Anyone take L-Arginine for their neuropathy?

Arginine is in several topical diabetic commerical creams.

It is also in oral tablets, to improve circulation, which include some men's ED mixtures.

The problem with oral for you is that your toe may not get any from the blood, with the spastic capillaries. So topical would most likely be best to start with.

I personally think the magnesium is better, because it does 3 major things, and the arginine does only one.
So since you have the magnesium lotion already, I'd try that first.
You can then buy arginine later if you want. (it is not inexpensive).

Arginine has a down side. It is an amino acid viruses use to replicate with, and will stimulate the herpes family, when it is in a ratio with Lysine, that arginine overwhelms the lysine.
This means for people with Herpes Simplex, and/or Herpes Zoster (shingles), there can be activation of shingles which in itself will cause a painful neuropathy.

There are food lists on the web illustrating how Herpes can break out just based on dietary habits.
http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml

So if one takes alot of arginine it would be prudent to take some L-lysine with it. I've seen patients in the nursing homes given oral Arginine powdered supplements to help heal bedsores, and within a week, they are having shingles outbreaks.

So keeping attention to the diet, or taking extra lysine would be a good idea if you decide to use an arginine oral product. I think it is less of a risk for the cream versions, as long as they are applied only where needed to a small area.

Magnesium has 300 jobs in our biochemistry. When used properly it will basically do 3 things....
1) it reduces cramping in muscles
2) it blocks the NMDA receptor that is a major pain generator with PN
3) it opens up smooth muscle contraction, and hence improves
circulation to the tissue periphery

It also is involved in metabolism of essential fats we eat, and also helps with mitochondrial metabolism, and is a cofactor in synthesis of some neurotransmitters. It is lost in diabetics, and not absorbed properly when people use acid blocking drugs.
Studies have shown that up to 70% of people do not consume the basic RDA for magnesium in the US. So it is really a very critical mineral, and it would be much better for you to use it, and reap all of its benefits, than using just the arginine. In fact you can use both, just rotate them if you want. But you may not need the arginine at all if you do well on the magnesium.

Wow, Great information! What dose would you suggest with the magnesium?

I think with your inflammation and slow healing you could use

Vit C 500mg a day (to prevent RSD formation)
Antioxidants, like curcumin, or astaxantin, or eat lots of strawberrys, tart cherries, and blueberries.

Essential fats like fish oil... help with healing too. Take a Centrum Senior vitamin (or its generic) for the other minerals like zinc.
(Iron free)

Vit D3, if you haven't been tested up to 2000 IU daily. This will help with calcium absorption for the bone healing. Continue with the B12 as it is useful also for bone mineralization.

Try to stay off the foot when possible, and keep it elevated. If you do not improve with the magnesium lotion and Salonpas original formula, then it is time for a second medical opinion.

So I took your advice and bought a tube of magnesium gel! I've used it for two days now! It felt good the first night, but noticed that it really dried my feet, and my feet almost looked like if you wore a pair of wet socks all day... Kinda shriveled up! So today I went back to using my "DiabetAid" lotion (active ingredient: capsaicin 0.025%) I plan on keep using the magnesium gel, but I was a little freaked out!

Mag lotion is not like a hand lotion, it does leave a film type covering on my feet or skin. I always have to wash my hands after I apply it, it feels dry and caked on. I would not let that stop you from using it, it is too good.

It sounds like you are applying too much at
a time. You only need a little bit and
Gently massage it in. You can also soak in
Epsom salts .

I've been thinking also that your SKIN may
Be reacting to the adhesives in that tape
You are using, and this may be confusing
You into thinking something else
is going on. Many people get red inflamed
Skin from adhesives.