Hi Numbfoot,

We have a lot in common. I live in Sydney, am also 55, male and a cyclist and the neurologists I have seen have not been able to find a cause of my neuropathy. Mine started in my feet in August 2005 and seemed to be associated with cycling. My early symptoms only appeared after bike rides. At the time I also had reflux problems for which I was taking proton pump inhibitors (nexium or somac). Proton pump inhibitors are known to inhibit B12 absorption. My B12 measurement was at the high end of normal (a single measurement), but after lots of reading I found that people who exercise regularly can have high B12 measurements but still be B12 deficient. B12 measurements are poor indicators of deficiency in sedentary people and completely unreliable in people who exercise regularly. I arranged for a gastroscopy at which helicobacter pylori (which can inhibit B12 absorption) was found. After I started taking B12 (and folic acid and a few other supplements) my neuroathy stopped progressing and improved a little. I am now left with some residual (and variable) symptoms which are not unbearable. My neurologists laughed when I told them I was taking B12 but were surprised when I told that that my neuropathy was improving. B12 is harmless so my advice is start taking it (at least 1000 micrograms per day) ASAP. There is lots of info on this forum about B12 types and doses etc. BUT ... before you start on B12 supplements get your homocysteine and methylmalonic acid levels measured by a reliable lab. If these are high you almost certainly are B12 deficient. I did not get these measurements done, so I am still not 100% sure that B12 deficiency caused my neuropathy (I am about 99.9% sure). Paul Golding has some more interesting info on homocysteine and methylmalonic acid at http://www.paulgolding.id.au.

Hope all this helps.
Good luck
Martin