I decided yesterday, after my Vitamin D helpfulness/relief from "ball and chain" leg cramps that had been going on since 2/6/13 fairly continuously....
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread185198.html
that I'm going to try some Vitamin B-12.

Also I read what Wings said in the sticky thread.

I have all over itching, tingling, mild pricking that some might call Skin Crawling. To me it's between a tingle and a prick which makes it a pringle - can only joke about that 'cause doesn't happen to be annoying the heck out of me right now and bringing me down. Basically, it has qualities of the foot tingling and prickling, but it's all over - trunk, thighs, arms, upper and lower, back, yada yada. (Note: it has very similar qualities to the foot tingling I've been having since summer, therefore I suspect Neuropathy related)

I have had no tests since I've been seeing a neurologist for five months now except the shock test where it was determined I had a very small abnormality.... right leg (three of my toes went to sleep for no reason, last summer.) Am scheduled for a second opinion first week in April. So I don't know what vitamin deficincies I might have - or how to spell it - except the vitamin D deficiency that was found by an orthopedic doc who was seeing me for Lyme disease.

What amount to take then? I remember years ago I heard about vitamin b12, that it helped with energy, and I carried a small bottle in my purse and would pop it from time to time, no idea how much... and felt a lift.

I know that 5 Hour Energy has b12 in it, so I looked that up, how much: 500mcg. (My use of the scientific method / educated guess ) Bought a bottle, smallest amount was 1000 mcg, and cut it in half yesterday, took it around noon. For the first time in a couple of unhappy days, the all - over itching backed off. This could of course just be coincidence.

This morning, woke up and itch attack was threatening.. that means really really light pricks, firing about all over like firecrackers, randomly, which usually means another day of all over itching is coming for me.

So I thought, let's test it. I took 500mcg of the vitamin b12. To my astonishment , bout 20, maybe 30 minutes after ward, the "itch threatening" backed off. Usually I have to take some of my nightly tegretal (also bp) to get this to happen... then I have to keep dipping into my nightly tegretal all day long to back off the all over itch when it breaks through again. Sometimes I worry that I won't have enough tegretal to get me through the night so I just itch, prick and tingle all over for periods at a time.

I'll let you know how it goes. Any other b12 experiences, please feel free to post on my thread, or related info., etc., as I am new.

Also note: The Orthopedic doc, when I told him about the pn, told me to take B complex - so I have Nature Made Full Strength Minis Super B Energy Complex... but there's only 6mcg of B12 in it, which the bottle then goes on to say is 100% of what you need per day. That has always seemed ridiculously low to me, even the very first time I looked at it. Doesn't seem 'logically correct.'

For months, the neurolgist didn't tell me what I had. He surmised it months ago as a small palsy in the right leg, take 50mg of B6 and he fully expected it to clear up. I thought -Yee haw and said, so I guess that's it? Thinking I needn't worry about coming back.. and he said he wanted to see me in 100 days. Well he must have known what was goin' down because almost exactly to that 100 day mark was when that ball and chain leg cramping started. I had already looked on the internet and figured, oh c*%p - this is pn. When I finally asked him flat out what I had he said - Neuropathy. He did not say PN. So I figure I've got some 'all over" kind in addition to feet/legs.

I really suggest a good magnesium supplement. This mineral
is often very low in people (up to 70%) because they don't eat
foods that provide it anymore.

If Vit D is working so fast, it suggests to me that you have a cal/mag imbalance, so providing magnesium will help.
SlowMag is easy to find at WalMart.

Try soaking in epsom salts too.

What you describe sounds more like paresthesias, which are not really PN, but symptoms of imbalance of electrolytes.

Mrs. D. I saw that P word too recently and agree.. whilst googling. Also, about three weeks ago, I had some kind of spell or attack and wound up in the ER with Low Sodium and Dehydration... the first day I had to get two bags of fluid Iv, the second day, it happened again, only 1 bag of fluid Iv. (The all over itch thing had started about the same time as this, slightly before and I originally thought it was a side effect of accupuncture) I was told to get my weight down as low as possible by the neurologist and was rigorously dieting, then got loose stool, maybe high fiber, maybe a tummy bug, for like a week and a half... the 'cause' of it I thought. The sodium level was checked by primary care and restored to the lowest acceptable number about 10 days later, so I have all but forgotten about it.

I will look for the Slow Mag. Does Slow Mag have Calcium in it? I have calcium I could be taking.

It has a very small amount... which is not therapeutically significant. 200mg or so.

When SlowMag was launched it was 1989 or so, and back then
many followed a ratio dosing for cal/mag. That is no longer
considered necessary. But the small amount of calcium is still in there.

I suggest taking Benfotiamine.

I had your symptoms and found relief almost IMMEDIATELY . The very first day of taking benfotiamine saw results. I upped the dose but eventually backed off the dose as I found the amount I needed.

I am concerned about the low sodium. This is not common, but some drugs do cause this. It is called hyponatremia.

SSRI antidepressants, some opiates, Tegretol and Trileptal,
diuretics, and some kidney/brain problems with anti-diuretic hormone control (low vasopressin).

I also thought no salt was diet proper. I was rinsing salt of every possible thing. I wasn't eating much at all, really. No salt veggies, lots of kidney beans, some canned tuna that I had salt I suppose. I read that low sodium is extremely rare, too. The primary care seemed quite happy once normal level was restored. Neurologist asked for copies of hospital er labs too, I guess he looked them over, no further comments from him on it either...

Will Slow Mag cover all electrolytes or should I worry about electrolytes? My bf bought me Coconut Water, supposed to be like a gatorade without all the sugar.
Soduim 50mg, sugars 11g, carbs 12g, calcium 10mg, magnesium 11mg, Potassium 450 mg. I just slugged one of those. Plus big glass of water. I had stopped taking them. I failed to keep track of any difference between taking a couple of those a day and the itching. Wish I had now.

Is this over the counter or prescription? Thank you for your suggestion.

This website is very good at finding out what is in your food choices:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/

Pay attention to serving size...too.

11mg of magnesium is just a bit above an egg which is 8mg

high magnesium foods are beans, nuts, oatmeal, yogurt.
270mg in 3 ounces of almonds for example.

Too much caffeine, alcohol will deplete magnesium.
I wouldn't go whole hog on the sodium restriction. There are reports now and then that sodium is not such a bad thing after all.
Like this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_1...-health-study/

There are many similar articles like this on Google now.

Don't be silly and eat excessive salt, like some restaurants put in their food. But limiting it severely is not necessary either.