Dear Dr. SerVaas: I have suffered from peripheral neuropathy for several years. Now I'm hearing through the grapevine that there is a way to treat it. Can you give us any information on this?
I am 79 years old and have fallen many times. If I touch my toes to a table leg, it will often trigger a feeling of a bolt of lightning going through my ankle. Anything you can tell me about the disease will be very much appreciated.
Lila Bossen
Desert Hot Springs, California
Dear Reader: Researchers are looking for better ways to treat and cure peripheral neuropathy, a nerve disorder causing potentially disabling pain and muscle weakness in the arms and legs.
Recent studies have reported good results with an antiseizure drug called Neurontin. Other options being tested include the heart drug mexiletine and antiseizure medications Tegretol and Dilantin.
Preliminary results are expected late next year on a new pain-relieving gel being tested for peripheral neuropathy and post-shingles neuralgia at 20 study centers around the country. The innovative treatment is a topical gel formulation of clonidine, a widely prescribed drug for treating hypertension that also acts as a potent local analgesic.
Vitamins B1, B12, and folate supplements sometimes help relieve symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, and gamma-linolenic acid have also shown some positive effect on neuropathy.
Diabetes is a common cause of this problem in older people. Impaired circulation and the antibiotics metronidazole (used for Crohn's disease) and isoniazid (used for tuberculosis) have also been linked to the disorder. A large number of cases, however, are of unknown cause.
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