Improving neuropathy without spending a fortune - What actually helps?

I think the combination of gabapentin and pregabalin also known as Lyrica seem to work for me

I've been living with multiple kinds of neuropathy since 2011. I am disabled on a fixed low income, so cost matters! What helps me most is eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy, brown rice, caffeine, and alcohol. It's hard at first, but it's so worth it. Whenever I 'cheat,' I suffer!!!

I seek do-it-yourself options. I grow a garden and make food from scratch (since I was 18, now I am 64), so this is a natural expansion of what I already do. I make a magnesium spray and foot soak using affordable but high-quality magnesium flakes from Amazon. I make herbal remedies that support and calm the central nervous system and help nerves recover (tinctures of milky oat, milk thistle, ashwagandha, ginkgo, gotu kola, hops, and California poppy). I grow some medicinal herbs, forage others, and buy some from a local herb store. I also make tinctures from functional mushrooms that support/manage some of the risk factors associated with my neuropathies.

I take many supplements, including NAC, 5-HTP, Co-Q10, R-ALA, magnesium glycinate, E alpha and gamma-tocopherol (forms of vitamin E), Omega-3s, ferritin, and amino acids. They are expensive, so I sacrifice other things to get them.

I also use whatever my insurance will pay for: Physical therapy, cranial sacral therapy, and chiropractic. And go to a clinic that offers accupuncture on a sliding scale.

Does anyone with peripheral neuropathy do pt? My neurologist prescribed pt but I haven't called to schedule yet. I take lyrica. I have been taking for 2 yrs. I don't have pain but definitely numbness and at night pins and needles in my feet. The neurologist prescribed ropinerole. I just want to be able to walk more confidently. Thanks.

Hello, @scain,
I sure understand about wanting to walk more confidently! I've had PN for over 20 years - finally diagnosed in 2021. Like you, I take Lyrica (actually the equivalent Pregabalin) plus Tramadol, and also Ropinirole. I was in a wonderful program of physical therapy until January, and then Medicare dropped its reimbursement rate below what my pt/myokinesthetist could accept in order to sustain her practice. So as of this year she has gone to a cash-only payment. I have had to discontinue since I'm on Medicare, and I have noticed a huge difference in my confidence to be mobile. I need to contact my doctor and get another referral (but I liked my therapist so much, I just haven't been motivated to start another search). Both my PCP and neurologist are happy to make a referral - and I know how much the "right" kind of therapy helps. I definitely think you should go for it... and I should follow my own advice! 😉

10 tablets daily? Has your dr approved if this? What strength is 1 tablet?

I too have spent $$$ on treatment that doesn’t work!
I have Lupus, RA , sjorgrens, raynalds
I found a NATURAL remedy that gives me relief.
Tapee Tea from Coconut Island CO. Tastes like dirt, but works for me!

I was diagnosed with idiopathic neuropathy 9 years ago. I have significant issues with balance and use a walker. I do not take any medication for two reasons. First, initial possible improvement, then tolerance, need a higher dose. To me, I would rather have the pain, heat, burning, cold feeling as if my feet will break off, nerve sensations etc., because I know that something is wrong. The second reason relates to brain function. The medications mentioned as well as others simply work on the brain. They do not address the problem but instead tell the brain there is no problem or the sensation is less. Not worth any of this. I exercise, wear socks to bed and take them off when my feet get hot. I wear sockless shoes (Amazon) that really help me "feel" where my feet are. My suggestion is accept where you are and live with it. Modern medicine is not really concerned about neuropathy sufferers. They, in my expeience are NOT helpful at all.

Tramadol works for me. It is a mild opioid not known for addiction/abuse.

WOW! Good for you. But obviously this would not work for most people. How did you discover which foods you need to give up? Was there some sort of test? For a regular person, could we get a personalized plan from a Naturopath? What does the chiropractor do?

Why would any of this obviously not work for most people? I live in low-income housing and grow my food and herbs in a local community garden (available in most towns and cities). I learned how to garden from books and how to make herbal tinctures on the internet. Everything I do is available to most people. I mentioned eliminating sugar, gluten, dairy, brown rice, caffeine, and alcohol. They are all well-known to worsen neuropathy because they aggravate nerves and the nervous system. I learned the hard way about brown rice flour used in many GF products. The hull of brown rice contains arsenic, which is a neurotoxin. But, if you soak/sprout brown rice for 48 hours before cooking, it changes the chemical composition of the arsenic. And, if you ferment glutenous grains in sourdough starter, it eliminates up to 80% of the gluten. So homemade and local bakery sourdough is ok (unless you have celiac), but factory-made sourdough uses yeast, which means there is no fermentation process. None of this is unique to me and available to anyone except for the unhoused.