A year an a half a go I was diagnoised with PN. Since then many test have been ran. 3 MRI's which revealed I am having mini strokes, a Lumbar Puncture which showed nothing, and lots of blood work! After much reading, I believe I have had PN for at least 12 years. I never said anything to my doctors because I always thought they would just tell me it was my weight.

A year ago, one of the blood test done was for my B-12 and B-6. My B-12 was fine, but my blood showed no B-6 in my system. I was put on a small doseage (50 mg) of B-6 and told to be tested again in 6 months. In December I was tested and it was showing my B-6 levels were too high. But no one followed up with me on it. The first part of this year, I switched to a new Neurologist. He couldn't find any reason for my NP. When we ask when do we think about sending me somewhere else, he started looking through my records and found the B-6 levels. He cut me down to 25 mg a day and I was tested this week to see how my level is now. He says I must be very sensitive to B-6. I wonder if I have had a deficency all my life or adult life? My doctor did tell me most people are deficent in B-12, not B-6.

During the past year and a half, my PN has progressed from my feet, up my legs but numb up to my knees, and pain in my hands and arms, with my fingers being numb.

During all of this, I also became postive for Diabetes. My doctor doesn't think it is related to the PN because of how much damage I have from the PN. Diabetes runs in my family. My dad, my mom and at least 2 of my brothers. I was a sitting duck! I was tested when I was first diagnoised with PN and the levels were fine. 6 Months later I was tested twice and confirmed to have diabetes. So far I have been able to control it with with diet. My levels stay pretty good. My last A1-C was 6.0. And I have lost 46 lbs so far.

The vitamines scare me now, because knowing how much damage they can do with too little or too much. How does a person know how much to take?
I have always taken a multivitamine. Because my Iron always seem too low, I take prenatel vitamines. That seems to give me the right amount of Iron.

I hope this helps to give some insight.