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Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I have had neuropathy for two or so years now and I use an ice pack on my feet every night before bed. I also have gel socks to use on bad days at work and I have had days where I just came home and soaked my feet in nice cold water. I definitely agree with your cold water thoughts.
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Alaskazoo
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I have peripheral neuropathy and the only thing that really relieves my pain is cold water or ice packs on my feet. I have tried several different medications and nothing helps like applying cold water or ice packs.
I had several accidents in the past which has caused bulging discs in my back and pinched nerve in my neck. My doctors say that is the cause of the problem in my feet. I have burning and needle pain, but cold water and ice packs really help, which was recommended by a physical therapist.
I think maybe it depends on what is causing your neuropathy and everybody is different. What may work for me may not work for someone else.
I had several accidents in the past which has caused bulging discs in my back and pinched nerve in my neck. My doctors say that is the cause of the problem in my feet. I have burning and needle pain, but cold water and ice packs really help, which was recommended by a physical therapist.
I think maybe it depends on what is causing your neuropathy and everybody is different. What may work for me may not work for someone else.
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GElaine
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I have had painful neuropathy in my feet for three years. I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes around the time that the pain started. Recently, I began swimming in a pool at a near by community center. I discovered that my feet hurt a lot less the day after I have gone swimming. I have found that the pain sets in after exposure to either extreme of hot or cold. I kid around and call it the "Goldilocks syndrome": the temperature has to be just right. This past week I have gone swimming every day except for yesterday. I took a bath in instead of going to the pool. This morning my feet feel almost normal for the first time in a long time.
Other things I have found helpful are an electric blanket at low temperature when I am reclining or sleeping. My feet tend to feel cold after a swim so the electric blanket comes in handy after a swim or soak. I take a large amount of gabapentin (2700 mg per day) and nortriptyline (50 mg per day) I really do not know if that is helping. I have taken Lyrica with no results. I have found extended release morphine helpful in the past, but I do not have a prescription for it.
I have a long awaited appointment with a pain clinic and intended on asking for an opioid or medical marijuana, but I have come to believe that swimming and/or soaking my feet is the answer. In addition, I have a pinched nerve which has cause neuropathy in my left hip and thigh. I am noticing today that that is greatly reduced.
I found this discussion because I wanted to know if others have had similar experiences.
Other things I have found helpful are an electric blanket at low temperature when I am reclining or sleeping. My feet tend to feel cold after a swim so the electric blanket comes in handy after a swim or soak. I take a large amount of gabapentin (2700 mg per day) and nortriptyline (50 mg per day) I really do not know if that is helping. I have taken Lyrica with no results. I have found extended release morphine helpful in the past, but I do not have a prescription for it.
I have a long awaited appointment with a pain clinic and intended on asking for an opioid or medical marijuana, but I have come to believe that swimming and/or soaking my feet is the answer. In addition, I have a pinched nerve which has cause neuropathy in my left hip and thigh. I am noticing today that that is greatly reduced.
I found this discussion because I wanted to know if others have had similar experiences.
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DotB
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I have dealt with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy for 10 years. I was told 5 years ago by my neurologist that I likely would be in a walker in 2 years. I am not. I have aggressively pursued doing as much activity as I can, and have not gotten pain to disappear, but have managed it. I use ice daily, usually at bedtime, and it is very helpful. Occasionally, if pain is severe during the day, it can be reduced for a number of hours by an ice bath( ice in water). I do it for about 10 minutes, with some breaks if it hurts too much from the cold.
My daily routine is gabapentin and tramadol every 6-9 hours for pain, turmeric daily, occasional Aleve (naproxen) or ibuprofen for leg aches, and vibration massage on my feet daily. This routine allows me to be relatively pain free in the days, and to sleep fairly well at night. I can do all household chores, walking up to 1 and 1/2 miles, shopping, and golf in a cart once a week. I have also just started a swimming program for 1/2 hour 3 times a week. Helps to get cardio workout, and so far, no negatives.
My daily routine is gabapentin and tramadol every 6-9 hours for pain, turmeric daily, occasional Aleve (naproxen) or ibuprofen for leg aches, and vibration massage on my feet daily. This routine allows me to be relatively pain free in the days, and to sleep fairly well at night. I can do all household chores, walking up to 1 and 1/2 miles, shopping, and golf in a cart once a week. I have also just started a swimming program for 1/2 hour 3 times a week. Helps to get cardio workout, and so far, no negatives.
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Portcom
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
Hi Everyone,
I think warm water is the best. Too hot or too cold makes my feet hurt.
I too have neuropathy resulting from cancer treatment, and in the beginning it was some of the worst pain I have ever had, and I have had a lot. My heart goes out to all of you and especially the very young. I have been fighting cancer for 22 years and have had many trials, but I really hate this one.
I was lucky because my oncology hospital offered weekly acupuncture and foot massage, which I took advantage of every week. They both really helped. My very kind husband has been massaging my feet with essential oils every night. He uses a frankincense and myrrh combination.
