SixofNine,
Sorry for the delay, I've been off wondering around. :)
"Peripheral neuropathy" describes nerve damage in the extremities, for example in the feet and legs, hands and arms. In my particular case it began with my feet but since then it has slowly progressed up into my calves, and now more recently I have begun to feel the beginnings of it in the tips of my fingers (stinging and/or tingling). One of the primary sensations felt is that it's as if the person with PN is walking barefoot on rocks, and so it's quite uncomfortable to be on one's feet. Then, as PN progresses, the affected limbs become numb. Presently, I have numbness in parts of both my feet and toes. There is an accompanying burning sensation that, unless one is on a pain medication, won't allow the person to sleep. The feet are "tight" and feel much like they are in a vise.
Insofar as the cause of PN, when the source can't readily be determined I've read that then it's generally blamed on poor nutrition. (My doctors simply say that they don't know what caused it.) People that are diabetics are especially prone to acquire PN. But, I'm not a diabetic. There are also certain medications that can induce PN in a person, I've recently learned. Too, certain toxins, such as mercury, can damage the peripheral nerves. And, regarding "mercury," I recently found out that the amalgam fillings ("silver fillings") that dentists have used for well over a century now are composed of 50% mercury (each containing about the equivalent found in a thermometer). And now, it's claimed, that over the years the mercury leaks out in the form of vapor and is absorbed into the body. Simply because of what I've read over the Internet regarding amalgam fillings, and also because my doctors haven't a clue as to the source for my PN, I'm presently undergoing the process of getting the 6 amalgams removed from my teeth, two at a time, over a period of about 90 days (3 sessions all together). I've gotten one session out of the way already. However, even if the mercury that has been in my teeth since I was a teenager were by some chance the actual "source" of my PN, my ridding myself of the amalgams won't reverse the damage that's already been done. All such a precaution will hopefully do is stop the progression of the PN.
Insofar as PN goes, I wouldn't wish it off on my worst enemy. It's a terrible thing to live with.
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