Supplements shown to reduce neuropathy pain in diabetics:
Alpha lipoic acid, benfotiamine, B6, B12, evening primrose oil or borage
oil, vitamin D3, vitamin C.
Blood sugar strategies: flattening out your blood glucose profile to
avoid sharp fluctuations. There appears to be evidence that fluctuations
are more problematic than sustained high numbers, though no one is
recommending sustained high numbers.
There is one recommendation that diabetics keep the standard deviation
of their blood glucose numbers less than 33% of their blood glucose
average.
Here are the links to the above info:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/565795_1
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8886748?dopt=Abstract
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/results.php?storyarticle=5702
http://www.tga.gov.au/adr/aadrb/aadr0504.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16609090
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/04/23/5161.html
http://www.diabetic-talk.org/dpn.htm
http://diabetesmonitor.com/m57.htm
If you want to calculate the standard deviation of your blood sugar
readings and compare it to your blood sugar average, the link below will
take you to an Excel spreadsheet to do that. You will need to expand the
columns a bit as the website has compressed them slightly. Spreadsheets
equivalent to Excel will probably work.
http://tinyurl.com/6lz9tl
http://www.benfotiamine.org/FAQ.htm#faq10
http://dcf.evms.edu/research/nutrinerve.html
http://www.neuroeffex.com/
http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/inspiration_expert_advice/expert_columns/chous_oct2006.html
http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/inspiration_expert_advice/expert_columns/chous_012808.html
Lastly, here’s a link to a TENS like device I’ve found helpful with
neuropathy pain:
I bought the cheaper unit:
http://www.rebuildermedical.com/?gad=CMy2iJ4EEghdXzWyinV-XxictcD_AyDYhuRA&OVRAW=Rebuilder&OVKEY=symptom%20of%20neuropathy&OVMTC=advanced&OVADID=21369280511&OVKWID=164676020511
PS Some other helpful remedies for neuropathy pain:
Exercise--walking, weight lifting, etc.
Massage
Lidoderm patches: requires an Rx and they're expensive. But, when all
else fails, these will work. Wash your hands after using. Keep hands
away from eyes, nose, mouth, etc.
Unfortunately, pain relievers will not alleviate neuropathy pain. This
was my experience and it's the advice that the medical people will give
you as well.
I found it helpful to set up a standing fan blowing cool air on my feet
at night while in bed. If you can elevate the head of your bed so that
your feet are at a lower position, this can help.
Also, if you take fish oil, take it at night before bed. It helps you
get to sleep.
If you're having trouble sleeping, the following can be very useful and
found at health food stores and supplement outlets: (check with your doc.)
chamomile tea,
valerian root
L-Tryptophan
Remember that nerves heal slowly. If you can eliminate the underlying
cause of your neuropathy, you should be able to resolve the problem over
a period of a couple of years. If you start down the road to recovery,
you may experience an initial improvement that is rapid in the first
month or two, and then realize slow improvements over the next several
months.
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