When a person is diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy, some questions that they ask are “Where did they get it?” and “What is the cause of this disease?” The worst thing that they can hear is their doctor telling them that it is “idiopathic” meaning the cause is not known. But how can you treat a problem in which the cause is not known. There must be a cause and the cause should be known so that it can be treated.
These are the diases associated with small fiber neuropathy:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- IGT (Impaired Glucose Intolerance)
- Sjogren’s disease
- Amyloidosis
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
- Lyme Disease
- Viral Infections
- Lupus
- Metal (Mercury) Poisoning
- Hypothyroidism
- Celiac Disease
Diagnosis and treatment of these diseases help a lot in stopping the progression of small fiber neuropathy. The standard practice today is to give pain killers to patients. This decreases the shooting pain that can only be described as bones being pricked by an ice pick. It’s like having a bad toothache but the pain is felt in the hands and feet. Neurologists and other experts are still studying the treatment for small fiber neuropathy.