Natural Remedies for Neuropathy: Holistic & Nutritional

My neurologist has recently informed me that supplemental B6 can build up in your system to toxic levels and cause nerve damage. I stopped all supplements immediately. I am now getting some relief from 1tbs unfiltered, unheated, organic ACV mixed with unfiltered, unheated, organic honey in a glass of hot water, 3x per day. Do your research before you make changes or try something new :)

Check your D vitamin level. Read about vitamin D influence on sleep and the effects of bad sleep on body recovery. You can Google apnea and vitamin D deficiency for a few articles.

Diane: I have had those symptoms for many yrs but w/ much less severity; mine was directly related to heavy metal poisoning. You can purchase a lab kit to test if you have any heavy metals by submitting a simple hair sample thru the mail. Mercury in specific is very toxic to the nervous system.

I used to have those almost unbearable electric, stabbing shocks on the instep of my foot. Then I researched and now use Amla powder, a very potent vit.C from India. I make up about three tsp. in a glass with water to steep for the day and, using a straw, divide this quantity over a day and a bit right after a meal..

With this I use a cup with three full tsp. of turmeric with hemp oil and a full tblsp. plain whey powder in water. I have kept up this for, I think, two years. The pain disappeared soon, came back just a wee bit and vanished for good, so it seems.

I have this from Ayurveda and it is actually meant for diabetes without medication. It was stated that large amount of vit. C would cure the pain. It did. Om

I would like to know if anyone with stabbing electric shocks from peripheral neuropathy has cured/stopped them. I get them all over my body, feet, ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, fingers even in my eyes and the top of my head. They're so strong sometimes I almost black out. I actually see stars or a white light. I get them 24/7 My doctor said last week there's nothing more he can do. I have been on fentenyl patches, morphine, B-12 sublingual amd patches. ALA at all strengths, various kinds of magnesium at all strengths. Thank you for reading. Many blessings

Mama to many, Thanks you for the feedback. Interestingly enough, I have a friend that's a periodontist that had cancer and cured it by drinking carrot juice and nothing but for a month! He drank so much the bottom of his feet turned orange...but it worked! He got out of the Doctoring field because it's a "Crooked/unethical game they play to all people." He told me if I ever went to an emergency room and had full insurance coverage they would do every tesy available even if you had a hangnail...I have a neighbor who that happened to and she just had a sore wrist but they ran up an $8,000.00 bill with every kind of test possible..(MRI, CAT scan, full body Xrays, blood tests etc. etc. all stuff completely unrelated to her wrist.) my friend now has a holistic business for children in PA.

In any event, he's cured and I just may give carrot juice a try..even though neuropathy is my issue along with hep-c..Thank you again.

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 tried B-12 patches for my terrible neuropathy and my cramping and shooting/stabbing pains got worse..I thought all B vitamins were water soluable so this wouldn't happen. Anybody have any suggestions as why this might happen? Thank you.

I read over the entire postings on neuropathy to see if I was missing anything. I noticed that someone posted about MSM and Lecithin being used together and I had noticed that after eating a chocolate bar that my feet would often improve for a while. I have been taking glucosamine with condroitin sulfate and MSM for quite a while for cartilage repair-tears and arthritis-so I added Lecithin to my supplements as well and it seems to be helping. It is amazing how being deficient in one or several nutrients can delay/prevent healing or even cause health problems. Don't discount anything without trying it first. You may get a very pleasant surprise. I have been lucky enough to have had several pleasant surprises with nutritional supplements and am looking forward to more. I have found out that some may not work by themselves and have as a result discovered the value of experimentation. I recommend that everybody experiment to find what works for them. Start with a little and increase if it helps.

I have been using the yucca for just over a week and am seeing amazing results. While the nerves in my feet are super sensitive, which results in swelling and high levels of pain, I am now seeing a substantial reduction in the swelling and pain with the yucca.

