1. < Neuropathy

Use of Biotin

Posted by dgjestson @dgjestson, Jan 30 12:09pm

I am an 85-year-old male with alcohol-induced peripheral neuropathy, diagnosed 10 years ago. My symptoms are painless numbness in both feet initially but extending up both legs to mid-calf over the past two years. I have stopped alcohol use and take a super B vitamin along with 300 mg of stabilized R-lipoic acid (Biotin optimizer) daily, which seems to lessen the numbness intensity. I have read encouraging things about Biotin in this discussion group, and my physician approves trying it. It comes in 500, 1,000 and 10,000 mg doses. Should I start with 500 and for how long to experiment before increasing the dose?

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bruizersmom | @bruizersmom | Feb 2 2:59pm

Hmmmm...I used to take Biotin for my brittle nails...........I also used to have neuropathy and then it went away..... and then it came back. Same with tremors and various other symptoms. Could it be that I accidentally stopped a good thing???? I was taking the suggested dose on the bottle.
Thanks for mentioning it. A new puzzle.

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1 reply
dgjestson | @dgjestson | Feb 2 4:07pm
In reply to @bruizersmom "Hmmmm...I used to take Biotin for my brittle nails...........I also used to have neuropathy and then..." + (show)
@bruizersmom

Hmmmm...I used to take Biotin for my brittle nails...........I also used to have neuropathy and then it went away..... and then it came back. Same with tremors and various other symptoms. Could it be that I accidentally stopped a good thing???? I was taking the suggested dose on the bottle.
Thanks for mentioning it. A new puzzle.

Jump to this post

Mmmmmm indeed. You might have been on to something. I will try it out in the 500 Mcg dosage. Watch for results in 30 days.

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arflmi33 | @arflmi33 | Feb 3 10:13am

I just started it daily at 5000 mcg. I am glad to see a few of us may be trying it. Maybe we can all report back later on about how we do!

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1 reply
dgjestson | @dgjestson | Feb 3 10:56am

Agreed. Some formal trials have shown neuropathy improvement especially for diabetes related cases. Also important is no negative effects of high doses of Biotin!

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1 reply
dgjestson | @dgjestson | Feb 3 12:45pm
In reply to @dgjestson "Agreed. Some formal trials have shown neuropathy improvement especially for diabetes related cases. Also important is..." + (show)
@dgjestson

Agreed. Some formal trials have shown neuropathy improvement especially for diabetes related cases. Also important is no negative effects of high doses of Biotin!

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I should add a PS to my note indicating "...there were no side effects from high doses." I should have said, "Most had no side effects." The trial note did indicate that side effects from high dosages rarely included things like higher blood sugar levels, gastrointestinal issues, and skin anomalies.

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dgjestson | @dgjestson | Feb 6 11:27am
In reply to @arflmi33 "I just started it daily at 5000 mcg. I am glad to see a few of..." + (show)
@arflmi33

I just started it daily at 5000 mcg. I am glad to see a few of us may be trying it. Maybe we can all report back later on about how we do!

Jump to this post

Rather than starting on the 500 mcg as planned, COSTCO only had the 10,000 mcg dose (100 mg) so that's what I am taking. I will report the results March 5.

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2 replies
arflmi33 | @arflmi33 | Feb 7 8:58am

Just a quick note: 10,000 mcg is 10 mg.
To convert you can use an online converter, or just divide the mcg number by 1000 to get the mg number. HTH

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1 reply
dgjestson | @dgjestson | Feb 8 10:38am
In reply to @arflmi33 "Just a quick note: 10,000 mcg is 10 mg. To convert you can use an online..." + (show)
@arflmi33

Just a quick note: 10,000 mcg is 10 mg.
To convert you can use an online converter, or just divide the mcg number by 1000 to get the mg number. HTH

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Got it! Thank you,

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eileen206 | @eileen206 | Feb 9 9:54am
In reply to @dgjestson "Rather than starting on the 500 mcg as planned, COSTCO only had the 10,000 mcg dose..." + (show)
@dgjestson

Rather than starting on the 500 mcg as planned, COSTCO only had the 10,000 mcg dose (100 mg) so that's what I am taking. I will report the results March 5.

Jump to this post

I could only get 10,000's too. I use a pill cutter to have them. Also, if you are on thyroid medication, you should be aware that taking biotin can throw your thyroid test results off. Best to stop taking a week or two prior to any testing...

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