Benfotiamine giving me relief (fat soluble B1)
 

Wanted to let others know the good results I'm having. I should wait until I've done this awhile but after only 3 days, I can tell a MAJOR improvement in pain reduction.

I have tried benfotiamine at 150 mg per day for a couple of years. Didn't really notice a lot of difference but I take a jillion supplements so I thought one more shouldn't hurt especially since I had heard good things. My neuropathy doesn't seem to have progressed in the past three years since I've been taking my methyl B12 and B complex. But the pain still has been wearing me down. It has been a major energy drain and I think we can only tolerate so much even if there is no INCREASE in pain. It wears us down like water wearing down a rock.

I've been determined to avoid the pain meds so I mainly take a little aspirin and a lot of vitamin B12, B complex, C, E, MSM, glucosamine, Omega 3's, vanadyl sulfate, enzymes, ALC, ALA, biotin, etc., etc. (you know the drill if you're like me hoping that the next thing you try will be THE CURE...)

To continue, my sister told me what good luck her neighbor had with benfotiamine. He is diabetic and was taking more than I was taking, 150 mg, twice per day so I upped my dosage. Results still not very impressive. The tests on the web also don't indicate dosages higher than 300-400 mg to get good results.

Then I just checked the web recently and read about some wonderful results experienced by people reporting on a forum that they were taking 600 mg and 900 mg per day. BOY HOWDY, that's a lot but I'm pretty desperate so I upped my dosage two days ago to two 150 mg tablets, three times per day (with meals since it is fat soluble). Total 900 mg.

MAJOR MAJOR relief. I am so hopeful. There is still a fair amount of relief to go but I'm feeling DEFINITE relief. The studies I've read on the web indicate results start showing up within three weeks so I'm thinkin' that if I'm getting relief in just two to three days, WOW what am I gonna be getting in three weeks!

I am not a health professional of any kind, and I'm not selling vitamins. I buy mine mostly at IHERB and some at BEYOND A CENTURY. I DID read on the web some info about impurities with befotiamine. Not sure how easy it is to get pharmaceutical grade benfotiamine or how easy it is to get a doctor to PRESCRIBE pharmaceutical grade benfotiamine. That is something I will pursue if this pain relief continues.

Here's an article on PUB MED about large dosages - doesn't really say clearly how much (320 mg vs 150 mg I think) but I liked reading that they didn't seem to find any side-effects of the large dosages. Benfotiamine, by the way, has been used in Europe for many years. Just another place the U.S. is behind in health IMO.

I'll keep everyone posted, I'll update in about 3 weeks.

http://tinyurl.com/22cdan

[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=
AbstractPlus&list_uids=10219465]

Also, more info at http://www.benfotiamine.org - this last web site is selling some stuff but the background history is good, IMO. (They also sell a benfo-creme - anyone tried that? couldn't find much on this.)


Background on me: I've had idiopathic neuropathy for 15 years. Last year I moved into diabetes type 2 but my endochinologist explained to me that if you get neuropathy before you are diagnosed diabetic, then the diabetes didn't cause the neuropathy. AND he also says that he doesn't think I'm type 2 diabetic because some test results for diabetes type 2 show positive if the patient eats a low carb diet (which I do pretty much) They aren't used to carbs and have an over-reaction. Doesn't matter. My blood sugar is pretty well controlled and has been for as many years as I've been tested.

Hi, what type of pain are you talking about, stabbing? burning?, throbbing? etc. IM glad that you are getting much better pain relief and i hope that it keeps up. Keep us informed please as to how you are doing over time.

do you mind
 

telling how much per day/or month this high dose is costing?

Benfotiamine used to be very expensive. Has it come down?

Mrs D -- I just checked the price on iherb.com - I bought the "best value" benfotiamine 150mg tab.- 120 tabs for 15 dollars so that is about 23 dollars per month (if you buy enough on iherb.com to justify free shipping). This is cheaper right now than what is available on beyond-a-century.com from what I've calculated. If anyone finds a cheaper price, let me know.

Regarding the pain I have, that is always difficult for me to answer. It seems like all the labels apply, "burning", "jabbing", ache, soreness on top of the toes and between the toes and on top of the arch. No way could I ever lift myself on my tip toes (since the neuropathy started).

When I walk, it feels like I'm walking on golf balls under my feet. I also occasionally have jabbing pains above my feet, particularly in my ankles but I think that is because I'm obese (by about 100 pounds - gained it all since my neuropathy started and I eliminated extra movements to avoid pain - I also have mild thyroid deficiency problems - "hypothyroid" I think it's called).

There still seems to be a fair amount of numbness even with the benfotiamine but relatively little pain. The numbness is what I'm hoping will go away in three weeks. Crossing my fingers ...

I read some more about benfotiamine since I posted above. Seems that the reason this is really supposed to help is "bioavailability". I can't remember the numbers but there is some major limit problem our bodies have in being able to absorb water-soluble B1. This new fat-soluble form increases the bioavailability by a huge amount according to the claims. Makesx you wonder if they ever will invent a fat-soluble B12? And if that would help? (Japanese invested this by the way some years ago.)

I just realized I haven't "stress tested" this new pain free state. Guess I need to go work in the garden (haven't been there in a while, LOL) and see if I end up in bed the rest of the day which is what has been happening in the recent past.

is the benfotiamaine helping with that golf ball type feeling when you walk/? I feel like i am walking on broken bones.

Well, I just "evaluated" and didn't seem to have the "bumpy" feeling on the soles of my feet as much but to be honest, I haven't checked it recently. I can't say whether there has been improvement since I started the increased dosage of benfotiamine. And yes, you're right, "broken bones" is a better description though I might say "little rocks", maybe same thing.

But the "little rocks" aren't too bad right now though not completely gone away, but that may be because my feet have gotten more numb as the years of neuropathy have taken their toll. (Always wondered if one might actually welcome the numbness if it helped keep out the pain? I'm not there yet, though.)

I'll definitely keep y'all updated.

Thanks, i have never found anything that touches that broken bones feeling when standing and walking.

Hi Texasgeek
 

I can definately empathise with you. I started taking the plain old B1, and for weeks I was walking on clouds completely symptom free. But I also had this incredible energy. It was like the clock was turned back.

great to hear you found some relief-

Now if it made the numbness go away that would be something. I tried benfotiamine a while back but thought it made my symptoms worse,BUT it may have been another supplement that was causing problems. Can you let us know if you get relief from numbness,if you do I may start taking it again...

the old prices...
 

were $60 or more per month for lower doses! (if you could even find it online)

So I am going to look into this myself. I spend a lot on supplements, SAMe especially.

So I try to economize as much as possible on the others.

Thanks for the post!