For those of you who are wondering what I am using, I am now taking:

ALA-200 mg/day, grape seed extract-200mg/day, B12 sublingual-30, 000mcg/day, benfotiamine, B3, folic acid, curcumin, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, fenugreek, acetyl-l-carnitine, l-lysine, vitamin C, vitamin D and yucca.

I may have missed some and don't know the dosages of all of them as I am not at home right now. If anyone has any specific questions please contact me directly at gustafsonal (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thank you and don't give up.

Dear Al.

I am so glad to hear about your success with the ALA. I have had great success with it as well with the burning sensation just above my knees and pressure aches on both wrist. I was taking 2x250mg with every meal and then I discovered I only need to take it at noon and supper. Without this my life would be hellish painful. It was your posts that got me started on the ALA. I did try the R factor ALA with little success.

Art.

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

I've been taking a number of supplements and natural remedies for neuropathy for almost a year now, each having a range of effectivness, advantages and disadvatages. They include D3, B12 and chewing on raw ginger. I was surprised when I realized what actually helped the most. A mug of coffee works the best and gives the longest lasting relief. It took a while for me to figure this out because I generally don't drink it that much, only when I really need to stay awake for work or a long drive. I still limit my coffee consumption but not as much as I used to. Obviously, don't drink it in the evening if you want to get your sleep.

I'd be interested in learning how this works for others. All I know is I'm getting a lot of relief when I have my 12 oz. Mug of it. It lasts me through almost the entire work day.

Hi Denise,

Yes, I see why you would be hesitant to try the Blackstrap. I don't know if Dandelion Tea is an option for you, but I knew someone long ago who got Hep. C and drank Dandelion Tea and it did cure him. Also, for the swollen lymph nodes, I have found castor oil (topically) to help that a lot. I don't mean to minimize your health issues--sometimes the solutions are very complex. At the same time, sometimes there are some simple things that do help a lot. I hope that is the case for you. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. KY Mama

Ky Mama to many, Thanks you for the feedback... I don't think it's a good idea for me to take BSM as it is high in iron. I have hepatitis c as well as neuropathy... I've read iron will help the viris replicate... Maybe I should try it for just one day and see... Hmmm?... I believe the hep-c caused the neuropathy... I had stage 4 chirossis in july 2011 and at the exact same time my neuropathy surfaced... I believe the two are connected... I got rid of chirrosis in 5 months but my neuropathy is still here... I tried a product recently called Padma 28 and got severe headache ans swollen glands in my neck, which I still have.. I certainly will try burdock root and start low and increase... Interestingly enough I took Essiac tea for about a year and it didn't help my cramps. It has 4 herbs and one of them is Burdock... My guess is the burdock is a low dose in the tea.. Again thank you for the feedback and bless you muchly.....

Denise,

So sorry about the cramping you are having! Because Burdock is a natural diuretic, I would not expect it to have a bad effect. I am thinking it is making your system work better, thus the diuretic effect. I was breastfeeding when I took burdock and definitely had a high need for liquid. I didn't notice a diuretic effect. (But I do drink a ton of water and might not have noticed! ) However, at least one herbalist recommends starting slow with a blood cleansing herb like this so as not to overwhelm the system. I didn't know this when I tried it and started with 3 t. Per day. I had no problems. But you might want to start with 1/3 t. three times a day and build up to 1 t. three times a day over the course of a week or two.

Burdock Root might help your cramping. It has potassium and magnesium in it, which are good for cramping.

Are you doing anything else for the cramps? Have you tried Blackstrap Molasses? It works wonders for my family. We take 1 T. When we have a cramp. 1 T. twice a day will prevent them for a lot of people.

KY Mama

I will start taking Burdock (1 teasp) 3x a day with turmeric (1 teasp)3x day... One last question. I have terrible calf cramps. Will the diuretic effect of the burdock effect my cramps> I'm in hell with these cramps.. They wake me up every day sometimes with both calves at once cramped.. Screaming pain... I've had these for 27 months. Thank you KY Mama...

