Regeneration - when is it too late
 

Hi all,

On average, when is it too late for small fibre nerves to regenerate? I understand there is a timeframe within which they can regenerate and if passed may never recover. Is this rigt and do you know how long?

I have heard both sides of the argument myself. Those saying that the nerves can heal and those that say they can't. I do know this, there are clinical studies that have shown regrowth of mylein sheath with supplementation. There are also confirmed cases of people who have recovered from SFN. So, i get a little perplexed when i hear that SFN is not curable and that damaged nerves are permanent and that it is a case of pain management once it occurs.

Here are some studies that give me hope:

B-12 to repair nerves?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8021696

(yeah, I know its rats, but if people can panic when rats get cancer from aspartame, why can't we gain hope when they show they can heal as well).

Alpha Lipoic Acid:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10595592

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9285502

Look at the Supporting Research on the lower part of this page

https://umm.edu/health/medical/altme...phalipoic-acid

I refuse to believe that the body does not want to heal itself when damaged.

Thankyou for such a detailed response. I shall read!

I just try to keep hope is all. There is a lot of negative stuff that will make you feel hopeless.

There are better studies out there as well i just can't find them. I know the Alpha Lipoic Studies were the ones that showed the most promise.

Hi Patrick and Joanna,

I just came across an article from the Linus Pauling Institute about the use of Alpha Lipoic Acid to treat PN from diabetes. Here's the link if you're interested. (I also posted it in another thread)

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dieta...ease-treatment

I feel like there will be meds coming out soon that will help nerve regeneration

Nerves can regrow dendrites, or extensions of the nerves, but not regenerate the nerve itself. humans do not have this capability. It is more common in non-mammals, usually the ones that can regenerate whole body parts.
Nerves can make new extensions to compensate for damage, but not if theres too much loss of myelin or damage, then its less likely recover from any amount.

To elaborate--
 

--when the nerve cell body, with the nucleus, dies, than the nerve cell is gone, and since nerve cells do not under normal circumstances reproduce, anything that kills off nerve cells will be detrimental.

Nerve cells DO grow new axonal connections and links to other nerve cells, though--that is how we consolidate memories and learning, and develop motor skills that do not require our conscious attention. The fibers, under the right conditions, absolutely re-enervate body parts.

Exhibit A in this are my comparative skin biopsy results over time--I have slowly, over the years, recovered some of the intraepidermal small-fiber nerve density that I lost during my acute neuropathic attack in 2003. Don't know if I'll get back to whatever my original density numbers were--and of course almost no one knows those original numbers, as skin biopsy is not done on asymptomatic people except very rarely for research purposes--but I've gone from 3rd percentile to 5th percentile in some sports to 16th to 20th percentile in those spots over several years, absolutely indicating some re-enervation, with a corresponding reduction in symptoms.

Of course, I am unusual--my neuropathy, primarily small-fiber and involving a highly acute (hours/days) full body presentation, is not the most common scenario. Acute neuropathies often result in at least partial recovery if the neuropathic process can be arrested, though recovery is often incomplete and patchy.

I always though the heart of SFN specifically was that the Mylein sheath was basically gone or deteriorated. That causing the common symptoms of burning, biting, buzzing, etc. My neurologist said that is a big part of it and there is a debate on whether it can be regrown or not. The nerves themselves are usually intact depending on how far it has progressed, no?

In my case I have Normal Epidermal nerve Fiber Density but I have skin with significantly reduced Sweat Gland Nerve Fiber Density (consistent with SFN). The Result was 30.4 which is below the required 36.5.

My neurologist said years ago they would have said there was nothing wrong with me but we have this new test that can show more. He said they basically said it would've just been considered paresthesia or possible Fibromyalgia. he tells me I have a very mild case of SFN! I tell him you just be kidding, what does a serious case feel like!!!

Regeneration - when is it too late
 

http://img.medscape.com/fullsize/mig...65795.fig1.gif



Hopefully this picture makes sense. It's the best one that I could find that demonstrates all the classifications and properties of nerve types.