Natural Remedies for Neuropathy: Holistic & Nutritional

I have peripherals neuropathy from the antibiotic Levaquin..It took several years to determine this as dr's told me it's idiopathic which means they don't know where it came from...There are several drugs called fluoroquinolones that can cause neuropathy...I haven't yet met a dr who knows this..The drugs are CIPRO, LEVAQUIN, AVELOX, FLOXIN NOROXI, FLOXACIN...DO NOT TAKE THESE DRUGS NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DR SAYS..IT'S YOUR HEALTH NOT HIS/HERS.ANY SPECIAL REMEDIES FOR THIS KIND OF NEUROPATHY..I HAVE TRIED MANY THINGS...These drugs were made for cancer as they are chemotherapy..They didn't work so the Drug companies relabeled them as ANTIBIOTICS..NICE HUH?? I went to a dr with food poisoning lost 30 pounds in 4 days and he put me on Levaquin..HUGE MISTAKE ON MY PART TAKING THEM

Hi Karen; Unfortunately, the B12 serum test has done more damage than good to people's health.

Firstly, the typical range for normal is wrong. (way too low) Secondly, the serum measurement does not indicate at all the amount of B12 located in the spinal fluid, where it is necessary to be effective for nerves. Once someone begins supplementation, it is best to keep the serum levels above 1000 or much more. In fact, the serum levels will no longer indicate how the patient feels. Symptoms become the most important means of detecting one's healing.

I'm seeing this occurrance repeatedly, doctors are stopping B12 treatment for the very people who need it the most. This is medical mismanagement. It is very sad for me to have to see this happen to people. But it is a big money maker for Big Pharma. They will be able to sell alot more pain meds to suffering folks.

My husband is taking 250 mg of the alpha lipoic acid once a day and the same for the acetyl L-carnitine 500 mg, once a day. If he is having more "sparkles", he will take another of the ALA 250 mg.

I am a caregiver for my 93 year old mother who has neuropathy. I started giving her turmeric for hip pain (cured it 2 diferent times). I ran out and it was 12 days before I could get anymore. I hadn't noticed before I ran out, but, after it got out of her system, she started complaining about her legs numerous times during the day. It dawned on me that she had not been complaining so much of late. Once I got her back on the turmeric, she stopped having the complaints. She hurts in the morning when she first gets up, then virtually none afterward. I give her 2-500 mg a day. I take 3 a day as it greatly helps my arthritis.

R-Alpha Lipoic acid is one of the best supplements for neuropathy.

Hi every one at EC.

It's been a good 2 years since I started taking R factor ALA and said it didn't seem to be working that well. Was I ever wrong, It is a fact that the R-ALA does not work that good for me and that the people at the health food store told me that the R- ALA has a left spin on it, HUH.

Since then I found the R+ALA and life would be hell without it. I have been taking 200mg of the R+ALA by Prairie Naturals for about 2 years now and the difference is outstanding. The ingerdients are, Microcrystaline cellulose, Silicone dioxide, magnesium sterate in a vegetable capsule.

As I sit here typing I can feel the effects of my third dose for the evening giving me relief from a very bad attack. The Peripheral Neuropathy when acting up makes my right side mostly feel a lot of pressure in my leg and my feet feel tingly and have pressure on top where my foot feels like it has a tight shackle on it. My knee also feels a hot pressure above the knee cap on both knees but moree on the right side. Many nights I have sat up with a cold towel on my knees for relief from this condition. My doc knows about this and tells me to take it as needed.

I do find that my urine smells like amonia if I take to much.

I have type 2 diabetes and find it to be the problem for this Peripheral Neuropathy, also diagnosed about 2 years ago. I find that Cinnamon helps to control it and I don't take meds for it and avoid sugar at all costs.

Now on my bad days which I find some foods make it worse like today. So I start with 2 v caps of 200mg each right after supper. Then about 8pm I have another 2 caps. The pain starts to ease but then returns. 9pm I take another 2 caps, and then at 9:30pm another 2 caps. So that's a total of 1600mg in about 3.5 hours not to mention my regular 2 caps after lunch. That is on a bad day and for prevention I take it noon and supper at 2 caps per meal.