Yes, it worked out to about 3 teaspoons a day. It would be fine to just take the powder in water. It has a mild taste. It is used for food in other countries. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. God bless you! KY Mama

To Ky Mama from Clinton, Ky: I see where you have taken 3 or 4 capsules a day of Burdock root with food for 3 months to resolve your neuropathy. My question is... Does 4 capsules equal a teaspoon? If so, then you were taking 3 teaspoons a day. Could I take that in a glass of water instead of putting it in capsules? In other words 3 teaspoons a day of burdock. Thank you for reading.

Please read the book by Dr. Louis Ignarro. He won the Nobel prize for science in 1997. He states clearly that Arginine and Citrulline will help neuropathy. He says to take 4000 mg arginine and 1000 mg citrulline before bed and it will bring back to life your endothelial cells and your neuropathy will be helped and your heart and everything else in your body will benefit... The combination of these 2 amino acids generates Nitric oxide...

Bernice, There are lots of different things people on Earth Clinic have tried... I would personally start with the turmeric and burdock root. They could be taken together. Also, the apple cider vinegar is good for many things, and I notice people use it for neuropathy. Burdock Root helped me with neuropathy a number of years ago. It took a couple of weeks of consistent use to see a difference. I didn't know about turmeric back then or would have used it, too.

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/neuropathy4.html#TURMERIC

Also, peppermint and St. John's Wort are good for the nervous system. You could make a quart of this tea and drink it daily. But I would give it a good month try before deciding it doesn't work. You could put 4 tea bags (2 of each type) into a quart jar and pour boiling water over it. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Sweeten. Drink hot or cold through the day.

Lots of water is important to help the body flush itself of toxins. I would also try Epsom Salt Baths twice a week. (2 cups of the salt per bath.)

I hope you find some relief soon! Please let us know what helps you.

~Mama to Many~

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.

I would like to know how your husband is doing with his neuropathy? You mentioned a new treatment with a naturopath. Is it working out? Very interested as I am also in a great deal of pain with neuropathy. I've been to 2 neurologists and all they can/will do is give me drugs. I tries neurontin but it didn't do anything for my pain and made me very confused and unable to carry on a conversation. Thank you.

For Laura from Erie, CO: I read your post for Peripheral Neuropathy on 7/29/2012 and would like to know how you're doing as I am starting out with your protocol. Want to know if you added anything. Thanks Much and blessings

Art/Vancouver/R-lipoic acid: I tried Art's protocol for neuropathy. He recommended 500 mgs 3/day...I got up to 700 mgs once a day and woke up with calf cramps on both legs front and back. From 4:00AM to 6:00AM screaming calf cramps. Maybe I'm using the wrong brand (natrol)? They do seem to differ a bit.

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

After realizing that peanuts (l-arginine) were bothering me I got some l-lysine and a week ago I started taking 1000mg twice a day and have seen another significant improvement in the pain level in my feet. I am getting close to curing this problem. It seems that the platinum in the chemo destroyed the nerve sheath but left the nerves intact and "shorted out". The alpha lipoic acid apparently stops the further decay of the nerve sheath by eliminating heavy metals from the body and the rest of the nutrients I have used are actually rebuilding the nerve sheaths. It has been a long, painful experience that I dread anyone else suffering through. I encourage you to try everything that might help. Some things will make it better and some will make it worse. Not everything works the same for everyone so be aware that experimentation is necessary and can be frustrating. Don't give up. It is over three years now since my problems started and I am still improving. Al

Hi Bill, Thank you for the quick response. I tried the Berkson therapy for 10 months and my enzymes stayed the same and even went up a bit. I get terribly cold when I take even a small amount of chlorella. I have used chianca piedra for 6 months and my enzymes went down slightly. I currently take lugol's solution 2% on Mondays and Thursdays. I take kelp the other days which has 330 mcg of iodine in it. Last night I took a 1/8th teaspoon of baking soda with real lemon juice (2 tbls) and woke up freezing. I took my temp and it was 96.3. I had some chicken broth which warms me up enough to go to sleep.

