Neuropathic Pain: Neuropathic pain is chronic pain resulting from injury to the nervous system. The injury can be to the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or the peripheral nervous system (nerves outside the brain and spinal cord). The most common symptom of nerve pain is chronic pain in the feet, and sometimes the legs and upper extremities. This chronic pain is variously described as
burning,
stabbing,
prickling, or
tingling.
There are many potential causes of nerve pain. Causes include:
diabetes,
injury/trauma,
disc herniation,
kidney disease,
thyroid hormone abnormality,
excess growth hormone,
vitamin deficiency,
alcoholism,
vasculitis,
tumor/cancer,
repetitive stress injury such as carpal tunnel syndrome,
toxin exposure,
prescription medications,
infections,
genetic causes, and
small fiber neuropathy.
Must Read Articles:
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Alcoholism
Alcohol problems vary in severity from mild to life-threatening and affect the individual, the person's family, and society in numerous adverse ways. Signs of a drinking problem include insomnia, loss of employment, blackouts, depression, auto accidents, bruises, frequent falls, and anxiety. Treatment involves stabilization, detoxification, and rehabilitation of the alcohol-dependent person. -
Understanding Antidepressant Medications
There are many types of depression such as clinical depression, major depression, seasonal affective depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. There are a variety of depression medications, and their effectiveness may vary from patient to patient. Examples of the types of depression medications include atypical antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Side effects, drug interactions, and warnings and precautions should be reviewed prior to taking any medication. -
Anxiety
Anxiety as a medical condition is characterized by worry, fear, nervousness, shortness of breath, sleep problems and other symptoms. Diarrhea, tremors, and rapid heart rate are some physical symptoms of severe anxiety, which may arise from a mental or physical condition, drug use, or some combination of these causes. Treatment can include medication and psychotherapy. -
Electromyography (EMG)
Electromyography, or EMG, involves testing the electrical activity of muscles. Often, EMG testing is performed with another test that measures the conducting function of nerves, called a nerve conduction study. There is minimal pain and discomfort associated with an EMG. -
Chronic Pain
Chronic pain is pain that persists for a period of six months or longer, and is the result of a long-standing medical condition(s) or damage to the body. Common sources of chronic pain include headaches, back pain, and arthritis. There are several types of pain including general somatic pain, visceral pain, bone pain, muscle cramps, neuropathy, circulatory problems, and headache pain. Chronic pain may be managed with over-the-counter or prescription medications. -
Depression Health
Depression is a mental illness that affects 19 million Americans annually. Causes are genetic, environmental, and biological. Symptoms and signs include weight loss, fatigue, crying spells, feeling sad, isolation from family and friends, and thoughts of death or suicide. Treatment may include psychotherapy and medication. -
Diabetes (Mellitus, Type 1 and Type 2)
What causes diabetes, what tests diagnose it, and what is a good diabetic diet? Learn the signs of being diabetic, the treatments, and the differences between type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes (insulin dependent) can be caused by heredity, environmental factors, or ethnicity. Type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent) can be caused by high blood pressure, high lipid levels, high-fat diet, high alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, ethnicity, or age. -
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Symptoms include sore throat, headache, cough, and fever. Treatment usually involves the administration of antibiotics and the diphtheria antitoxin. -
Chronic Kidney Disease
Twenty percent of people over the age of 20 years will develop chronic kidney disease in their lifetime. Chronic kidney disease causes are diseases of the kidney(s), diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, Glomerulonephritis, polycystic disease, medications, and other conditions. Symptoms include; fatigue, nausea and vomiting, edema, itching, easy bruising, anemia, headaches, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, chest pain, and more. Treatment for kidney disease generally involves dialysis, or kidney transplantation depending on the condition of the person and kidney(s). -
Leprosy
Leprosy is a disfiguring infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria. The disease was discovered in 1873 by G.A. Hansen. Symptoms of leprosy include skin lesions, ulcerations, destruction of nasal cartilage, loss of sensation, and eye pain. Treatment with dapsone, rifampicin, and clofazimine has proven to be highly effective. -
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, sometimes referred to as Lyme infection, is a bacterial illness, transmitted to humans by the bite of deer ticks (Ixodes ticks) carrying a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi. Symptoms and signs include a red bull's-eye rash and flu-like illness in the early stages of Lyme disease. Doctors will treat primary or early Lyme disease with oral antibiotics including doxycycline, penicillins, or erythromycin. -
Mercury Poisoning
Mercury poisoning can be found in several forms including inhaled, vapor, organic, inorganic, etc. Examples of sources of mercury poisoning include environmental, mercury thermometers, medication, fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, and more. Symptoms of mercury poisoning include mood swings, insomnia, headache, muscle twitching, tremors, and more. Treatment for mercury poisoning depends on the type and amount of exposure. -
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a term that refers to malfunctions or diseases of the nerves. Types of neuropathy include diabetic neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, optic neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy, alcoholic neuropathy, proximal neuropathy, cranial neuropathy, auditory neuropathy, and focal neuropathy. Causes of neuropathy can be disease, injury, infections, or vitamin deficiencies. Symptoms of neuropathy depend on the nerves involved. Treatment is generally medication and lifestyle changes to prevent further nerve damage. -
