Mountainmom,
THats a tough one. Though the medications they use for nerve pain these days are similar to the ones you've tried, they are not all the same. Maybe the thing to do is to find a pharmacist to talk to about them and see if they can suggest something that might not cause such bad side effects for you. Different drugs use different enzymes etc to metabolize - and pharmacists should know that stuff and be able to advise you. Ask about imipramine, lyrica, other tricyclic antidepressant drugs, and other seizure medications. Pharmacists know a lot more about these things than doctors. Good luck.

Vanyel

I cant offer you any advice, because i'm in the same boat. I have extreme neuropathy, RSD, a cut sciatic nerve and a spinal cord injury. My left leg and foot feel like there are thousands of pieces of broken glass in them and at the same time it always feels like boiling water is being poured on them. When I walk, the bottom of my foot feels like the broken glass is being crushed in with every step. I've tried every nerve medication, every anti-depressant, every seizure medication, every pain medication, every alternative treatment and have never found relief. I have tried EVERY medication both prescription and non-prescription that could possible offer relief and nothing has helped. I suffer from multiple chemical sensitivity so 99% of the time, I have an extreme reaction to meds. I've had this nerve pain since Aug 2003, 6 years now and still have a very hard time living with it, but that's all I can do - live with it. My neurologist said it himself - there comes a time where you have to accept your life as it is and move on. I hope you find relief. One last thing - have you tried Lyrica or amitripyline?

I, too, have severe nerve pain in both feet, from severed nerves and scar tissue as the result of a bad doctor's surgery, from whence I never walked normally since. I have no ability to bear weight on my feet, and live in a power chair. The pain is so bad I fight the adrenaline overdose my body sends out, and it's been like this for 3 solid months, my skin showing the results of stress with places that won't heal. Went to ER 10 days ago for my first nerve block. Anyway, the podiatrist was compassionate, and said he would like to see the pain clinic try epidurals. (I've been going to the pain clinic for several years - same VA hospital, and they haven't offered). But perhaps such a thing could work for you, especially with your sensitivities preventing pain relief through oral meds.

Thanks everyone-I will try the pharmacist Vanyel- I have a good relationship with mine but hadn't even thought of that. Recently I developed foot problems on top of the nerve problems in my hands, just to be diagnosised with RSD spreading to both feet. From the rate of spread so quickly, looks like it will go full body on me.

hello Mountainmom,

I have read that the drug methadone is good for certain types of pain - like neuralgia. I tried this a couple of times and it did provide relief.

However, my doctor doesn't think it is a good drug to get into taking because it is apparently very hard on the liver and the heart.

You might ask about it anyway. I know it did help me some but it really affects your thinking and made me kind of dizzy.

I had no luck with Neurontin either. It made me violently ill. I've tried the various anti-depressants as well and have found that I have very horrid side effects from them (these are the SSRI types - aka Cymbalta, Serzone, Prozac, Zoloft, etc.).

At present I am taking strong opiates in small doses. I find some relief from the pain but I might add that oxycontin is giving me horrid nightmares at times.

I wish I had better ideas for you. Keep searching for some relief no matter what.

Go to mayoclinic.com and it tells you what the best medications are for nerve pain.

I too have bad reactions to a lot of medications
Antidepressants make me crazy and so do some epilepsy meds not to mention the too sleepy to function problem
Right now I'm trying keppra it's an epilepsy med that is different from other epilepsy meds... The pamphlet on it says they don't know why it helps with epilepsy and they don't know why it helps with nerve pain
I'm not sure it's helping with my pain, I haven't been on it long and am not quite up to the recommended dose but it hasn't caused me any side effects so far which I will generally notice within 3 days of starting a medicine, usually on the first day no matter how low of a dose I'm started on and I've been taking this for two weeks

Hope you find something soon