Any other suggestions. And thank you again. And blessings.

Hi Denise... Lack of Iodine in the body can cause cold hands and cold feet. Iodine helps to regulate and control the body's accomodation to hot and cold conditions via the thyroid gland -- especially at the peripherals of the body. So it might help if you supplement kelp or lugol's iodine to see if this helps your problem of feeling cold at the peripherals of your body.

Another reason for this problem could be because of your Hep C. Improving the liver's function thereby purifying your blood may also be helped by taking Milk Thistle(1000 mgs twice a day at mealtimes), Selenium(200 mcgs twice a day at mealtimes) and Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA (300 mgs twice a day at mealtimes). ALA is a wonderful detoxer of poisons and is well known to help peripheral neuropathy problems in the body. Drinking Chanca piedra tea two or three times a day or taking 1000 mgs of Chanca piedra (twice a day at mealtimes) will also help you detox and repair your liver. I would also take Chlorella on a daily basis to help remove any heavy metals from your body.

You can also find other useful Hep C remedies here on EC:

BHT Remedy for Hep C

Berkson Therapy for Hep C

Ted's Lysine and Vitamin C remedy for Hep C

Question for Bill from Phillipines. I have Peripheral Neuropathy and hep-c. I want to take your alkalizing remedy but when I take even one tablespoon of ACV, I get freezing cold in my feet and everywhere in fact. Also, when I take vitamin E (even 200 IU's) I get freezing cold. Don't understand it. Thank you and Blessings.

To Art from Vancouver, BC. I realized today that peanuts were causing pain in my feet, thanks to what I recalled from your posting. Also remember seeing another post about peanuts having l-arginine in them. I looked up l-arginine on Wikipedia and found out that it is related to aspartic acid (Aspartame). There is a list of other foods there that contain it. I have B neg blood and most of what is listed are foods that I should not eat according to the book EAT RIGHT FOR YOUR TYPE by Peter J. D'Adamo. I would recommend that anyone with neuropahy look l-arginine up on Wikipedia.

I added an ADRENAL Gland support and with the gluten free I now have dropped the supplements except for B-12 injection and take fish oil -2 tbsp. A day and I have almost total relief. Thanks to everyone who has posted. I hope everyone finds relief like I have.

That's great the laser worked for you, Alice. My brother has some diabetic neuropathy and has gotten good results using a laser therapy pen. He says it helps with other aches and pains as well.

I have neuropathy in my toes and the balls of my feet and diagnosis said it was creeping back up my lower legs and had some loss of feeling in my geet and the bottoms of my feet. I had gotten pretty much rid of this before using vitamins. But this time it wasn't really working. I was trying to get back on a vegan diet which should have helped, but I was still failing and eating meat. I was looking for help until I could let the diet help. For over 2 years I haven't taken the statins that may have caused or contributed to it. Also, I am overweight.

In any case, my toes and feet were swelling and turning angry red, and often felt like they were on fire. My naturopath was out of town, but she emailed me and said since there was swelling she would send me to the ER or 24 hour clinic, as it might be heart related. Not wanting to expose myself to the purveyors of statins, stents, and quadruple bypass surgury, I researched further, looking for relief. An ad on earthclinic mentioned laser therapy for peripheral neuropathy symptom relief, so I clicked on it. Found a practitioner near home, and made an appointment.

He said the swelling was probably connected to the neuropathy, and that treatment might help but he couldn't guarantee it and that it was not a cure for neuropathy, but a reliever of symptoms, and that it would probably take some time to see results. He prescribed 6 weeks of treatment at a price I could not afford at this time.

I went back online hoping to maybe find Mexican doctors that could do it for less, just like Mexican dentists have repaired my teeth for way less. Didn't find any, but I did find ads for low level lasers that were way less powerful than the one the doctor had. People buy these to help their horses, dogs, and other animals. They also use these lasers on themselves. I had been told these weaker lasers don't work.

I have read there is zero change using lasers, period.

I bought one for $199. The first time I used it I saw immediate improvement, with swelling going down. 3rd treatment even more improvement.