Shingles
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Initially, the virus causes chickenpox. The virus remains dormant in the body until the virus is reactivated by a trigger such as stress, fatigue, cancer, radiation treatments, injury, HIV/AIDS, or a weakened immune system. Symptoms include pain in a broad band on one side of the body, fever, chills, headache, itching, and a red, raised rash. Treatment may incorporate pain medication, applying cool compresses, and avoiding skin-to-skin contact with others. -
Pain Medications
The effects of pain medication are different for each person. Pain also varies in tolerance as well from person to person. There are several different pain medications such as NSAIDS, acetaminophen, and narcotics. The most commonly prescribed narcotics are morphine (MS Contin, Avinza, Kadain, Oramorph), oxycodone (OxyContin, Roxicodone, M-oxy, ETH-Oxydose, Oxyfast, OxylR), fentanyl (Duragesic, Fentanyl Patch), oxymorphone (Opana), and methadone (Methadose) Narcotic pain medications can lead to physical addiction. Symptoms of physical addiction to narcotics include flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bone aches, feeling like you are "crawling out of your skin," goose bumps, chills, tremor, and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms are all medical concerns and should be treated medically. -
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is defined as an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal. The most common cause of spinal stenosis is degenerative arthritis. The types of spinal stenosis depend on the location along the spine, cervical, thoracic, or lumbar. Symptoms are generally experienced to the areas of the body that is regulated by that portion of the nerves in the spinal chord. Possible symptoms include worsening balance, falling, dropping objects, difficulty buttoning buttons or picking up small coins, loss of control of the bowel and/or bladder, pain, numbness, tingling, weakness along the path of the nerve being compressed, myelopathy (spinal cord compression), weakness or cramping in the arms and hands, and weakness or cramping in the legs and feet, particularly progressively with walking and being relieved with resting. Treatment for spinal stenosis is generally surgery. -
Thyroid Problems
Diseases of the thyroid gland can lead to hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, thyroid goiters, or thyroid cancer. Symptoms of both hypo- and hyperthyroidism-related conditions include constipation, fatigue, weight gain, cold or heat intolerance, to coma. Treatment depends upon the thyroid condition. -
Trigeminal Neuralgia (Facial Nerve Pain)
Trigeminal neuralgia causes facial pain. It is a disorder arising from the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensory information from the face. The pain often leads to sleep deprivation, anxiety, and depression. Trigeminal neuralgia can be sometimes controlled with medication. If the pain is caused by an artery pressing on the root of the nerve, a neurosurgeon can perform surgery to move the artery. -
Vasculitis
Vasculitis is inflammation and damage to blood vessels or blood vessel walls caused by certain diseases and conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, giant cell arteritis, Kawasaki disease, hepatitis B and C, lymphoma, and more. Treatment depends on the cause of the underlying condition causing vasculitis. -
Ask What Are the First Signs of Fibromyalgia
I’ve been feeling very fatigued lately. My muscles are sore, as if I’ve been working out, but I haven’t been to the gym in a month or two. A friend at work has fibromyalgia, and she said the symptoms were similar to hers. What are the first signs of fibromyalgia?
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Clinical Depression
Depression is a mental illness that affects 19 million Americans annually. Causes are genetic, environmental, and biological. Symptoms and signs include weight loss, fatigue, crying spells, feeling sad, isolation from family and friends, and thoughts of death or suicide. Treatment may include psychotherapy and medication.
Neuropathic Pain Topic Guide - Visuals
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Neuropathic Pain Topic Guide - Medications and Vitamins
Medications:
Citalopram (oral)Citalopram is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
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LamotrigineLamotrigine is an anti-epileptic medication, also called an anticonvulsant...learn more »
GabapentinGabapentin is an anti-epileptic drug, also called an anticonvulsant. It affects chemicals and nerves in the body that are involved in the cause of seizures ...learn more »
VenlafaxineVenlafaxine is a selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRIs) antidepressant. Venlafaxine affects chemicals in the brain that may be un...learn more »
ParoxetineParoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant.
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AmitriptylineAmitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. Amitriptyline affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression...learn more »
DesipramineDesipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant. Desipramine affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression...learn more »
NortriptylineNortriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant. Nortriptyline affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression...learn more »
Phenytoin (oral)Phenytoin is an anticonvulsant medication that is used to control seizures. Phenytoin does not treat all types of seizures, and your doctor will determine i...learn more »
Carbamazepine (oral)Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant. It works by decreasing nerve impulses that cause seizures and pain...learn more »
Bupropion (oral)Bupropion is an antidepressant used to treat major depressive disorder and seasonal affective disorder. The Zyban brand of bupropion is used to help ...learn more »
Neuropathic Pain Topic Guide – Related Topics
Related Topics:
Leg Pain
There are a variety of causes of leg pain. Some of the common causes include fractures, strains, sprains, bleeding, diseases such as gout, peripheral artery dis...learn more »
