has anyone tried plaquenil for idiopathic SFPN?

[waif]

I can't afford a biopsy yet but I'm not in a rush bc I don't see great tx options... Just curious if anyone's tried it.

I've had extreme pain in my upper body and numb hands for for almost 10 years now.

"When the cause hasn’t been identified, treatment focuses on managing symptoms. Pain-related symptoms are typically treated with medication, including:

• antidepressants
• anticonvulsants
• corticosteroids
• topical pain creams
• analgesics"

 

[pattismith]

Do you mean small fiber neuropathy? I though hands and feet were both affected by this disease.

 

[waif]

I get symptoms in my feet but my hands are 24/7

I also have IR (which I control now... back when my hands went numb I had no idea)

 

[waif]

Like rn my thighs have needles

Compared to my hands it's not as pronounced

The burning I relate to A LOT. When I have bad flares I dunk both my arms in ice water

 

[kangaSue]

Nitrates are another option for neuropathic pain but most of the research with these has been into diabetic neuropathy. Nitrates aid with nerve blood flow as well as their effect on vascular blood flow.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29565948
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4665823/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6017304/ (nitrates get a brief mention)

Also, a 'medical food product' called Metanx (a combination of L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin, and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate) has been demonstrated to be an effective therapy for alleviation of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, in diabetics again though.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23218892

 

[waif]

funny you mention blood flow because basically my hands went numb in ~march 2010 and then randomly one day in August they regained sensation and around that time the veins in my hands were bulging. They went numb again and stayed that way but I remember being obsessed with blood flow. I mentioned it to a few ds...how my arms felt swollen and blood wasn't flowing right. got crazy looks obviously.

Ill research nitrates and metanx. Thanks!