But experiences have tempered my optimism... As has it others.
I once bought some highly touted vitamin/herbal supplement that was 'supposed to give me more energy'. This was ages ago and long before PN etc... issues. The smell made me gag, then worse. I was able to get and keep down about 4 doses before I gave up. It was easier on my system to NOT take this 'energy' stuff and just get by..
Turned out my thyroid was seriously outta whack. Meds in prudent doses changed that issue, but it took a few years to get it right.

Starglacier? Could you give us more info about your problems so that maybe the wise folks here could help? There are a LOT of smart folks here who give and share and don't criticise or anything. About anything! While many have strong opinions based on their own experiences, they do understand that your own experiences are not their own. Don't be afraid to ask questions, no matter how silly they seem! No question is too silly! Sometimes those are the BEST ones! And yes, foot drop is a bummer! - j

I google this product and this site came up. I have no interest in this product.
I been dealing with numbness in my foot for 4 years. here are the.
Active ingredients 37% JC7. Inactive ingredients: mineral oil,propylene Glycol,Petrolatum,Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Peg-40Castor Oil, aloe Vera, MethylSolfonyl methane, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methyl Paraben, Vitamins E,A,D,Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone. That is now if you can figure it out let me know or I will send you a sample and maybe we can get a lab breakdown.

for the ingredients--- but there is no answer there.

Active= hidden by a code designation, which is common in homeopathic products. Sometimes this term is used: Proprietary blend..etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylisothiazolinone
This preservative is scary tho.

MSM is often found in arthritis products. Little evidence of effectiveness.
Typically it is listed in ACTIVE category.

The inactive ingredients are typical of any topical cream/ointment.

This is a quote from their website:
You know if this worked...we'd have heard people shouting from the rooftops about it. I recall more endorsements from the PN posters over the years for
1) Vicks Vapo cream, 2) Emu oil 3) Super Blue Stuff.

I suspect that one ingredient is capsacin. There are essential oils that are sometimes used topically. Also menthol.

Perhaps we should report this product to the FDA? Ask questions there?

Here is a good example explaining "proprietary blend"
http://www.diet-blog.com/archives/20...s_and_lies.php

We can learn alot from this thread....basically don't trust secrets!

I also find this product very secretive and odd.... all the INACTIVE ingredients listed in detail! That says alot to me.

I am NOT endorsing this product...but it seems rather similar to me:

http://www.fitzz.com/NeuraGEL-Transd...P3986C404.aspx

Notice that THIS product tells what is inside. And I am just guessing that it
is similar to Restore-N.

Further, I pursued geranium oil:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/52...scription.html

This page is from 1993. One would expect that if this oil was so terrific, we'd commonly
see it now. And we don't. But I have heard about it, just never tried it myself.

without knowing about this specific application for PN. Must be that female intuition.

Anyways.....In the past year I have taken classes in reflexology and essential oils and I use both on John. Its been very helpful. It's not a cure but it has really helped on multiple levels. Now regarding the geranium oil....it's a very "female" scent and can linger especially if you use put your socks and shoes on right after applying it. So I decided to switch him to a more "manly" oil. I will now have to rethink the geranium and see if, in fact, it is more effective.

I started using geranium oil for its regenerative qualities and for increased circulation. Therapuetic grade Essential Oils can be very powerful and you really need to understand how to use them safely.

Marlene

Thanks for the input, Marlene. May I ask.... are you using the specific geranium oil mentioned in the patent I linked to? That claims that only "certain" geranium oil is useful. As I have no experience with this, I'd like to clarify that.

I do know that most essential oils need to be diluted some in order to be safe.
And never used internally either.

The geranium oil I have is Pelargonium Graveoleus. The orgin is from Egypt and India. So it is the same the genus. I went back and looked at the abstract and they said it's effective with PHN and RDS. That's pretty specific and neither of which I think John has even though he had a bout of shingles in 2003 which did make his overall PN worse at the time.

Regarding the application....There are quite a few oils that can be applied directly without dilution (neat). But if you are going to cover a large area, one - two drops in a ounce of nut/vegy oil is helpful. My book says that geranium should be a 50-50 dilution....one part EO to one part carrier oil. However, I use geranium neat without a problem. You need take into consideration the overall health and age of someone. Or if someone has lots of problems with contact dermatitis. Older people and the very young have thinner skin. The soles of the feet are the safest place. You can alway do a 24 hour patch test. If you are going to start using EOs regularly, then its a good idea to switch your hand/body lotions to product without all the nasty chemicals. Those can react to the oil over time.

With John, he rubs in one to two drops neat on his feet and applies a carrier oil to seal it in. It also keeps his feet moisturized.

Essential oils can be used internally but you really need to know what you are doing. And they need to be therapuetic grade. The French use them internally. I have used GAIA's oregano oil capsules when I've had a cold. It's very much like herbal medicine. I also use a mixture for a mouth rinse which is very helpful for the gums. But again, I'm talking about using maybe a drop or two. EOs are very strong.

PM me if you want to test this out. I would be more than happy to send you a small sample to try.

Marlene

I have this book, and sometimes refer to it.

http://www.tldm.org/tldmstore/greenpharmacybook.htm

Dr. Duke has a website too, with the ingredients of many plants listed.
It is amazing.

He claims that many compounds are absorbed into the body and circulation
from essential oils. He gives an example of Lavender oil... that it can be smelled on the breath minutes after application.

His book however is sparse on oils.

He has a wonderful database tho:
http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub...xsql?taxon=707
home page:
http://sun.ars-grin.gov:8080/npgspub...ke/listsp.xsql

I find it quite amazing that all those compounds are in geranium oil!

iherb even has it by NOW company:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=924
Dang I just got my order for the next 3 mons... but I will put this on my list
for when I get back from the summer...and give it a try.

Thanks for the input, Marlene.
I guess it is important to use the Pelargonium graveolens form... since I did find other types
on the net during a brief search.
(as an aside... I am not a big fan of geraniums... I avoid them as plants in the garden. So I guess I'll have to
buck up on that issue!)

Yes it is very important to know what "genus" of the family you are using. In the typical fashion of less reputable companies, they will "miss label" the oil which can do one of two things....cause harm or not work as intended. A good example is lavender. Lavandula angustifolia (lavender) has been used for minor burn for centuries. But if a supplier users Lavandin (a lavender hybrid) and labels it a lavender, it will make the burn worse. The hybrid has a high content of camphor while the other has none. That is why you need to know the botanical genus of the oil you are using.

On the smell of geranium....I'm not familiar with how the plant smells but the oil is pretty strong. It's a heavier structure. It smells like rose and it took me while to get used to it. I like it better after it's been exposed to the air longer. My sister is not a fan of it unless it's mixed with other EOs to balance it out.

I should start testing various oils on John's feet and see if a pattern emerges. I've got one coming today that has pain relieving, cell regenerating and anti-inflammatory qualities. I do have to say that the skin on his feet is much improved over the past year since I've been working on them.

Oh, I am sure the OIL part is helping the feet. Many people have dry/damaged skin on the feet--which reflects poor dietary intake of EFAs.
Primrose oil for example is REALLY great on the skin. Heals sores, cuts, leaves no scar. The GLA in it is now used in very expensive cosmetics, (often with identity changed to conceal the secret). "Liposomes" is one term used.
Try mixing your EOs with it, and see what happens. I've used it on my hands many many times! Just open a cap! ( I think borage oil would work too)