Hi Mrs. D -
The nutritional info is for 2 capsules:
Vitamin B1 (Benfotiamine) 300mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 4mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCl) 4mg
Vitamin B12 (Methylcobatamin) 2000mcg
Alpha Lipoic Acid 300mg
Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol) 500IU
Directions state to take 2 capsules twice daily.

My Dad did have his B12 tested but the doctor said it was well within normal range...not certain what it was though. I ordered the vitamins last night and will start him on them as soon as i receive - the way i see it, it can't get much worse. I may also try giving him the Acetyl L Carnitine supplement as well.

This one is quite new. And surprisingly is very strong. Typically I don't like mixtures, because they often have a ratio that is not really useful.

I would expect this to be very expensive. Was it? If not, then I would wonder if it contains what it says it does! You can send me a PM and tell me if you don't want to post here. I am guessing about $60/month?

It also should be taken on an empty stomach, because of the B12 content. Do the directions say that? If not, that omission is important. So follow the empty stomach recommendation I give for best absorption of the B12.

The D is low, but in a mixture, I wouldn't expect it to be higher.
He may need much more than these provide. But you will have to have testing to show that.

Yes, you are very close - it was $63 for a one month supply but like i said i am willing to try anything at this point and if it works, will be much less than the home care that i would need to get for him. As an aside, the price can go as low as $43 but you need to commit to a long term supply...
And yes, it does say that it should be taken on an empty stomach once in the am and once in the pm. You stated that you don't think the "ratio" supplements are useful - it that because they don't contain enough of a certain vitamin? Also, do you think it would be helpful to supplement with the Acetyl L Carnitine? Like I said, I am totally new to all of this and it is absolutely killing me to see my Dad in this condition. I suppose we are lucky that he does not have any pain like many of the posters on this board - his is purely extreme numbness and no balance which has left him pretty much immobile.
Thank you so much for all of your feedback, it is very much appreciated!

This is the first mixed product with doses that appear useful.

Usually the mixed things are high in one thing and low in others, or vice versa.

Yes, most definitely do the acetyl carnitine. Start at 250mg a day for week, if that goes well, with no side effects, increase by 250mg daily for a week until at least 1000mg a day in divided doses.

Carnitine improves mitochondrial functions which can be damaged by chemo.

The elderly should be taking B12 daily anyway... not just for PN.

Some people complain of stomach upset from alpha lipoic acid.
This may become a problem, because taking with food helps. And with that B12 in there, you can't take with food. This is the downside to mixed products. If you take them separately you would pay a similar price but could taylor some dosing if needed.

But not everyone has stomach upset with the alpha lipoic. You'll just have to wait and see. Don't tell him, or the placebo thing will kick in and he may over respond, etc. If you have to take with food, you might have to buy extra methyl B12 and take separately.

mrs D - thank you SO MUCH for your input and recommendations. I will definately take your advice and keep you posted on progress!!

Did the Neuropathy Support Formula help? I am looking at it for my MMN (anything that will help motor nerves regenerate!) but the neuropathytreatmentgroup.com web site makes it look like snake oil. I am encouraged that Mrs. D liked the combination of ingredients. Mrs. D, you might find the clinical study abstracts cited by the manufacturer interesting; they're at http://neuropathytreatmentgroup.com/...inical-studies (click on the "show" buttons to reveal details.) Most of them have to do with mega-dosing with the 3 main ingredients: their particular kind of B1 (benfotiamine), methylcobalamin (B12), and alpha-lipoic acid; most of those studies were done in the mid-90s on rats and mice.

I know the ingredients are good for nerves, now it just remains to be seen if the actual product is as it claims. That's what brought me here.

Since this thread started, we have learned that lipoic acid is best absorbed in another form, called stabilized. This is a form that is highly water soluble and therefore, less is needed per dose,
and it is far more effective.

This formula does not give this ingredient as "stabilized".
So expecting a huge response from that one is not likely.

Some people need more of one thing than another. Some people may react negatively to one thing in a mixture like that and then have to stop the whole thing, thereby losing any benefits from the other ingredients.

In pharmacy we call this "shot gun" therapy. It may work, or it may partially work, or it may have to be stopped for some reason.

For example, I react to high dose lipoic acid... so I have to keep it at 100mg a day. At that dose using stabilized, I do get response, and had some good HbA1C results this last testing time. So that is just one example.

It can be difficult figuring out what is going on with PN however, and so we then see all sorts of "remedies" posted on our forum as a result.

I personally think people with Chemo damage, need different things than those with nutritional deficiencies, or autoimmune damage.

I tend to like to buy my supplements separately, and I choose quality manufacturing places with a good history of care and accuracy. When a new thing comes out we often don't know much about who makes it, for example. So there are many reasons to be careful. But being careful does not mean throwing away potential.

Dear mrsD
I have just joined as a member of NeuroTalk. I have CIPN since 2 years ago after my chemo treatment. I am not taking any medication or supplements at the moment although my oncologist prescribed Lyrica for me. I did some research and understand that there are side effects as with any medication. I am looking for supplements to help relieve my PN. Before I stumbled upon this support group, I ordered Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine)100 mg and Acetyl L-Carnitine & Alpha Lipoic Acid 650 mg from Swanson Vitamins. I have also come across PN supplements from WSN and Neuropathy Support Formula both of which contain various supplements in a single capsule. I am unsure whether I should order these supplements from them as I am not sure of their effectiveness. I have dealt with Swansons before and find them reputable. Are there other supplements that I should take other than those I had ordered? I aplogise if I am covering old ground. Please excuse me as I am a newbie.
Many thanks.

The primary supplement in the literature for chemo damage is
acetyl carnitine.

Here is a recent post similar:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post867845-3.html

Alpha lipoic acid is the OLD version with necessity for taking very high doses to get results. Only 1/2 the old type which is a mixture of left and right handed molecules is active in the body.

There is a new one with improved solubility as well. So the ultimate answer is R-lipoic stabilized. Doctor's Best is the one I use and many others here as well.

I don't like Swanson's at this point. I was using Doctor's Best Theanine this summer, and ran out and tried Swanson's, for a month. It really didn't do the same job the Doctor's Best does for me. So while Swanson's has some interesting things in their catalog, the SunTheanine they package was not as effective as Doctor's Best. You can buy brand names out of their catalog for most other things you know. But I find Amazon just as affordable with free shipping over $25 now.

My comments earlier in the post are what I think about Neuropathy Support Formula. If you want to take that mixture and have the extra money for it... just take it on an empty stomach. It has the old alpha lipoic in it too. Keep that in mind.

Is this Neuropathy Support Formula something that would help for shingles-related neuropathy?