How your neuropathy is treated usually depends on the cause, Feldman says. If it’s type 2 diabetes, exercise and weight loss, if needed, can improve symptoms, according to a 2022 review in the journal Lancet Neurology. Neuropathy due to an autoimmune disorder, hypothyroidism, or a vitamin B12 deficiency often eases once the underlying condition is corrected. If it’s caused by chemotherapy, your doctor may change your regimen or advise a treatment break.
If those steps aren’t enough, medication may help. The American Academy of Neurology advises trying tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) and venlafaxine (Effexor ER), or gabapentinoids like gabapentin (Neurontin and others). A topical prescription capsaicin patch helps, but it can cause a rash or burning sensation.
If you have foot neuropathy, you should see a podiatrist several times a year to have your feet checked for sores, ulcers, and signs of infection. You should also examine your feet daily.
And if you’re 50 or older, make sure to get Shingrix, the two-dose shingles vaccine. Shingles can cause a painful condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which has similar symptoms to neuropathy, Feldman says. Shingrix has been found to be more than 90 percent effective at preventing it in people who get shingles.
Source link
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
