Gary K,
I stopped Gabepentin. It was screwing my head up so bad! For the last year or better I have been using the Capzacin creme, with sominex, with 2 Atrthritis Tylenol (1300 mg.) But it only works for a full night sleep about 25% of the time. I m very careful not to overdose on the Tylenol and sominex (use as perscribed) but rub in dab after dab after dab of the creme till the skin just won't take any more. This past week I have tried Voltaren Gel but it has only worked the first night and since for only 3-4 hrs ea night. The cremes demand MUCH care, focus, and attention for application and clean up. Or you could wake up with your eye burning out of its socket or worse in your groin as your contaminated hand moves around in your sleep. I cut the fingers off medical gloves, latex unavail now, to apply creme- one pair=10 nites. I do take other serious medicines which have unpredictable serious interactions with herbs and natural meds not worth the risk just to find out. Oh, about two months ago I had Lidocaine 5% pathes prescribed; did not help. Still looking. But I am still hopeful. At least I CAN do something after 3-4 hrs of interrupted sleep and get back to sleep; other folks are not so lucky.
I am glad that all of the home remedies are working for folks here as shared.
OH!, I am NOT immobile. I just cannot take a leisurely stroll and make friends along the way or spend time walking back from one side of the store to the other in Lowes or Meijer more than once which is hard with my case of CRS. I ride bike (for exercise; not slow and leisurely) and have swum but not recently. Once or twice a yr I might endure the consequences to play some tennis. I certainly get and walk my property but in the context of mission accomplishment for all of the work required around the place, not for pleasure. I will be eventually having the toe bones fused but that will not help the nerve damage and could aggravate it as sometimes when nerves are cut or damaged they regrow into a massive network which another surgeon may now have to cut through causing more of the same. I never needed a rolling chair but got close. I think that at night in sleep your pain tolerance goes to sleep, too, as your body relaxes and rejuvenates.
I am glad that you have found relief in those herbs and such. That is what Capzacin is: Cayanne Pepper extract prescribed by a doctor.