So in closing I am relieved that R+ALA seems to work well for me.

A friend of mine had peripheral neuropathy due to chemo treatment. I recommended B-vitamins, but knowing the seriousness of this, I was not willing to take chances. I advised her to buy a very good food-based B-Complex and an additional B-12. She had a very quick recovery (symptoms diminished in one day and resolved within a week or so, with no recurrence throughout chemo). Her neuropathies had just started a week or two before, so I'm sure that helped her heal quickly. The B-complex & B-12 supplements she took were Vitamin Code/Garden of Life. This is a raw, whole food formula with live probiotics and enzymes. Find it at any healthfood store in the US. She took it according to the package directions. The amounts are much less than typical supplements & it's a little pricey, but there is absolutely no doubt that this one was well-absorbed and effective for my friend. Her recovery was nothing short of amazing.

Having had plenty of back problems myself, I learned to be mindful of how mental stress causes me to tense up in my back and hips. Just being aware of this has helped me mentally combat the stress and relax my back. Easier said than done, I know, but I wish you all the best.

Regarding Severe Neuropathy in Feet

I would try turmeric at 500 mg 3 times a day...I use it and have minimal neuropathy pain..It also helps the liver much...

Vitamins b1 to b6 and b12, plus ala and butcher's broom, reduced my diabetes neuropathy by about 70% and another 10% by not using a recliner chair to watch tv. Maybe it presses on the nerves in the legs.

About a month ago I came down with the flu so I didn't take most of my supplements until I got better including grapeseed extract (not grapefruit seed) While I was off of the supplements I noticed that my legs were very painful because I take Alpha Lipoic Acid for my neuropathy. Anyways, I started taking the Grapeseed extract again only 2 - 100 mg capsules in the morning and right away the pain went away. IF anyone has neuropathy pain you might want to try the grapeseed extract for the pain. Please let me know if it helps.

Finally! My feet are returning back to normal. Getting off the B vitamins helped within a months time. Started taking Benfotiamine, a lipid-soluble form of thiamine (vitamin B-1). I have been taking if for about 3 weeks, 600 Mils, a day. I now have feeling in my feet again!

Once I eliminated ALL caffeine from my diet, my hands and feet felt so much better. (numbness and pain went completely away.) I am apparently allergic to caffeine...and I didn't find out until I as 50 years old and a lot of trial and error.

Keep looking, it could just be something in your diet.

It is time for an update on my neuropathy. It is just over a year since I started ALA and it has totally changed my situation. The nerves are healed to the point that I have virtually no numbness left. I still have a substantial amount of pain due to the super sensitive nature of recently healed nerves. When I wake up in the morning now I am almost pain free but by the end of the day my feet feel like they are on fire. The intensity of the pain is dependent on how much walking/standing that I do with it being worse with more walking. To give you an idea of how sensitive my sensory nerves are, I can feel every chamber of my heart contract and can also feel muscles in my thighs moving past each other. I expect the nerves to eventually toughen up and for the associated pain to be alleviated. Large doses of vitamin B12 seem to help the most and I just started taking yucca yesterday to alleviate the inflammation that results from walking. It is too soon to know if the yucca is helping but I am expecting that it will. I have most of my motor function back. All that is not back is some in my toes. TRY EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP. Grasp at the straws. One or more may help. Several have helped me. Al

My other half also suffered with Neuropathy caused by blood sugar. He found most effective relief came from MSM and Lecithin. If you research both these things it's understable why. He's recently also gone onto Amino Acids. Following someone elses recommendation. 99% of the time he is now pain free. If it flares then he goes straight back onto the above. We just wonder if he should take it all the time? He can go long spells with no problems. A friend of mine also tried the MSM after cancer treatments and got instant relief. I do hope this helps you. Good Luck and a speedy recovery.:)

Estrogen can morph into neurotransmitters. So on some level you could say it is a neurotransmitter. As hormone levels drop neuropathy can occur. Neuropathy in women can start within a decade of approaching menopause. There are quite a few studies out on estriol and Parkinsons as well.

