peripheral neuropathy (diabetes related)
 

Hey im really just 16 so i dont know much about it but my mother has been sufferring from peripheral nueropathy for quite some time and its getting worse. Its even started to effect her hands. She had an issue with blood pressure and is also diabetic and overweight,Though her sugar levels are not severly high she is also a hep B career which i think means that she is not affected but can transfer the disease. ANyhow shes gone to various doctors and its of no use. they prescribed her lyrica and a few such drugs but none are affecting. Can someone please tell me is it related to the spine ? because one of the doctors said itl be better to get something injected in her spine. is this safe?and if anyone of you has the same condition please tell me if theres anyway to reduce the pain and make it better somehow. Im very very worried about my mother and am willing to try anything. I love in Pakistan for now but please name a really really good doctor if you know one for either Pakistan or UK.
She suffers from that tingling burning sensations all the time and sometimes gets suicidal along with that my sister is autistic so you can imagine how hard life can get. Id be grateful if theres any cure or any kind of advice you can give.
thanks in advance.
love you all.
(im not really sure if threads are for questions like these but i really have no option).

Hi Mary, it is possible to get neuropathy at even prediabetic levels, I am one that did, not only the higher than normal sugars affect the nerves but also the lows also can do damage, its weird though some diabetics that don't even look after themselves don't get nerve damage but others do.

If she is diabetic 2 and taken Metformin for her sugar levels then it is wise to supplement with B12 methylcobalamin [1 - 5 mg daily ] as metformin is known to deplete b12 levels which is critical for nerve health, B12 defiency can also cause neuropathy.

Supplements that have proven to help diabetic neuropathy are alpha lipioc acid 600 mg daily or the newer version R - lipoic acid 100 mg daily, also GLA [ gamma-linolenic acid ] at 480 mg daily, it is found in evening primrose oil, I also found Vitamin B1 helpfull, there is another very strong B1 called Benfotiamine, is a fat-soluble form of vitamin B1 that gets some good reports too.

Neuropathy can come from the spine, usually the lower spine problems can affect the lower extremities and the cervical spine affects the arms/hands, the progression of diabetic neuropathy is normally the feet then legs then hands.

I am sure others here will chime in and tell you what meds help them the most, Trammadol and endep help me the most when i needed them, but everyone is not the same, meds are an individual thing.

Brian :)

thanks so much! you gave a very detailed and a very helpful answer =)
yes she'd taken the B-12 supplements and somehow she had these tests and now she has excessive B-12 in her body,surprisingly. !
however I'l definitely make her try the acids. Its such a complicated complex disease!.

those b12 niumbers just show the b12 that is in the blood, not in the tissues. if you take a b12 supplement you may well go off of the scale that they use to measure it in the blood. It wont hurt you. excess is just flushed out of the body. mine is off the charts also but i keep taking it to help provide the conditions in which healing may occur, even after so many years i havent given up yet.

One good thing? Those B-12 #'s..
 

while high, being so can't hurt. It's like taking Vitamin C, in that what your body doesn't need simply goes thru you. Other vitamin B's tho can make things worse, so it's a good thing to check out each vitamin like this: 'Vitamin X Overdose' On the web. Sometimes reading vitamin and mineral #'s on a blood test can drive you crazy trying to figure out what they mean too.. just look for these "*" -these asterisks highlight or flag both high and low numbers.
I think your mother should be proud of you! Do tell her that there are NO silly questions here and then teach her to learn how to learn on the net! [Do be careful tho? She might become a web demon ;).]
Both you and she should start with the 'stickies' at the top of this forum. Click onto the blue web sites and you mite find LOTS of info that could help.
Hugs and heart Keep at it lady! :hug:'s - j