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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey on July 18, 2008 at 8:24am

My doctor told me to take Thiamin 500mg x 2 a day. It is also known as B1 vitamin. Thi is known to help with the sensory nerves in the hands and feet. This is something you need to talk to your Dr and do research on though. I have been taking this for 3 years and it has helped alot. Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on March 31, 2010 at 1:33pm

I have neuropathy in my hands (well really my fingers). In addition to a B-complex with vitamin B1, I've started supplementing with 1000 mg of B12. I am on Metformin and it can mess with proper vitamin B12 absorption. Vitamin B12 deficiency is known to cause neuropathy and B12 is thought to have some role in treating diabetic neuropathy (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16008162).

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Permalink Reply by T1Tambien on September 18, 2011 at 12:13pm

Hi BCS-
just starting to get some "weird sensations" first in the tips of my toes on one foot- Dr. blew me off as "it's not neuropathy if it's not in both feet." fast forward 1 month and i now have numb/tingling/strange sensations in both feet. I am taking glipizide (24 months) and eat a fairly vegetarian diet- after my research will start B complex / B12 TODAY. I see your post was a couple of years ago and am just wondering if you've seen any improvement since 2010 that you attribute to the B vitamins?

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Permalink Reply by Jenny on March 31, 2010 at 1:36pm

I am facing the same issue! i am sorry i don't have an answer but i felt like saying you're not the only one! :3 =)

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on March 31, 2010 at 7:08pm

Fred,

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), sold as a supplement, can help heal neuropathy. It works by repairing the myelin sheath of nerves. ALA can also lower blood glucose.

With more normal BG, many peripheral neuropathies heal.

A caveat about B vitamins (not B12):

B6 over 200 mg raises BG & impairs nerve function (so does excess Vit C supplementation)
B3 (niacin) over 200 mg can raise BG
B1 over 200 mg can inactivate insulin

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Permalink Reply by Brian (bsc) on April 1, 2010 at 4:47am

Great points Gerri. Here are some things I might add.

I also take ALA. It is recommended that ALA be taken with biotin. Many people swear by a particular form called insulow (http://www.insulow.com/) which you can get at amazon.

Vitamin B3 niacin is also the same as the niacin used in megadoses for cholesterol treatment. And Gerri is right, research shows it can raise your blood sugar. It is prescribed in doses of like 2grams for cholesterol treatment.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Stang on April 1, 2010 at 11:08am

Gerri,
Many thanks for the information on neuropathy. I am going to buy ALA today.

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on April 1, 2010 at 11:43am

Hope it helps. ALA has to be taken in fairly large doses to work. Afraid I don't have the dosage info at the moment.

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Permalink Reply by Tony Song / MysugarTV on April 1, 2010 at 10:02pm

Hi Fred, we have seen Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) work as well at our diabetes center.

Getting glucose levels back in range will definitely help. We have seen people reverse the pain of neuropathy after getting better control of blood sugar. It does take some time though. but not too sure if you can get feeling back.

If you have numbing, the most important thing that you can do is to check everyday for cuts/ rashes and any injury. I have a relative that burned the underside of his foot and did not know about for 2 days because he did not feel it. He was lucky that it did not get infected.

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Permalink Reply by Fred Stang on April 2, 2010 at 7:52am

Thank you for the response. I am currently taking a supplement that contains 25 mg of ALA. What dosage do you recommend?

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on April 2, 2010 at 8:52am

The "Insulow" brand, which is recommended by Dr. Bernstein, contains 100 mg in a capsule and the recommended dose is 1-2 capsules with each meal (it's supposed to improve insulin sensitivity -- I didn't see any change when using it though).

I'm not sure how much should be taken to treat neuropathy.

One point that I would make though is it is worth buying the more expensive ALA, which is called "R-Alpha Lipoic Acid". It is slower acting, which means your body absorbs a lot more of it. The fast acting ALA seems tempting because it's cheaper, but you will just urinate a lot of it out. My urine has a strange scent when I take ALA (which is like after eating asparagus) and I can tell that the scent is a lot stronger with the fast ALA compared to the R-ALA (which is what is contained in Insulow). So I recommend the Insulow brand or another type of R-ALA.

I have also read studies where high doses of benfotiamine (fat soluble B1) improve neuropathy. Because it is fat soluble you should be careful about not taking too much. I am still taking one a week as a preventative measure.

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Permalink Reply by Kristin on April 2, 2010 at 9:00am

I just checked and Dr. Bernstein recommends 1800 mg per day (that would be 18 of my tablets!). You may be able to buy 200 mg tablets.

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