If you know a senior lady who suddenly developed some neurological condition who is trying to find some answers, a good question to ask is "Did you recently stop taking estrogen?" I know of several women who developed neuropathy after 30 years of estrogen therapy- just stopping. There are some natural safer ways to increase estrogen, I understand.

What helped me was a very small daily dose of natural thyroid (not the synthetic). I tested fine but my body temp was always around 96.8. Subclinical thyroid conditions do exist and if there is neuropahy it is worth researching as well. I did not know it would do this. I was just tired of wearing a winter coat at work and shivering in the desert.

If iron is low neuropathy can occur. My experience is that the homeopathic Carc Carb 6x or blackstrap molasses (huge section in this site) was real helpful. I used to go to a Dr. In Pa who demand that you take blackstrap molasses every day. If you did not he could tell.

Anyway it is worth doing a search on the following: "Estrogen Neuropathy" "Menopause Neuropathy" "Anemia Neuropathy" "Hypothyroidism Neuropathy" "Estriol Parkinsons" Estrogen Neurotransmitter"

Another thing that can help is searching "Dosha Test" If the body type is Vata neuropathy can occur. There are ways to make corrections to diet and sleeping schedule that can bring relief.

I was talking to Brenda, a woman (40yrs old) from Mexico City, who developed Gestational Diabetes while pregnant a few years back, which later turned into type-1, and also developed neuropathy in her feet after taking diabetic medication.

She told me she traveled to Cuba for treatment of her neuropathy. There, they put her on high dosage of Vitamin B-Complex. After a few weeks, her neuropathy disappeared.

The Link Between Vitamin B-Complex Deficiency and Neuropathy

If you're a diabetic, unfortunately, you may be at a higher risk for neuropathy. The use of metformin for the management of blood sugar levels can deplete levels of Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins in the body. So, if you're a diabetic and any of the symptoms of neuropathy develop, then it's best to seek medical help in this case.

Low Vitamin B12 can cause dysfunction in the myelin sheath. The role of the myelin sheath is to protect the nerves from becoming damaged. This affects the ability of the nerves to operate correctly, as well as affecting the ability to provide adequate nutrition to the myelin sheath.

A deficiency of B-Vitamins is fairly common in the older age groups. In fact, between 10% and 15% of those over 60 years old have neuropathy.

An intensive treatment plan is needed to ensure that optimal B-Vitamin levels are maintained.

How Much Vitamin B-Complex Is Needed for Neuropathy Treatment

Lacking vitamins E, B1, B6, and B12 may cause neuropathy. These vitamins are vital to nerve health and functioning. A deficiency can lead to significant nerve damage.

The method used is generally dependent on whether one has developed a nutritional deficiency or poorly absorbs the vitamin.

The required doses of Vitamin B12 for neuropathy in adults are:

• 1000mcg daily over five days
• ​1000mcg weekly over five weeks

Brenda's treatment involved taking high dosages of B-Complex. She had to be monitored by blood work daily due to her Type-1 diabetes. But, for a person in general good health with no underlying health issues, taking B-Complex daily so have no problems.

Caution

For adults only. Consult a physician if pregnant/nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition. Most B-vitamin products contain Biotin (B-7), which may interfere with some blood test results.

Replying to Posted by Kay (Tampa, Fl.) on 05/12/2013:

Art, I saw your 4/5/13 post where you said you take both Chanca Piedra (500 mg/day) and R-ALA (which you take 500 mgs every meal and it is keeping it under control. I have horrendous neuropathy and have tried everything. I have it in my feet calves, arms and it is moving up my thigh. I get very little sleep as I have terrible hot knife stabbings all night long everywhere. My liver enzymes are over 100 each and have been for years. I have tried the Berkson remedy and took 1000 mgs milk thistle for 10 months and nothing changed. Also do you have an opinion on the clinical test trial called GS 7977? Thank you and God Bless.

