peripheral neuropathy questions and follow-up

[Guest guest]

It turns out, my patient and her husband have decided to take off in

their RV next week, for points unknown, and for an indefinite period. 

I doubt I will ever see her again.

 

 

 

For the sake of academic interest, and to answer the questions of those

who asked, here's some more info on her meds, history, constitution,

diagnosis, etc.  Unfortunately, her western medical diagnoses are all

over the place and unclear.  Example:  She was on depakote for seizures

for 15 years, and weaned off 4 weeks ago because she " does not have a

seizure disorder " .  She was diagnosed instead with COPD causing

fainting, which " went away " after she stopped smoking her

one-pack-a-day, one year ago.  The fainting is the reason she fell 3

days in a row, and hit her head each time.  MRSs are negative for

resultant head injury.  She was on gabapentin for the past year, and

weaned off also 4 weeks ago - it was prescribed for the neuropathy

pain, but she credited the numbness in her feet to it.  It also caused

her feet to get very swollen, and this went away after discontinuing

the gabapentin.  She has been on Tylenol 4 (contains codeine) for low

back pain following multiple lumber laminectomies in 1986 and 1987,

continuously ever since that time, dosing minimally as her doctor

allows her to do.  Her low back is obviously very stiff and all of the

muscles in her back are taut, rigid and swollen.  She takes ambien and

amitryptilene for sleep and either zantac or prilosec for stomach pain

that does not match proper use of those products - she gets bloating,

nausea, queasiness, and vomiting, but no burning or reflux.  These

symptoms occur when the weather gets hot and humid.  She also takes a

" small water pill " she inadvertently mentioned, but couldn't remember

the name of.  Lastly, she is hypothyroid and takes synthroid for that. 

She was surprised to hear I thought this was a lot of medication - she

used to be on even more.

 

 

 

The numbness and now intermittently-returning pins-and-needles

sensation is in all of her toes on both feet.  She is accustomed to

ignoring her symptoms as much as she is able.  Her left lower leg is

darker in color than the right - slight, but noticeable.

 

 

 

She also had knee replacement surgery in the left leg in 2007, which went well.

 

 

 

She has a very strong repugnant odor of something sickeningly sweet

that has been burned.  The odor lingers in my treatment room for days

after she leaves!  Her voice is deep and loud, and so phlegmy, it is

gravelly.  Her face is red.  Her tongue is puffy and large, dusky and

dark reddish with a wide, tender, pale orangey edge on the sides and

tip; there is a deep dip in the center; it is dry and there is no

coat.  There are no cracks in the tongue.  Her pulses are small, thin,

choppy, and a little tight, slightly stronger on the right wrist than

the left.

 

 

 

She complains of having gained 30 pounds in the last year, between

smoking cessation, meds, and reduced activity from the neuropathy.  All

of this weight is in her abdomen, with her limbs rather thin.  She

denies having a diagnosis of diabetes.

 

 

 

She complains of being hot, and sweats readily.  She said she did not

have hot flashes or night sweats during menopause; rather, it was as if

her body temperature went up and stayed there.

 

 

 

She has wine or scotch daily, and 1 cup of tea.  She talks incessantly, rambling

on about whatever her mind has rambled to.

 

 

 

Her neuropathy began immediately following the 3 falls and head strikes

last year.  Even so, I decided to treat her low back instead of her

head, and sensation began to return to her feet after one treatment.  I

treated lumbar huatojiaji points, sacral foramina, ki-3, ki-1, ki-6,

liv-3, and ub-60.  Her walking was more steady and confident when I saw

her today, compared to how she walked before her first treatment - shen

she said she couldn't feel her feet on the ground.

 

 

 

I diagnose her with damp heat in the stomach, kidney and spleen qi

deficiency generating dampness, phlegm heat retained in the lungs,

liver qi stagnation, and qi and blood stagnation in the feet, left knee

and low back.  And I also think this is the tip of the iceberg.

 

 

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and questions.

 

 

 

Andrea Beth

 

 

Traditional Oriental Medicine

Happy Hours in the CALM Center

635 S. 10th St.

Cottonwood, AZ  86326

(928) 274-1373