Thank you for your response, Dr. Smith.

I guess I should have mentioned that I checked out those links prior to posting, and from the previous posts I gather that according to xyz studies, acupuncture can be helpful, though mostly indirectly by decreasing pain and inflammation in general. Posters who have experience with acupuncture tended to say it didn't work for them, or people they knew.

I guess I was hoping to connect with someone who had a similar experience where acupuncture seems to be activating my PN on a low level. Does this mean that I'm in the 76% for whom acupuncture is helpful, or the 10% for whom acupuncture aggravates PN? I just can't tell if this is the nerves healing, or yelling at me to stop going to acupuncture. 3 sessions seems too early to stop, but these electrical zaps and pricks would be much more bearable if I was convinced they were representative of healing.

Maybe I should just stick to my vitamins and supplements...

I'm not sure that the zaps and pricks are representative of anything except neuropathy. FWIW, I've had excellent results (luck?) using R-Lipoic Acid for the burning pain. After finding this, I added Pantothenic Acid, and have had considerable (~80-90%) reduction in the zaps and pricks (jabs).

Doc

Dr Smith you mentioned the other acid you take ...with the link this mentions use for those with diabetes do you have this? just wondering if should try

Good question. I've been tested multiple times by multiple doctors, and the results are always negative, nevertheless, sugar and sugar alcohols exacerbate my PN, so I avoid them.

As I oft say, If it can't hurt to try it, then it can't hurt to try it.

Doc

Thanks, Doc. I'll try the pantothenic acid, and perhaps the R-lipoic acid as well. The burning pain is my "normal" pain, so it's weirdly less disturbing for me at this point. The zaps and pricks are new for me which is scary. I have this constant fear of my neuropathy getting worse.

[Also, just for the record... the link that MrsD posted further up this thread only said that you shouldn't take the drug that I took if you have prior brain damage. And I wouldn't be having new nerve pain in different places for the first time if this were a parasthesia. So I'm back to understanding my symptoms as peripheral neuropathy, not some sort of parasthesia.]

On a positive note, I have to say it feels great to be heard. Also, I'm thinking of trying myofascial release (a type of massage). I've had a bit of luck with that in the past when a leg injury triggered severe nerve pain in my heel.

I'm with the Doc... If it can't hurt, why not try it?

The study was about taking B5 with RLA; I know of nothing that says the B5 may/will help by itself (but I don't know that it won't either). I started with RLA, and my suggestion would be do the same. Whether it works (I'd give it a couple months) or not, I'd keep taking it when trying the B5 just in case. If that doesn't work, there's probably no need to continue.

There are other supplements worth trying too, but you've probably found those in the sub-forum. Best method is to try one at a time (rather than the shotgun method) so you know what works and what doesn't.

My wife & I use myofascial release ourselves, so... sure.

Doc

Hi Dr. Smith,

What dosage when you started the R-Lipoic Acid and did you have to increase the dosage to get the same result the longer you used it and similarly as with the Pantothenic Acid (Vit B5)? Thanks, Yu Ping

I started on 100 mg. of RLA/day and haven't needed any increase (3½ yrs?) I tried increasing for a short time but there was no additional benefit, so I dropped back down to 100 mg.

Early on if I missed a day or stopped, the burning would come back. This week I just forgot to fill my vitamin tray and haven't taken any, but no burning (yet). I'll probably keep taking it anyway as it's a good antioxidant, and has other benefits.

Same with the B5 (250 mg/day), but I vary the dosage on that because I also take it for other reasons than PN.

Doc

Thank you.

Yu Ping

Hi Doc,

I went to see my naturopath today and she has no problem with me taking RLA and Vit B5. However, she did mention that the Vit B5 can only be taken for 6 weeks singly without taking other Vit B groups, otherwise my body will be out of balance. Have you heard of this, did you take Vit B complex with the Vit B5?? Thanks, Yu Ping