I got the laser last Saturday. Today, Friday, less than a week later, with 4 total treatments and my feet are nearly normal. The neuropathy numbness is still there in my feet, but it seems to be getting better too.

I'm still getting prickles, but I remember when I got rid of the neuropathy before, that I had to go through some prickles and electric zaps just like I experienced when I was getting the neuropathy.

But the difference is like a miracle.

I took the Burdock Root before meals. But I don't think it is hard on the stomach and could probably be spaced out any way that is convenient. Four to five 00 capsules is generally about a teaspoon. Hope that helps!

Hello Ky Mama, Could you tell me when you took your burdock root? Before-during or after eating? Also, how big is a 00 capsule compared to a 1/4 teaspoonfull. I can't get capsules. Thx much

Several years ago I was having numbness/pain in my hands and feet, especially upon waking. It was very uncomfortable. I went to my doctor who said it was neuropathy. He offered pain meds and that was it. I did some research and found out that Burdock Root can help with that. I took three 00 capsules (that I made myself out of Burdock Root Powder I bought in bulk) three times a day. (5' 5'' and 125 lbs. ) Within a couple of weeks it was healed. You are supposed to take Burdock Root for at least three months when you take it. (I probably took it for at least 6 months. ) It is a blood purifier. It is a very safe herb - it is use for food in some cultures. This problem has never returned. I should add that I keep a pretty healthy diet, avoid MSG and artificial sweeteners and ingredients, drink lots of water, etc. If this were to happen again I would add 2 T. of Blackstrap Molasses a day as it is so high in nutrients and good for so many things.

Katie, Dice a whole lemon, skin and all then liquify it in a blender.. Strain if you want and put in glass... Add one tablespoon of X-virgin olive oil and one tablespoon of lecithin and drink everything either at once or spread out over the day... Also put more lecithin - up to 4 tablespoons in the drink if you want to... It is most important for nerves... Do this for one month... You will see improvement and maybe resolution.

Report back to this site if you are so inclined... God bless.

Hi Katie;

http://b12d.org/b12-signs-symptoms-assessment

This website provides alot of information about the signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency. Neuropathy is a primary one. Treatment of B12 deficiency neuropathy is intensive and life-long. Healing can take many months, even years.

Katie: According to our leading authority on Parasite disease, Dr Hulda Clark, we all have parasites or stages. For many people this isn't a problem, for others, however, it creates chronic diseases that do not respond to treatment with any significance. Parasites excrete all sorts of bacteria, funguses, and viruses as a byproduct of their metabolism. Heavy metals, or zenobiotics are also possible with you. Look a few yrs back in your life (recapitulate) and try to find any particular moment when you got out of your element (routine) and became "suddenly" ill. Something is dragging your immune system down.

First, do an herbal parasite cleanse, as well as any methods of general detoxification (info here on E.C.)

Second, boost your immune system by supporting your Thymus Gland. Here is a previous post I made for this: The Thymus gland is like the brain of the immune system as it is involved in both production and regulation of immune or white blood cells. Thymus function decreases significantly w/ age so any method to augment it is definitely recommended especially those suffering chronic infections. To boost the Thymus do these little exercises on a daily basis and significantly boost your immune power. First, use some type negative pole magnet (the side that sticks to metal) over the Thymus, which is directly between the lower neck and heart area; a common refrigerator magnet will do just fine; do this for approx 15 minutes. Second, do the "Thymus Tap" by making a fist and gently bump the T area a few times and wait a little then bump again several times daily. Thirdly, supplement Raw Thymus Glandular as recommended on label. " Also, if I might add, Zinc Lozenges will boost the Thymus.

Here is a link for Lyme Section: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/lyme_disease.html

Hope this helps. Come back and update us how you're doing.