Hi Kay,

I too suffered neuropathy mostly in my feet to the point I almost couldn't walk. I cut out all carbs, as much fat as I could, and started juicing 1.5 celery heads a day in the AM on an empty stomach, I started eating tons of apples, bananas, grapes, and any other fruit I could get my hands on. I fresh squeeze oranges to make at least 16 Oz of juice and some days 32 Oz of OJ, however I didn't drink OJ every day, but at least three times a week.

I basically cut almost all meat out of my diet except maybe a small piece of chicken for dinner. I started eating sweet potatoes and just regular potatoes with NO BUTTER/NO SOUR CREAM with only a tiny pinch of pink salt. I'm taking an adrenal support supplement every night before bed called HPA AXIS, Mega Hydrate 2 X daily, juice apples, cucumber and barley grass powder along with Spirulina daily also. I started taking full spectrum CBD OIL 500 mg once daily and finally after two months, the symptoms are subsiding. I honestly think my diet was killing me. I have been prediabetic and was always afraid to eat too much fruit.

The trick is to eat lots of fruit and cut out the meat and the fat. Eat lots of veggies especially green veggies and cruciferous. I'm sure it will help you, but be patient because it probably took you a while to get into that condition. Good luck to you.

Charlotte,

You might consider this for peripheral neuropathy :

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/five-supplements-for-peripheral-neuropathy.html

Art

Hi Mark, I hope you are feeling much better now after several years.

I know I'm a bit late in the game and I don't know if I am quoting something that I shouldn't be from the web but it comes from world-renowned Dr. Russell Blaylock who is a retired neurosurgeon. He found some success in treating P.N. with L-Theanine in higher doses. I quote him: "I tried L-theanine, a natural substance isolated from green tea, on a person suffering with unrelieved, intense postherpetic pain (which sometimes follows a shingles infection). By the next day, my patient dramatically improved and by the second day showed 90 percent improvement."

"L-theanine is a mild stimulant for glutamate receptors and keeps glutamate from full activation, which acts to tame excitotoxicity. L-theanine has a good safety profile, even in very high doses.

Suggested dose: 200 mg three times a day, 30 minutes before meals. It can also be increased to 400 mg three times a day if needed.

L-theanine is also helpful with sleep and reduces anxiety/depression. Combined with other anti-inflammatory flavonoid supplements such as curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, luteolin, hesperidin and ellagic acid, the results can be even better."

God bless,

JT

Dear Denise,

I am so sorry that you are stil suffering so with your neuropathy. I do not know why the B-12 is making you feel worse. I know you have tried many things for this condition and that you are dealing with more than one health problem.

The other day, Louwrence from South Africa posted about someone using carrot juice (5 cups a day) to cure cancer. I read that story and it is fascinating and very encouraging. Here is the link:

http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/ralph-cole-cured-cancer-with-carrot-juice/

I know you are not talking about cancer, but this article put me in mind of Herbalist John Christopher and his "Curing the Incurables" protocol for chronic health conditions. His book talks about using just grapes (crushed, grape juice, etc.) for 6 weeks (that is the only food) and continue this until cured of whatever it is that is the problem. I found this link that describes his protocol, though it isn't quite what I remember reading in his book.

http://www.herballegacy.com/Incurables.html

Anyway, all that to say, I have always thought that if I or one of my loved ones had something "incurable" I would try this. After reading about Mr. Cole curing cancer with carrot juice, I think, that would be worth a try, too.

I throw these ideas out as "something else you might be able to try." I hope you find a solution soon. I will be praying for your relief.

~Mama to Many~

I met a person at a health food store that purchased 6 bottles of celery seed. He said he takes 9 per day and it resolves his peripheral neuropathy. I have that condition so I bought one bottle and it magnified my tinnitus. If anyone tries this please let the readers know how it affects you. Celery is also good for blood pressure. It's supposed to bring blood to the extremities as well/open veins. Thx. And good luck