I AM SORRY,
I got off the subject of the thread: BEST FOOD FOR NEUROPATHY.

Is there a thread or a good web site any one can suggest? Is it OK to just fallow a diabetic diet? By the way, by reading all the things here about food being bad for neuropathy, I think even the good old diabetic diet would be too liberal,
Perhaps, it is very individual. and people most have to try them self what is good for them?

Ahh Mrs. D. The subject is statins.

I have taken them since they came on the market, because I have genetically outrageous cholesterol. This would be since 1990 or earlier.

And since three angioplasties with two stents for major CAD at age 57, in 1999, I have taken 80 MG of Lipitor a day (14 years).

My PN did not show up until 2008, after I had taken lots of nitrofurantoin (Macrobid) for chronic UTIs.

I looked into the Statin possibility, but really think that since I had taken them so long, and for almost 20 years before the PN showed up, that most likely they aren't the culprit.

I did take doses of Methyl B-12 for a year and a half, and didn't see any change.

I'm getting a EMG on Wednesday, so I will find out then what the status of my PN is.

It is so disabling. I am beginning to adapt to it, after 5 years or so, however.

Hugs, Elaine

to be honest with you. i bought (ebay) dr. bersteins book who is a diabetic who cured his neuropathy and his autonomic neuropathy by keeping his blood sugars between 80-95 at all times. no more than 30 carbs a day. some veggies, all nuts, meats and eggs, of course no sugar and no fruits except for berries and that was it, oh and no starches, none. i am able too keep my blood sugars below 100, but sometimes falling too low in the 60s, since then the neuropathy has lessened around my throat and some on my face, but it graduated in my stomach and the intensity got worse in my legs and hand and arms. i wish anybody the best with this horrible disease. i just got on disability in jan. of 2013 and medicare kicks in july of 2014.

yes pinched nerves can cause neuropathy

6 years ago i first had the classic symptoms of burning, tingling, numb, pins and needles on the bottom of my feet. i went to the doctor and had a high a1c, i quit drinking 3 years ago and smoking 9 months ago, now i am finding out that statin drugs for my cholesyerol may be contributing to the problem, so no more statins for me.

yes i do have constipaion and now since my stomach started hurting a slow gi., so far my bladder is doing great.

doctor did tell me that the dry mouth is also autonomic neuropathy with some drooling here and there.i do not have insurance until medicare kicks in on july 2014, i was approved of disability in july of 2012. i wish everybody the best of health with this horrible disease.

Well after all that time, stopping now is not going to do much for you. The damage seems to be genetically driven, if you read that link I put in earlier on this thread.

But you will have to invest in high dose quality CoQ-10... watersoluble type is best and most effective. Studies show that by the 5 year mark of stating statins, 1/2 of your own CoQ-10 production is lost. The heart suffers the most, but muscles also can suffer when this nutrient is low.

The statin drugs were developed for familial hypercholesteremia...a seriously high cholesterol level that leads to early death. 400 (some say 300) and above. I knew a gal who had 800! But then the drug companies (Big Pharma) decided to market this for everyone...so studies were done (and some say arranged and massaged) to convince doctors to treat everyone, and the treatment goals were lowered consistently so that huge amounts of money could be made by all the Big Pharmas marketing statins. Zocor with its high lipophilic properties seems to be the most toxic now and there has already been warnings to lower doses of this particular type as it enters the brain and does damage there. Lipitor is a moderate lipophilic type also.

If you cannot get off your statin, you may be able to lower your dose. Dr. Jay Cohen has written a book on this, which states that most statins work in very low doses, and can be used that way more safely. For example Crestor now has a study showing 5mg twice a week got most people to a reasonable goal. That option of using a low dose and monitoring your levels, may reduce some of your risks. But there is no getting around the fact that statins are fairly toxic and cholesterol is not the enemy everyone thinks it is.

This researcher is doing alot of work on the benefits of cholesterol. You might want to read her links:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/
She also explains how important cholesterol is in the body, in a series of YouTubes with Dr. Mercola. Just type in her name to view those on YouTube.

When you consume a high protein diet, as you are, then you need much more hydration to help remove all that nitrogen.
This could be part of your sleeping dry mouth. So make sure you are drinking enough water during the day.

Also you could be snorked up from the tomato intake from your diet. Tomatoes have double effect on you:
1) they contain solanine which is an alkaloid in the nightshade family. There are thoughts now that this is cumulative and that some people cannot get rid of it, so it causes reactions, like tingling, burning etc. The green in potatoes is a high concentration of solanine. Deadly Nightshade, a weedy vine with little red berries has huge amounts of solanine in it, and this accounts for its name and toxicity.

2) But tomatoes also are histamine foods, and release histamine in the body. This leads to tingling and burning, as well, and some people get nasal congestion as those membranes swell up. If this happens at night you end up breathing thru your mouth, because your nose is stuffed up. There are mechanical breathing aids to help with this... One is called Breathe Right.

When you eat tomatoes all the time, for flavor and variety etc, you lose track of what it can be like to NOT have these reactions, as you get used to them.

To do a elimination diet of suspected foods, you have to go without for at least 2 weeks or more. Then reintroduce the food slowly. Some reactions may be delayed a day or so, so watch for them. In my case even the small amounts of tomato in ketchup gives me tingling and burning (especially in the mouth and gums) now whereas before I never noticed it.

Another culprit of nightshades is paprika. It is in everything processed now just about....hot dogs, sausages, snacks, etc.
Black pepper is also problematic for some people...you might try avoiding black pepper too for a while. All the HOT sauces are derived from nightshade family peppers. These can be very very hard some people!

I did not take any pravastatin when I went to bed and I dont plan on taking anymore from what I have been reading, my a1c and blood sugars are to die for but my neuropathy keeps getting worse. Next time I go to walmart, I will pickup the qunol ultra coq10 you are talking about.

I am making a big meatloaf today and will be excluding any night shades too see what happens

what should my blood sugars be during the daytime' my doctor ignores the question and the ada guidelines are wrong. what should be th minimum and the maximum during the awakening hours, please let me know, thank you

The consensus about blood sugars is always in flux.

There are those who insist on low values all the time. But now
there are studies coming out saying some elevation is acceptable with age.

Low values --below 80-90... that give symptoms should be avoided. Sweating, muscle twitches, panic feelings, shaking etc are signs of low glucose. Even rapid falls, from say 200 to 100 in a brief time period will give symptoms of "low" sugar.

This is why you should take readings all day long for a few days and compare them. You will find YOUR low... and high that way.

This link has an A1C calculator:
https://www.accu-chek.com/us/glucose...lculator.html#

What we are doing today with diabetes, is going to change IMO within the next 5 yrs. So nothing is really cast in stone.

There is a paper now online explaining how some elevation in A1C is normal with aging and not necessarily reflective of diabetes and shouldn't be "treated" because low sugars in the elderly now are connected to dementia development. So the baby boomer flood will provide alot of data and impetus to
treatment changes etc. Over treatment or over diagnosis of diabetes is just as harmful as the reverse IMO.

I highly recommend the book Foods That Fight Pain, Neal Barnard. He links food to back pain, and lots of info on foods that trigger different types of pain, although he doesn't specifically address PN. Search for that title in this forum, and I list some of the triggers, but get the book. For starters, I would eliminate the whey protein (from milk). Milk is one of the triggers. Although you may have some plant products triggering your pain, I believe eliminating animal products is the best way to health.
Ron