Question: I am a 50-year-old woman, and my legs became very numb and painful throughout this past year. I went to a neurologist among other doctors and was told that I had neuropathy due to low iron and thyroid. I have been on iron and thyroid medications for the last six months, and the neuropathy has almost gone. Do you think there is something else going on or is this something that I will just have to live with?

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

It sounds like your neuropathy has been evaluated and corrective action has been taken. Your prognosis for full recovery needs to be discussed with your neurologist. Of course, you are not immune to other conditions that may cause their own form of nerve damage, so never turn a blind eye to new or persistent symptoms.

Correcting a neuropathy often takes upwards of 12 months or more, depending upon the severity and cause.

Unfortunately, many neuropathies are difficult to arrest, much less reverse, so we need to be pro-active in preventing them and aggressively treating conditions such as diabetes, vascular disease, vitamin deficiency, chronic disease, and drug or environmental toxicity that may predispose us to this type of nerve damage.