Magnesium oil should bring some relief to the areas of pain. Also my brother has had some success using a laser therapy pen to relieve his neuropathy pain. Steve

IMPORTANT UPDATE. I missed a dose of ALA and my feet improved a bit during the associated time so I haven't taken any for three days now. It seems that the ALA resulted in a major improvement by removing the heavy metals from my system but then stopped improving things. I saw further improvement every time I added a nerve nutrient to my regimen and then would hit another plateau. I think that the ALA was consuming the B vitamins and minerals faster than my body could absorb them and now that I haven't been taking the ALA any more I am seeing more improvement. It is noticeable in only three days. Perhaps we need to realize that there comes a point that we need to discontinue supplements when they are no longer needed/have done the job they were taken for.

To Happy from WV, USA, I no longer have the sharp shooting pain and just recently added a small dose of vitamin B6 that gave a small improvement. I am sure that the B6 is not a problem. The numbness at one point was up to my mid thigh in both legs and was also in my hands and face. My hands and face are better and I recognize the same sequence of improvement in my feet and legs. I only have a very small patch of numbness on the soles of my feet that is now affecting only my big toes and part of the mid sole area. the cold sensitivity is also improving in that cold doesn't cause as much pain increase now as it did in the past.

To Lily from Kelowna, BC. I don't think gluten is an issue. We don't use flour from modern wheat as my wife has/had celiac disease. I found out about some old varieties of wheat, Red Fife and Marquis, that have a different gluten structure than the dwarf wheat that is commonly grown now and that can be consumed by people with celiac disease. In fact my wife got rid of all symptoms of celiac disease in only six months by switching from gluten free to Red Fife wheat. We now use Red Fife and Marquis flour for all of our cooking and have it locally available at a local organic grower who has a Kelowna company mill it for him.

Thanks to everyone who has replied and given me ideas of things to try. I am still open to trying more supplements in the interest of completely curing this problem. I am sure that the time frame involved is making it more difficult for me than it could have been but I am claiming my life back after what I can only describe as a brutal and demoralizing three year disability thanks to supplements, vitamins and minerals that doctors and specialists that treated me knew nothing about. Don't ever give up. Stay positive to win the battle against poor health. Thanks also to the Earth Clinic site. Awesome. Al

I'm hoping someone can please help me..

14 years ago I became very sick (25 yrs old). After 2 years of struggling with severe debilitation I was diagnosed with lyme disease (and co infections). I spent years off and on antibiotic treatment with limited improvements. One of the most annoying symptoms was skin burning at night. From my knees up to my chest it felt like I was on fire. Then about 4.5 years ago I developed symmetrical burning in my feet. Pain like I simply can't described (as I'm sure most of you know). I kept having to increase Gabapentin and have spent the past 3 years at 3100 mg's. Over the past year or so I've had breakthrough pain and it's showing me that the disease has progressed far past my feet. I have it up to my knees with knife like pains in my calves, numbing all over my feet and now pricking in my fingers. I've had 4 ports an taken months of IV antobiotics to attack the lyme since lyme can cause neuropathy. It clearly isn't working (if it did, it didnt last). I am now on IVIG and am still not improving. The neuro said I should see improvement after 2 months- it's been 5 and im only getting worse. It now wakes me up at night and most nights, prevents me from falling asleep. I've never had it this bad before (where it's interrupted my sleep). I don't know if the Gabapentin isnt working and/or if it's just progressing? I have stopped and started supplements 100X but have never stayed with anything long term bc I've always been on one treatment or another AND bc the doc's assume it's from lyme (but there's no way to truly know) and blow off the power of supplements. I'm a mom of two very little girls and am terrified. Truly terrified.. I don't know where this is going or what will become of my life. ANY suggestions would be beyond appreciated-

With gratitude-

Katie

My brother has had some success relieving neuropathy in his fingers and toes using a low level laser therapy pen. There is lots of research on low level laser therapy for neuropathy you can read as well: http://www.healinglightseminars.com/laser-research-library/neuropathy-2/

Steve

Tikeen from Halfax: My husband has neuropathy pretty severe, I'm interested to hear how the treatment goes with ur husband. Wishing ya'll best of luck!! Pls let me know how it goes! XOXOXO

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.

