I was treated for breast cancer. If you google Breast Cancer Benfotiamine the studies come up. I continue with my B-6, B-12, multi, D3, a few others and just introduced magnesium but some of the standard supplements and herbal remedies are actually dangerous for someone like me. As I said, my oncologist read my list, said none were harmful but now I know differently. Again, my situation is perhaps somewhat unique but I only wished to mention that when one has a medical history best to read up on these supplements and always check for interactions with any meds you may be taking. Some can actually cause a given drug to be less effective.

I am on yet another day one.

I had a female breast cancer patient who did very well on Flax oil mixed in cottage cheese (provides sulfur). She did not get ill from her chemo as much and she survived the treatments!

And a poster here a while back had success with the same
mixture to prevent metastasis.

https://www.neurotalk.org/238967-post23.html

There are many hits on the internet about this treatment like this one:

The Budwig Diet - Flaxseed Oil and Cottage Cheese
If you haven't already found this you might find it helpful for yourself.

SecondChances, I agree with what mrsD wrote.

When I decided to stop drinking my psychiatrist, apart from offering general support, prescribed thiamine.

His judgement was that I should take it for about a month but no longer - sufficient to replenish the thiamine which may have been depleted because of my alcohol abuse.

I followed his judgement.

DB prescribed Thiamin also when he stopped drinking. He took it for 4 weeks only. SIL in UK also prescribed Thiamin by her specialist. Her neuropathy is very bad, can't feel her feet at all anymore, can't feel if she has shoes on or off. But as Mrs D writes all supplements / medications should be discussed with your main treating prescriber.

All supplements should always be carefully considered. Iron is useful for many people, is added to quite a few foodstuffs, yet can be extremely damaging to people who suffer from hemochromatosis. (just an example)

I found it best to have blood tests done, see where the deficiencies were, and take the general guidelines into account. Thiamine is a temporary deficiency in most alcoholics, and after replenishing (and staying sober) should not be a problem. B12 is probably one of the safest supplements (in methylated form), as is D3, magnesium, DHA/EPA etc. I always discuss the supplements I read about with my GP. She does not pretend to know everything, but she always gives an honest assessment of what I come up with. So far, I'm glad to say, the information I distilled from the neuropathy forum here stood up pretty well under her scrutiny. But it's always possible that our personal situation may mean we have to double check.

It's interesting to note that your oncologist saw no problem. When we start googling, all kinds of studies come up, and it's easy to get lost in them. Correlation/causation, outliers, understanding p values... not easy for us who are not medically trained to see what's what. Especially after something as scary as cancer.

Cancers are especially hard to assess, as medication or supplements that improve cell growth or improve blood flow through tissues (a good thing) can have a negative effect on tumors.

We also have to be honest in noting that alcohol is directly linked (not just anecdotal) to about 80 different cancers. Further more, most B vitamins are water soluble, and will continue to be flushed out while actively drinking. (I did try this myself... )

Best would be to set up a solid plan to start continued sobriety, and go from there when it comes to supplements/vitamins. Trust me, we know how hard that is, so I don't write this lightly, and I understand it might even be irritating (it's not meant to be), but it's the most crucial step in trying to control neuropathic pains (or at least stop them from getting worse).

The decline has been rapid and today I could not walk. I put in a frantic call to my primary doctor to get me off the statins as I do not want anything that can possibly make this worse. Yes, test results suggest malnutrition, pre-diabetes, inflammation among other things.
An alcoholic always looks for an excuse to drink and often my neuropathy pain brings me back to the drink but today it is the farthest thing from my mind. I am scared to death. I have had the neuropathy for 4 years now so it is quite advanced. I have to question if there is any coming back from this.
Thanks for any support you can offer. I will try to keep up with this thread in hopes that someone will heed my warning before it is too late or perhaps I can serve as hope to others should I improve.

Have you read the entire thread? I (for one) have come back from this. In 2011 I was in a wheelchair due to drinking in excess. I lost the ability to walk.

Without retyping the last 5.5 years of my life....just go back and have a peek.

If I can do this SO CAN YOU!!

Ice

Icehouse, Ha!!!! I have read this site numerous times over the years and read it 3 times in the last 2 days just for the hope your story brings and all the wonderful stories that have been so unselfishly shared.
I like to think that those who disappeared are because they are fully recovered and out living their lives. I believe in happy endings and hope that is the case anyway.
Day 2, 50 hours and still going thru withdrawal. My neuropathy is unbearable and drinking did mask much of the pain. I tried the gabapentin and the amitriptyline when first diagnosed but they never seemed to help but I was also in the mindset why take them if I am continuing drinking. I do not want to mask the pain as I need it to stay sober but once I am in a better place I will likely need to try them again.
I will not bombard you guys with questions, most have been answered throughout the thread, but I have one. While the pain is really quite bad, what freaks me out more is the terrible weakness in my legs. It makes standing and walking so difficult. Icehouse, I fear I will end up wheelchair bound. That is what you experienced and the strength returned? I feel like they will give out from under me at any time.

I just re-read my post and if I was too blunt and sounded like a jerk I apologize!

Yes, in 2009 was when I started to notice the weakness and mild pain. I continued to drink like boat full of sailors and by the middle of 2010 I was in a wheelchair. When I was arrested in 2011 I never saw it again as I had to learn to walk with a walker. When I was released I took it with me and graduated to a cane somewhere in 2012. I forget when I ditched the cane but it's been years...

Now I walk quite often, hike mountains, bike the trails and I even went dancing with the lady a couple weeks back. I suck at dancing but she wanted to go...so that means I had no choice...haha.

The answer to your question is simply a "yes" from MY perspective of course..

That goes for me too. I'm in a much much better shape than I was in 2012. It's not totally gone - and I guess that's what is meant when they say there is no "cure" for PN - but if I can go to a concert and dance for 2 hours (sure, I paid for that the next day, wouldn't be able to do it daily etc.) I would say that is a success.

It's probably easy to lose perspective when we are reporting on that last 10 to 20% healing, and the frustrations that sometimes brings, but it should be clear that 80 to 90% surely is worth fighting for.