Hi all.

Just got back from Cornell. Lost two and a half lbs. Don't all jump up for joy, because I'm sure not but at least I didn't gain or stay the same. I lose very slowly.

Anyway, I asked my doctor at Cornell (I even printed out the info and showed her), about Ranirestat. It's a potent aldose reductase inhibitor in development at Dainippon Pharma (japan) to treat Diabetic Sensorimotor polyneuropathy. ARI's are thought to act by inhibiting the polyol pathway leading to nerve damage. This is important because in diabetics prolonged hyperglycemia exacerbates ADR activity which in turn leads to increased conversion of glucose to polyols. e.g. sorbitol. Acccumulation of sorbitol and fructose in nerve cells leads to damage.

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And don't think I got smart all of a sudden, I just read what it said on the paper and typed it in this thread. I have absolutely no idea what all this means. But I know many of you learned neuropathy people out there will know what this means.

Anyway, I showed the doctor at Cornell the paper and she said 'Oh, I heard about this drug, it's not approved yet". I then said "well, what have you heard about it, does it work, or not work?" and she said "they have no results yet, none that I've heard of". I asked her to keep me apprised of anything that she hears.

I am so sorry that there isn't more news on this but I do have news on my neuropathy.

She did the vibration test on me. She bangs the tuning fork and she goes "let me know when this stops vibrating'. Didn't do so good on that one. My left foot is worse than my right foot (in the tuning fork test).

BUT. she took out this gadget with a long piece of what looks like rigid dental floss on one end. She said "now close your eyes, this will feel soft but I want you to tell me if you feel it whereever I put it".

So I felt absolutely every spot she put it on.

So she said "well, loss of vibration feeling is the first to go in diabetic neuropathy, but the thing that I touched your feet with, well that is very important. You still have much feeling. And most important, do not go barefoot" Then I told her about my pins and needles and burning (it started 3 months ago). She said "yes, how is that doing?" I said "well, let me tell you a story about Methylcobalimin, and I told her about the whole 5000 under the tongue every morning. She said "that's amazing, and it can't hurt you because it's not stored in the body, so take it and keep doing well".

She didn't pooh pooh it. She's a very very good doctor and she listens. She has many patients who are on B-12 but they are not on the dosing that I am on. And they don't control their blood sugar like I do.

She also said "it also must be that you are controlling your blood sugar better". I countered with "I've been controlling my blood sugar for two years, I still got neuropathy, but ever since I began the methyl b-12, all the pins and needles stopped. I do get the burning but it's nowhere where it was initially. She said "well, that's good".

So I'm still taking my b-12 methyl and we shall see.

Oh, I have a question. I am in a protocol at Cornell. I was randomly put in the standard protocol but my body is reacting like I was put in their intensive protocol.

I lost more weight, my sugar went down, my A1c is good, my blood pressure is perfect. Everytime I go there and they do the blood pressure and sugar reading, they always say "this is great for you, but not that great for our protocol". Now they have explained this to me but I just don't get it.

Why, because I'm doing good, is it NOT GOOD FOR THEIR PROTOCOL??

Anybody know??

P.S. She liked my croc shoes.