not able to stand anymore due to joint/bone pains, sharp stabbing pains in my tailbone heels, feet, hips, knees, and they cant find anything wrong with me and wont accept my Lyme Diagnosis as a real disease. lol how much of a failure at your job can all these doctors be???

No doctor believes me honestly. Ive been trying to sort this issue for months. I believe they wont help me because I have a mental illness and so they think that whatever Im suffering from is in my head.
Like, I was complaining about the spins everyday, I was so disoriented I tried to exit my room through a drawer, and all they told me was to lie down, I threw up in my bed and they wouldnt even change my sheets, I woke up with it already dried.
And when I tried to complain about not getting care they labeled me a 'difficult patient' and listed the cause of my symptoms as psychogenic.
Im so dizzy I fell 3 times yesterday, the last time I couldnt even get up, my parents wanted to take me to emergency because I was just lying on the floor retching and holding my head, and I told them Im not going anywhere because I dont have time for their 'Its in my head bullshit'.

Maybe if I paid privately they would care, after all money is money?
I remember a story from one user about almost dying due to medical neglect, because doctors wouldnt believe she had a specific dangerous condition and left her alone in the emergency unit.
And now I despise doctors, even though some of them are probably compassionate, but I met only jerks so...

 

[spider2020]

There's absolutely no scientific proof that neuropathies are cause by stress. The real cause can have multiple factors, like inflammation or physical damage from a previous infection (e.g. herpesviruses that we all have in the body), many time undetectable after the symptoms are present and overwhelming: virus gone but damage done.
The somatization explanation is the easy way for most doctors (doctors are not scientist: they are uncapable of scientific dubitative reasoning) for many reasons, most of the time to dismiss a patient which is just a burden, nothing more.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

There's absolutely no scientific proof that neuropathies are cause by stress. The real cause can have multiple factors, like inflammation or physical damage from a previous infection (e.g. herpesviruses that we all have in the body), many time undetectable after the symptoms are present and overwhelming: virus gone but damage done.
The somatization explanation is the easy way for most doctors (doctors are not scientist: they are uncapable of scientific dubitative reasoning) for many reasons, most of the time to dismiss a patient which is just a burden, nothing more.

Seconded. The stress diagnosis is the easy way out. It's dismissive, lazy and disrespectful. Stress does indeed impact the entirety of your health, but there is no evidence to suggest it causes psychsomatic neuropathic pain.

 

[BridgeJumper]

Sounds like I already posted in this thread
But my ear problems are getting worse by the day, everything is spinning and everyday sounds hurt like hell, and of course I got the standard answer of 'Its in your head, you need to deal with your anxiety and it will go away, that will be 50 dollars thank you'.
And Im forever salty about that
When I received my 'diagnosis', I tossed it in the trash and cried myself to sleep for 5 days.
Loathe doctors :D They wouldnt know illness if it struck them in the face with a brick

 

[Meditation guide]

Loathe doctors :D They wouldnt know illness if it struck them in the face with a brick

I completely agree. I have had the same type of treatment you describe and my descriptions of what my symptoms are like have been ignored. Ten minutes in and out pay the receptionist next patient. In and out. I'm dying. Who cares? Not doctors.

The last one I went to, I was obviously not able to stand sit or walk and was sweating profusely, heart rate about 180, at death's door, begging for help and expecting to be rushed to the hospital. Was given a prescription to slow my heart rate and told to pay $185. Out the door, almost had to crawl out.

 

[Deleted member 1465]

Same here. Warning, unpleasant tale ahead...

No bowel movement for at least three weeks. Intense pain. Called NHS 111 advice line and the insisted they call me an ambulance. Ambulance came and recommended I go to A&E. Saw a registrar at A&E who said it was all in my head and I was fine. Insisted on seeing consultant. He told me to "Go away and don't come back until you are vomiting faeces."
I went away and got ready to die.
But somewhere deep down inside, beneath the fear and despair, it turned out I have a seething ball of stubborn anger.
I called my GP and demanded an out of hours visit.
The doctor was shit.
"I'm going to die, aren't I?" I asked.
He just nodded and turned away.
"Why don't you prescribe me an acute dose of polyethylglycol?"
"Yeah, I could do that I guess..." he replied.
I waited.
"Well go on then."
LOL so i got the drugs and took copious doses for way too long. Months of being up all night in the toilet, but at least some movement.
Fucking doctors. I actually did everything they told me to do and they sent me away and were okay about me dying. I had to bully the poor out of hours chap to get what I needed.
Oh well, at least he left his stethoscope behind.
I played with it.
Unfortunately, he came back later to get it.

 

[BridgeJumper]

That will be me tbh. One day in psych ward / out in the street / whatever, I will just kick the bucket and they will be like 'Shit, shes cold' xD
Its not like they ever cared.

 

[Stolen Absolution]

So sorry you guys have experienced the same thing I've gone through. I've been exceptionally healthy my entire life. This is the first year I've been to a doctor in decades. Severe peripheral neuropathy, muscle spasms over my entire body, balance issues, tinnitus, urinary retention and incontinence, blood pooling in my legs all came on suddenly during February this year.

Urgent Care doctor prescribed me a muscle relaxant, neurologist told me I don't eat enough salt, and GP told me I have anxiety. I denied each of these things, but that's all they left me with. Botox caused my extensive nerve damage. Being abandoned by the medical community during the one time I needed help destroyed me. It really did.

If none of us can be helped by doctors, what's left? Who's left? I've just learned to suffer silently as my muscles are eaten by the nerve damage and my teeth begin to decay.

Hugs to each of you suffering this. It's hell.

 

[BridgeJumper]

Ctb and alcohol
All I do is drink myself silly and plan my death.

I still have options, like for example going private, seeing another doctor and getting a second opinion, but Im too drained to fight for what Im supposed to get no questions asked.
When I get a spell out on the street and someone begins to call 911 Im like 'Dude, knock it off, theyre just gonna dismiss the fuck out of me', dust myself off and go away