neuropathy & carbamazapine?

sennacharib

Hi all,

Just gt off phone from doctor and she said she wants to check my vitamin b12 levels, folic acid and hormone levels as i have such widespread pain and havent been sleeping the last couple nights due to this.

Also she said she wants me on carbamazapine to help me sleep and to ease the pain if it is indeed neuropathy, I get some pins needles in hands, but generally nowhere else, but i explained that my pain is now in hips, shoulders, elbows, feet, ankles, hands & wrists and thats when she said for me to have extra bloods done on monday and for me to start this drug at night.

Anyone else with arthritis been on this drug or been told it may be neuropathy?

I thought that the pain i have where it is all at joint locations was whatever arthritis i have...but maybe im wrong and the rheumy is wrong for suspecting RA?

Hope your all well..love & hugs senna xxxxx

dreamdaisy

Hi senna, it does sometimes feel like taking three steps forward then one or two back doesn't it? It can take a while to narrow things down even to a vague diagnosis, inflammatory arthritis is a complex beast but at least it sounds as though your doc is being thorough and that is a good thing. I haven't had the med you mention but I hope it helps. Let us know how you get on with it, yes? I wish you well. DD

barbara12

Hi Senna
DD is right one step forward one back...at the min I have OA..but to be honest sometimes every joint in my body can hurt...I have gabapentin for nerve pain...but for some strange reason they have stopped working..
Sorry Im not much help...I do hope you get some relief very soon.

dorcas

Hi Senna

I've not had Carbamazapine so am not able to say anything about it's uses or effectiveness. Perhaps you should ask your doctor?
or you could ask the pharmacist when you collect your prescription. I've always found them really helpful!

I had my B12 and Folic Acid levels checked too when I had nerve pain and numbness in my arm (parasthesia). Apparently lack of these substances can be responsible for nerve pain. As it turned out it wasn't lack of either of these causing the problem, but trapped nerves in the neck.
Tests can be as much about 'eliminating' potential causes, as they are to help them decide on a diagnosis.

It is difficult to wait and even more difficult to be in pain while you wait for a diagnosis...so hopefully the Carbamazapine will help.

As others have said... at least your doc is being thorough and looking for the causes of your pain and not just slapping a label on!

hope it all turns out well for you....

Iris xxx

skezier

Hi Senna,

I also got the neuropathy.... Its kinda handy in some ways as my hands and wrists don;t hurt half as much as they should, or so the rumo says and thats what made him think I had it.

I have the normal mtx bloods and well have no idea if they check the vit B so will ask......

I also burn my hands sometimes cus it doesn't feel hot and I am too stupid to remember it will be :roll:

Like Iris mine is coming from the neck, though some of it is also possibly linked to the arcro and or raynaud's, but they have done some tests for carpal tunnel etc and they might be the next thing for you if the vit levels are ok.

I hope they can soon get you sorted and hang in there. Cris x

frogmorton

Hi Senna

they do sometimes use epilepsy medications like carbamazapine (gabapentin/pregabs) for neuopathic pain which is not false pain 'in your head'.

I tried gabapentin years ago for nerve damage to my back???

I would the pharmacist as Dorcas suggests (was it you Iris??? :???: )

Love

toni xx