One of the best things is that my very kind neighbors let me swim every morning in their heated pool, which is not too cold or too hot. I would call it warm water. It is so comforting.
The other thing I do is to wear very comfortable, cushiony shoes.
All of these things combined have made a world of difference. I was able to walk around my block for the first time in 2 years the other day. I feel like things are much better now.
I hope all of these suggestions can help.
Janet
I think warm water is the best. Too hot or too cold makes my feet hurt.
I too have neuropathy resulting from cancer treatment, and in the beginning it was some of the worst pain I have ever had, and I have had a lot. My heart goes out to all of you and especially the very young. I have been fighting cancer for 22 years and have had many trials, but I really hate this one.
I was lucky because my oncology hospital offered weekly acupuncture and foot massage, which I took advantage of every week. They both really helped. My very kind husband has been massaging my feet with essential oils every night. He uses a frankincense and myrrh combination.
One of the best things is that my very kind neighbors let me swim every morning in their heated pool, which is not too cold or too hot. I would call it warm water. It is so comforting.
The other thing I do is to wear very comfortable, cushiony shoes.
All of these things combined have made a world of difference. I was able to walk around my block for the first time in 2 years the other day. I feel like things are much better now.
I hope all of these suggestions can help.
Janet
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Janet with Mets
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I am having success using both cold (ice) water (38-42 degrees F, or 3-5.5 degrees C), and hot water (110-120 degrees F, or 43-49 degrees C). I have been starting with cold water for 5 minutes then 5 minutes in hot water. I use 18 quart (17 l) plastic tubs. I continue back to cold for 4 minutes and hot for 5 minutes. Than 3 minutes cold and 5 hot continuing to 1 cold finishing with 5 hot. I believe this routine shrinks the nerves in the cold and expands them in the hot. By repeating this, the nerves flex, and it therefore improves the flow of blood. I have been using Epsom salt in the hot water. After only a few days I have improved the feeling in my right foot and lessened the pain in both feet.
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joseph g
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
Try cold tap water and add a few ice cubes often enough to keep the water feeling cold. After 30-40 minutes, you will be surprised.
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Berney Waite
Re: Cold water or hot water for peripheral neuropathy?
I have been having increasing pain in my legs and feet since I returned from Vietnam in 1966. It has been a long search to find comfortable shoes since then. I have tried both warm and cold water, and the warm seemed to work better as long as I was in the spa and had the jets hitting my feet, but the effect did not last long after getting out.
In 2006 my GP diagnosed me with non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy and put me on an ever increasing dosage of acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol), and when it got to 4 grams per day with no result and he wanted me to take more, I told him that I liked my liver and kidneys and he needed to find something else. He then put me on 1 gabapentin per day. That did nothing either. I started researching and discovered a TENS unit which dramatically reduced the pain. The downside is that after some time I started to build up a resistance to it.
In April 2015 I got into the VA system and they upped the gabapentin to 9 pills per day and added 5 nortriptyline as well. Then did a test of nerve conductivity and found that there was no conduction in my left leg below the knee, but the right leg was normal, This explains why only the right leg hurts.
In May 2017 I had a fall and in the resulting round of MRIs they found spots on my L2 and L5 vertebrae. They then performed a bone scan and found nothing, so they decided that the MRI was wrong. I took copies of all the pictures and gave them to my GP. He consulted with a couple of oncologists and a hematologist and they suggested a blood test to check for an IgM spike. They finally gave me the result this month and the IgM was 775, but they want to wait to see what the next round of tests in January 2018 to see what they want to do about it. It is a process, and eventually, I should find out what is happening.
In 2006 my GP diagnosed me with non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy and put me on an ever increasing dosage of acetaminophen (Tylenol, paracetamol), and when it got to 4 grams per day with no result and he wanted me to take more, I told him that I liked my liver and kidneys and he needed to find something else. He then put me on 1 gabapentin per day. That did nothing either. I started researching and discovered a TENS unit which dramatically reduced the pain. The downside is that after some time I started to build up a resistance to it.
In April 2015 I got into the VA system and they upped the gabapentin to 9 pills per day and added 5 nortriptyline as well. Then did a test of nerve conductivity and found that there was no conduction in my left leg below the knee, but the right leg was normal, This explains why only the right leg hurts.
In May 2017 I had a fall and in the resulting round of MRIs they found spots on my L2 and L5 vertebrae. They then performed a bone scan and found nothing, so they decided that the MRI was wrong. I took copies of all the pictures and gave them to my GP. He consulted with a couple of oncologists and a hematologist and they suggested a blood test to check for an IgM spike. They finally gave me the result this month and the IgM was 775, but they want to wait to see what the next round of tests in January 2018 to see what they want to do about it. It is a process, and eventually, I should find out what is happening.
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EoinDubh - Name: Michael Black
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2017
- Age at diagnosis: 72
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