I'm about 10 years your junior.

This clinical trial of VM202 in the context of diabetic neuropathy looks promising though the cohort size is fairly small; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...3.186/abstract .

You can download a PDF of the full paper from the link.

Mrs. D. I take 5000 of the Methyl B-12 every day in the morning. This means I'm only getting 65 mcgs of the Methyl B-12? Didn't know it was that little. Do people ever take 50,000 every day (not that I'm doing that, just asking). Thanks much

Melody

I doubt you'd be getting that much even. Probably more like 25mcg. And remember the intestine has transcobalamin to receive the B12, and that is of finite amount and would limit absorption too.

the RDA is only 2-4 mcg, so that is still alot you get from a 5mg oral B12.

There were some studies in the past done in Japan with really high doses for MS.

I don't think an average person needs 50,000 mcg a day. It would mostly not all get absorbed, and just be eliminated in the stool.

Mrs. D. This one's for you.

Alan and I were attending one of those breakfast seminars that ask you to join their medicare advantage plan. There were LOTS of diabetics with neuropathy. All I did was mention B-12 and it has to be a certain kind of B-12, not Cyanocobalimin.

All of a sudden the presenter started asking me questions and the other people forgot about the presentation and wanted to know what they could do for their diabetic neuropathy.

Even the moderator started asking me questions. I stood up and did a presentation. Alan was in the bathroom and missed the whole thing.

There I was giving out my email address and they were all writing down stuff and asking "What's that kind of B-12 again?"

They all wrote down what I said (everything I learned from you I might add). Some of these people were in their 80's and when I asked if they did email they said "Well I have an email address but I don't know how to send one'. "But I know how to receive one".

I then took out my smart phone, asked them their email address, wrote them an email right in front of them with all the info, emailed it to them and I said 'look at your phone", or wait until you get home and go on your computer". They all looked at me like I was an angel from another planet. And all I did was share info that I got from you and these forums.

So just know you helped a lot of people today.

Love ya, Melody

This just points up how common neuropathy is, though, if this happened at a gathering of people to discuss insurance. And it also points out, in all likelihood, how underdiagnosed and/or undertreated neuropathy is.

Admittedly, sometimes people don't have quite the language to describe the weird sensations/symptoms to make their physicians suspect the possibility. But, on the other hand, I greatly fault doctors for not inquiring into the possibility, or suggesting some language patients could agree/disagree with. Given how common neuropathy actually is, there should be a LOT higher index of suspicion among doctors who see gerontologically aged patients, and patients with blood sugar issues or autoimmune issues.

Hi Glenn:

I think the people who have diabetic neurpathy start out with numbness at the tips of their toes and don't notice it (who checks the tips of our toes?), maybe podiatrists are SUPPOSED to but what if they don't? and if the toes get numb but don't present with pain (and I know many people who have this type of Diabetic Neuropathy), they simply say "So I'm numb, no big deal, I can still eat that donut, I don't have any pain, all I will have is numbness" You'd be surprised at how many times I hear this among diabetics. Only the ones with severe diabetic neuropathy that presents with PAIN besides the numbness, maybe some of THEM will do whatever they can to control their blood sugar, but the rest of the gals and guys I know, well they like their food and drink. It is what it is. Thank the Lord I have come here over the years, learn what I learned from Mrs. D and you and all the people and I try and pay it forward.

And I'd like to share what just happened with Alan and his neuropathy, which (maybe it's the weather today) is driving him up the wall. He has a foot ulcer (not diabetic related but diabetes doesn't help it), but it's healing due to the fact that he wears a crow boot. But I have to clean it and bandage it and put a sock and he wears an off loading shoe in the house, he doesn't walk around in socks. If he had the crow boot on in the house, well, besides the BOOM BOOM BOOM, he can't get access to his toes (like what just happened). When he gets this kind of pain, the only thing that calms down his toes is putting Ben Gay on. It works for him.Stinks up the house, but WTH, it works for him. But....remember, I bandage his foot and put a sock over the bandage. I just walked into the room and saw he was wearing the sock but the foot looked odd. I said 'What the heck did you do? (only I didn't say heck). I took off the sock and the bandage had come off and I saw the ben gay on the front of his toes (He tries not to put in between the toes because the doctor told him that fact).

He saw my face and he said "What the h am I supposed to do I have to put the stuff on my toes and what do I do?" I said 'Hm, what would Macguyver do? " Lightbulb moment here.

I simply cleaned the ulcer (it's teeny tiny now, healing just fine), I rebandaged it, I made sure some of the gauze wrapping gently fit between the big toe so whatever he did, the whole bandage would not be affected if he took his sock off, then I got another sock, took my snipping tool, cut the top of the sock off, put the other half over his foot which left the upper toes OPEN. I then put his off loading shoe (which is a sandal) on and VOILA!!! Alan has access to his toes.

God only knows what he's going to do next but at least he has the bandage on securely and he has access to his toes

Melody

Melody

What can I say . . . "The things we do for love . . ." song comes to mind.

What you go through to help that man of yours is amazing.

Hugs of support coming your way

Hi there bluesfan:

Well, SOMEBODY has to do it. Might as well be me. The problem now is how to keep the bandage from coming off. I thought I had it licked with the half sock over the bandage, and putting him in that off loading shoe. But I turn around, his shoe is on the floor, I check the bandage and it's loose and not covering the foot ulcer. I immediately fixed it and he goes "You're not going to re-bandage me, I can't do this anymore'. sigh. Can't blame him, he's got neuropathy, he's tired of all this BS, I get it. But i have to make sure it's clean and it stays on. The doctor uses this Elastin (I think that's what he called it). he puts it over the gauze wrapping and makes it tight. I don't have that in my house. I just do a good bandage, making it secure, and when he wore that shoe, it stayed. But when he gets a bad neuropathy day, he can't keep his foot still and he shakes it off and that's my problem. Yeah, I know, it's his problem, but I take care of that foot and I don't want any complications. When we go out he wears that boot which is like wearing a MACHINE. But in the house, (until this ulcer is gone completely), it's better if he just sits on the couch or at the computer and not put any weight on that foot. We go every 10 days to the podiatrist who measures it with this ruler thing. Gives us a thumbs up. And the iodosorb....do you know that cost $89.00 and it's not a prescription item. Some kind of special iodine that keeps it moist or however it was explained to me. This ulcer has been the bane of his existence for over 7 years. It's all in the correct inserts and shoes. So once this ulcer is gone, he goes back to his custom molded shoes. but in the house, when he sits on the computer, his right foot is shaking. Been doing this for years to get the blood flowing into that foot. He says he's so used to it he doesn't realize he's doing it. Like a guy with Parkinson but he doesn't have that. He has Idiopathic PN. No magic pill so far right?

He's making me into an old woman and I really don't know what else to do. I have my own health issues and sometimes I can barely move. Thank god I can bring the laundry down the block and they do it all. Believe me, this is no luxury. This really helps.

Melody

the front of the foot is a very tough area to wrap. i just went through this for a few months.it would be wrapped at the wound center and unwrapped by the time i got home. the best method i found was to bandage the area affected as you were told, use medical paper tape to secure that bandage. dont use plastic tape, it doesnt breath. put the socks on the way you want them then use coflex or another cohesive wrap that stretches and sticks over the socks in front of the ulcer and another around the ankle to hold them in place. donbt stretch them too much or they will be too tight and cut off circulation. i attached a photo of it. you can get them at walgreens cvs or rite aid or other local pharmacies. it works. my socks stayed on for 24 hours until the change for the next day.

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