I’ve been dealing with idiopathic neuropathy for three years now, but lately, the “electric shocks” in my feet are winning. It’s making me dread going to bed. I’ve started trying to manage it by looking at three specific areas of my life.
First, I changed my environment by switching to 100% cotton sheets and keeping the room at exactly 68 degrees. Second, I’ve established a strict routine where I soak my feet in lukewarm water with Epsom salts for twenty minutes before lying down. Finally, I started tracking my triggers in a notebook. I noticed that high-sodium dinners make the buzzing significantly louder the next morning.
Even with these changes, I’m still struggling to get more than four hours of solid sleep. The mental toll of anticipating the pain is almost as bad as the pain itself. I’m curious—what would you do if you were in my shoes? Should I push for more testing, or is this just my new normal at 62?
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I’m right there with you. The ‘anticipation’ of the pain is a real thing. It’s like your brain is on high alert before you even hit the pillow.
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Have you had your B12 levels checked recently? I thought mine was just ‘age’ but it turned out I was severely deficient. Fixing that didn’t cure it, but it definitely turned the volume down on the buzzing.
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The sodium connection is interesting. I noticed the same thing with processed sugar. If I have dessert, my feet are on fire by midnight.
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Never accept this as a ‘new normal’ without a second opinion. I went through three doctors before I found a neurologist who actually listened and adjusted my meds correctly. Keep pushing.
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The lukewarm soak is good, but have you tried alternating between cool and warm? It helps my circulation a bit before I try to sleep.
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I’m 65 and refuse to believe this is just aging. I’m starting physical therapy next week specifically for nerve desensitization. Might be worth looking into for you too.
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If the tracking shows sodium is a trigger, definitely stick with that data. It’s amazing how much inflammation from food affects the nerves. I had to cut out most canned goods and my ‘zaps’ decreased by half.
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Do you use any topical creams? I use a magnesium lotion right after the soak and it seems to calm the nerves down just enough to let me drift off.
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I’m in the same boat. It’s exhausting being tired all the time because you can’t sleep. I finally asked my doctor for something for the anxiety of it, and it helped me stop obsessing over the sensation.
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Push for more testing. Have they done an EMG or skin biopsy? ‘Idiopathic’ is just a fancy word for ‘we don’t know yet.’ Don’t give up on finding the root cause.
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