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Anyone here dealing with peripheral neuropathy?

Neuropathy | Last Active: 3 days ago | Replies (2973)

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@silverfox1026

Has anyone tried high doses of Thiamine for peripheral neuropathy? Has anyone had a colectomy or subtotal colectomy and had peripheral neuropathy subsequent to that procedure? I seem to have multiple neuropathies, cannot take NSAIDS due to the alteration to my intestines and am very reactive to low doses of the "usual suspect" drugs like gabapentin and lyrics. Just wondering if there are any additional studies done on anti-inflammatory herbs and spices that would help. Thanks!

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Replies to "Has anyone tried high doses of Thiamine for peripheral neuropathy? Has anyone had a colectomy or..."

@silverfox1026 @johnbishop
My neuropathy was induced by chemo, and I do take a B Complex pill daily which has thiamine in it... but I don't believe it has made any difference with the neuropathy. My oncologist also dissuaded me from using NSAIDs which have dangerous effects from long-term use. I, too, cannot take gabapentin, or lyrica, or venlafaxine, etc., so I went to a doctor of Chinese medicine who gave me a pill made of several herbs (mostly plant roots) called Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan. It has been given to menopausal women for 200 years to quiet hot flashes. In my case, it cools off my burning hands, feet and legs... and it has been a life-saver. Finally, I could sleep at night.

Like most things used for nerve damage, it works well for some time, and then requires using a higher dose, and then after a while becomes less effective. So I switched to an endogenous fatty acid called Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) which is used by European neurologists for neuropathic pain from all pathologies. It, too, worked wonders for a while, and then not so much, at which point I began adding back some Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan when needed, trying to keep one step ahead of the burning nerve pain. It's a constant juggling act, especially since exercise (or even one glass of wine) seems to exacerbate the burning in my feet/legs/hands, and I exercise 4-5 hours/week trying to regain my lost balance and coordination since the chemo. Neither product has side effects (except for some slight bloating from the PEA which I alleviate by taking a Beano with each dose).