Periferal neurapathy/treatments/ helps....

[catspajamas]

I have pn from zocor....My life revolves around my "burny" painful feet...It has been 5 years since I threw zocor in the garbage...the pn isn't getting any better....I am wondering what others take or what supplements should be taken to improve the nerve function....My old physician said to take B vitamins as that was a cure durning WW11....I take 600 mg of Benfotiamine a day(thiamine)....anyone find anything that helps...hate to think of living on pain pills or drugs like neurontin the rest of my life.....

[Biologist]

catspajamas,

I did not notice you posting in the following thread and want to know if you read this post?

http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?p=3023#3023

Thanks,

Biologist

[catspajamas]

Thanks ...I must of missed that thread....I had wondered about the L carnitine..I bought some and started it last week....it gave me abd. discomfort at first...cut capsule in half for awhile til I get used to it ..I am so miserable that guess I was hoping for some "miracle cure"....I sure wish I could sue somebody for a couple mil..but then that wouldn't take the pain away either would it...Right now I am on lyrica..even that don't help..have to take a darvocet once a day... I read a newsletter from Mayos....they said that evening primrose oil shows some significant help in people with pn...have you heard about that???

[Biologist]

Keep in mind that they seem to be making a distinction between L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine. They are using the latter.

In any case, it appears that carnitine IS suggested for P.N. And after all, nerve cells have mitochondria too, and need to produce energy for their own functions.

Not heard about primrose oil, but maybe I have about the active ingredient in hot peppers (i.e., capsaicinoids) where it too is apparently rubbed on the feet. This suggests a couple of things:

1) that the pain is indeed located close to the surface -- on the skin, rather than deeper in the foot -- as I also picture that from reading the hyperlinked study's text

2) the mechanism of therapeutic action for either or both (primrose oil or peppers) may be in providing for "competing traffic" along the nerves. I have read that this is why rubbing the area that is delivering pain works. Say if you stump your toe. You are tying up the nerves with the sensation of the rubbing action rather than getting the full pain of the injury. Both signals do not go through together very well in full strength.

Since reading this study, I take 1,500 mg of each version of carnitine and plan to continue beyond the 33 month length of the study. There is no doubt that I have had a lot of improvement with P.N., but who is to say that it would not have occurred at the same rate of recovery anyway? But I guess I am not willing to take that chance.

I sympathize with your plight and sure hope it improves.

In a more perfect world, there is no doubt that you would get compensation for your injuries.

Biologist

[cjbrooksjc]

Catspajamas: If you haven't read it, below is a reference to a post Biologist logged some time ago:

##### Darrell: See the link below for Acetly L-Carnitine nerve regeneration (re: your ? above)


[http://www.thebodypro.com/journalview/aug04.html]

The (biologist) url which contains the pointer to 'thebodypro' site should be:

http://www.spacedoc.net/board/viewtopic.php?p=3023#3023 #####


It may offer some hope for your neuropathic concerns.

Regards,

Brooks

[Biologist]

And here's the summary of the supporting study Darrell found recently:

[http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/1/89]

The full write-up is also available to the right on that page in PDF format, but it is some fairly heavy duty reading...

Biologist

[GWardMD11]

Cat Pajamas... I'd like for you to contact me offline. I suffer from PN as well and have other potentially good news for you concerning your suffering. My symptoms have not disappeared totally, but I'm doing much better now than a year ago.

Gerry Ward

[poohhel]

Gerry: Many of us here at spacedoc forum suffer from PN, so if you have advice or "potentially good news ... concerning your suffering" Perhaps you should post it here for all to read and benefit.

[catspajamas]

I have become suspicious and wondering if Gerry is selling something...we don't need quacks.....with their "miracle" machines...that all they are good for is taking your money.....

[vipergg22]

I too suffer from severe PN from statins so if anyone has any relief info or things that might help post them here . Have tried acetyl l carnitine and so no benefit , if anything it seemed to agravate it but maybe it depends on the person . I'm also taking benfotiamine which seems to help some but it is still very agravating and slowly getting worse with more and more feeling leaving both feet . I took Neurontin for like a month and that just made me a walking zombie and won't touch that again either . Don't know about stuff like lyrica , that looks like it has some potential nasty side effects also .

[poohhel]

Catspajamas: I totally agree with you about Gerry, that's exactly why I posted what I did, lol.

Vipergg22: I too was on Neurontin and was a walking zombie, swelling and inflamation was worse on meds than off meds. Lyrica is basically the same thing... in fact it is a stronger version of the neurontin gabapentin.

I recently started taking tylenol 3, it helps and doesn't make me loopy or zombie like ... only issue is it is a narcotic so will have to watch the liver and kidneys. Another is darvocet same implications as tylenol 3 but it did seem to help. I only take either of these 1) when I know I am in for a long day of activity 2) at night to sleep more comfortably