Karen: Assuming you do not know the exact cause of the Neuropathy, the nutritional trial method is your best treatment option. The R-Lipoic at maximum dose would be as close as you could get to I.V. Therapy. Also consider Magnetic Foot Pads or Insoles, they definitely help my Peripheral Neuropathy.

Have you been tested for Heavy Metals??? Maybe some detoxing would help also.

Let us know how your doing.

in response to: Al from Alvena, Sk., Canada: "It is now six months since I started on ALA ......."

Your symptoms sound like a classic case vitamin B6 over-dose. Read all the labels on all your multiple vitamin bottles, and eliminate all the b6 you find. The 'electric shock jolts' are a big clue.... So is the numbness. STOP THE B6 INTAKE. Root it out.

Hello Connie, I had been taking B-12 at 1000 per day. I had my levels checked 6 months later and they were 1000 points over the normal. I have stopped taking it as I felt it is not the reason for my neuropathy..

Hello Timh, Are you saying try other forms of therapy such as benfotiamine, B-12, tumeric, l-carnitine, etc. Etc. Or are you saying try R-lipoic acid? There is not much I haven't tried. I have an option to get ALA by IV and may investigate it...

Thanks for your time and concern. God bless.

It is now six months since I started on ALA and four months since I went back to work. After about three months I hit a plateau where it seemed the improvement slowed down with all the supplements noted in my previous posts. I tryed the vitamin B12 at doses up to 40, 000 mcgs per day with some success and again hit a plateau. I stumbled across L-arginine, it is supposed to increase circulation, and added it to my regimen. I thought it would help by allowing more nutrients to get to my nerves but found that it actually improved things by making my feet feel warmer. I did some more research and found out that phosphorous is good for nerve health and went looking for phosphorous. I found it in a bone supplement with huge amounts of calcium included in it but tried it anyway. It is helping. I began to feel that something else was missing so I added in potassium and magnesium (at the same time) and am seeing beneficial results. The 'electric shock jolts' are now gone but I still have a small patch of numbness in the soles of my feet and a varying level of a burning sensation pain in my feet. I am not entirely healed yet but I am still improving and am working as much as 76 hours per week without issues. I have discontinued Lyrica as it no longer helps the tinnitus. I have also noticed that the timing of my medication/supplements is not critical any more. I take everything in the morning after breakfast and selected ones after supper which is usually about 15 hours later. I also find that if I move my toes around when they get painful that the pain is reduced fairly quickly now. My doctor informed me a couple of weeks ago that ALA is going to be available by prescription in Canada very soon for neuropathy.

My experience is telling me that we all need to try everything available and must utilize all of the vitamin and mineral supplements that can support nerves to promote healing in the quickest manner possible. I can now see that I will completely recover from my chemotherapy induced neuropathy in spite of being told by my neurologist that "where it is a year after chemo is as good as it will get". I am now 37 months from having started chemo and am still improving.

As I am now working full time and long hours, if anyone has specific questions for me, you may contact me directly at gustafsonal (at) hotmail {dot] com. Thank you. Al

Hi Karen; The neuropathy is probably a painful result of vitamin B12 deficiency. Treatment involves high doses, even injections, and can take a long time to heal (up to a year). Treatment of B12 deficiency is life-long.

Neuropathy is one of the many symptoms of B12 deficiency, and skin pigmentation changes is another; hyperpigmentation, and/or hypopigmentation, for instance. (I bring this up because I remember a post about discoloration of the feet.)

Good Wishes

Karen: R-alpha is the more bioavailable, hence more potent, form of Lipoic Acid. If you're not getting results from 600mg regular A.L.A. I would recommend other treatment options.

Can anyone tell me the difference between R-alpha lipoic acid and plain alpha lipoic acid? I've been taking alpha lipoic acid for neuropathy 600 mgs/day with no results. Someone says they have resolved their neuropathy with R-lipoic acid. Call me confused..Thx.