Nerve damage due to chemical burn - looking for non-medicine options

[duarte1985]

Originally Posted by mrsD

Welcome to NeuroTalk:

I wonder about Lidoderm patches?

They cannot be applied to skin that is damaged or open.

But you could try them just above the burn on intact skin along the spine. Might work.

Once the skin is closed over the burn, you could apply them there.

Some of the posters at our RSD forum get Lidocaine IV infusions.
One of our posters here, Malawigirl gets them too. Typically you have to be in a hospital for them. And they don't work for everyone. But when they do work, there can be substantial relief. This wears off over days, or weeks, and then is redone. I think alot depends on what kind of damage you have.

Back when my when my neuropathy was diagnosed, The doctor gave me the lidocane patches. The were over three hundred dollars , It didn't kill the pain at all and my favorite the fall off so I can't go anywhere its like being held hostage, You could cut it to fit your foot but. my toes hurt too, I tried to cut little patches for them it didn't work.

[mrsD]

The Lidoderms may work better on your spine.

Placing them where you feel the pain, is sometimes not where the
actual pain is being generated from.

You can also use tape to hold them. If you use soaps and don't rinse off (if they have lotions in them), the patches don't stick well. So clean the area off with some alcohol and they may stick better.

Most failures with Lidoderm patches are because of placement errors. My experience is that doctors haven't a clue about this.
And neither do the drug reps, as I have talked to them as well.
The manufacturer has not made any attempt to direct placement advice for these.

[mollymoo123]

OMG!!! I honestly feel for you but im also glad to have found this post. I am also here because of a burn injury. 20% burns with half being deep 2nd deg burns that covered the length of my left arm all the way down to my fingers. The back of my hand was the worst and its here i seem to have nerve damage.
I was burning tree rubbish before fire season (Aust) and decided to burn a box of documents. Unfortunatly someone put a full can of spraypaint in it. Luckily i was about 2 metres away from the fire because it burnt me bad enough from there. I believe a fire ball hit me then burning stuff fell on me. my face, tounge, neck, arm and some of my back were burnt. I also suffered for doctor stupidity and went to my local small town hospital and was kept in over night with only penedene forte and ice to help me. then told to "go home and let it heal" with only mild painkillers and mild antibiotics. I saw him again after that and he treated me like i was over reacting and then 4 days after was in the Royal Adelaide burns unit with the added bonus of a infection ripping through my body. But they gave me all the drugs i needed. Plus surgery and amazing care. I was there for a week. it should have only been a few days if it were not for the infection. That was 5months ago today.

I would say ive done really well until the last few weeks. it started with my midle and index finger, and now i have pain right up my arm. for the past 2 weeks the entire arm has been swollen and ive had to return to my pressure garments. my hand feels slightly paralysed, numb and tingly. I get sharp pain through my fingers and then deep aching pain through my arm. Im back to see the doctor in 2 days and im hoping to get some answers. I haven slept much since this set in and its starting to wear me down. As of yesterday most of the swelling has gone down and im only on painkillers at night, i think my pain threshold is pretty good now. but the pain is worse at night. I kind of feel like im back to where i started just as i got my self sorted. my post traumatic stress had only just reduced. I expect everything to explode these days lol.
So far ive just been managing the pain with nurofen plus (Ibuprofen and Codeine) but it just blurs the pain and im trying to keep my arm elevated for the swelling. Im not sure if i should be using my hand or not but the doc has told me not to work. ive been using it a little and i feel like its helped but when i stop the pain is there. i am scared of making it worse though. Im left handed and need that hand.

Anyway i guess i wanted to comment because so far i havent found many of us burn victims with this problem. Its a pretty lonely situation and its unfair for both of us. I would love to hear how you are going now. I hope your scaring is going ok.
Cheers sarah

[chaos]

Sarah,

Now, a few months later, I'm not sure if the burn is responsible. My hands started having neuropathy as well, so that would rule out the burn. But I've ruled out so much of everything else. My guess is that my trauma just made everything that could go wrong with my body to do so. Yeah, they gave me a ton of meds, but I'm not sure if I was on any that could have made this worse. I did have a bad reaction to Flagyl, which is on that list of possible causes, but I didn't take it for more than a few days.

The PTSD and healing that our bodies have gone through is bad enough, why does everything else have to break down? I know my thyroid is low because of the burn (go get yours checked, my Endo says it happens a few months after trauma).

Nobody has been able to give me an actual answer about what is causing this. I am currently taking an alternative to Gabapentin, it's Oxcarbazepine. Still having nerve pain, but I can't take more meds or I'll sleep all day. Waiting for an EMG for my hands. I think my Neuro is dismissing my issues as not a big deal. Going to see a different doc for the EMG. Many symptoms are pointing to hereditary. Did the burn bring it out? My guess yes.

[mollymoo123]

I went to the DR and she thinks its Rsd. So tomorrow im off to the physio and im on Endol (amitriptyline). Ive finaly gotten some sleep for the first time since i was burnt but at the same time im a little bit of a zombie on it. So ill give it a few days to see what happens. I dont think its doing much for the pain. in away i feel its making the pain worse or more consistant.

I have wondered if the RSD was just exposed by my burns. I get numb hands after excersise and a few other things that i havent taken notice off. So we will see. But this did start at the point of my deepest burn.

Im really trying to see the good in this, other than the time off work that i dont realy need. but who knows hindsight can be a great thing. The sleep im getting is good. lol

Thankyou though. I wish neither of us had this to follow our burns but im glad to have found someone who had been through the same thing.