True story (condensed version). I’m 62 YO and in fairly good health although at 228 I was a tad overweight. So last spring I started riding my bicycle, walking, eating high protein meals with lots of veggies. By August of 2012 I was down to 198 and feeling great. One morning in mid August I awoke with searing pain in the ball of my right foot. I went to the VA and was diagnosed with acute gout. They gave me a shot and a 30 day prescription of Indomethacin. Three months later I start experiencing tingling, numbness, burning, or pain in my hands, a month later it progressed to my toes and then over the next 4 months progressed to within 2” of my ankle. All the while I was going to the VA for all kinds of tests & x-rays. Two months ago they sent me to a specialist at the VA in Cleveland. I was diagnosed with (and I am not a diabetic). The prognosis was permanent & irreversible damage to the nerves. And if that wasn’t bad enough, I was told it was from the Indomethacin that was prescribed for the gout. I was told that there was medications for coping with it but they too had bad side effects.
I went home disheartened but started doing some online research and on the third day I came across an article by a Chicago University. They did a study on 215 patients with non- diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and had great results with 47 of them by doing 5 things.
(1) Totally glutin-free diet (gluten is a neuro-toxin)
(2) Taking vitamin B-12
(3) Taking vitamin B-6
(4) Taking Acetyl L-Carnitine
(5) Taking Alpha Lipoic Acid
So I tried it, and after 1 week I was ready to give up as I had noticed no difference. About day 9 I told my wife she better pick me up some med. for my athletes foot as they were burning. Later I looked at them and they looked fine. Then it hit me, that I had feelings in my toes that I hadn’t had in over 6 months. That was 2 months ago and my hands are 100% back to normal and my feet are 80%+ back to normal. I did experiment a couple of weeks ago and had some bread, and for the next 3 days I experienced numbness and tingling again in my feet.
Gluten free products are a Godsend for me. Some are nasty and others are great. You have to read the labels on everything though as they sneak wheat, rye, & barley products into many products.
This is not a recommendation just a personal experience that worked for me. Your mileage my vary.
Some links I’ve found
http://www.naturalnews.com/029779_peripheral_neuropathy_remedies.html
http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/CeliacNeuroSymptoms/a/Gluten-And-Neuropathy.htm
http://www.drugs.com/sfx/indomethacin-side-effects.html
I had all kinds of test to find it. Took a couple months of tests. Turns out I had symptoms for years and just thought nothing of them because they changed with where my body put the gluten.
Glad you found out it was the gluten. I don't wish the nerve pain on anyone.
neuropathy is a touchy subject.
having high blood pressure and diabetes can add some interesting twitches to the equation,, from foot numbness to random hot spots of throbbing and sensations, none too present.. they can come and go.. most of mine are left foot or leg..
Diet can help a lot.. so can exercise believe it or not.. I’m still working on both.. Good luck to you!
I went gluten free 2 years ago due to chronic bowel irritation. I found after six weeks that it did nothing for the irritation. BUT what did happen is my constant runny or stuffy nose cleared up and the 4 or more major flu-like allergy bouts per year I was suffering never happened again. Oh, and goodbye to 30 pounds of flab, thank you very much. Probably in major part by switching from fried foods to salads with no croutons, but at 51 years old I’ve never been healthier.
As for the irritation, apple pectin and Fibercon with every meal got it under control. Likely too much bile and no gall bladder since 1997.
I also have a 68 year old friend who would likely be dead now if she hadn’t tried the Whole30 program. Within two months after she started a basic paleo diet, she dropped 28 pounds, got her blood pressure and diabetes under control. 10 months later she is now lighter than she was when she got married 50 years ago and is feeling great.
Diet makes a huge difference, we just need to find out what works on an individual basis. And stay away from junk food!
I’m so happy that you figured out how to get to where your body could take care of itself. God bless you.
No Benfotiamine? Look into it if you haven't already, the stuff's miraculous.
No diabetes here either, but it's saved us a lot of pain, and about $2500 on a root canal and crown.
My 18yo son had a routine cavity filled in a front tooth, and a day later was in excruciating pain. Dentist x-rayed and all looked perfect, replaced filling. Pain continued, replaced filling with painkiller, let sit for a week. The only explanation was a "spontaneous pain," which happens occasionally (I guess).
I remember thinking, "I must have missed that chapter in the child-rearing books, where your teenager comes storming into the kitchen demanding a root canal...." The pain was relentless and worsening. It was a Friday, though.
What do I do? Eighteen is too young for that, especially if the tooth is otherwise okay. Wondered if it's some sort of neuropathy? I had some Benfotiamine in the house. I said, "Fine, but it's Friday night, and you can't just show up for a root canal on a Saturday morning and say 'fit me in.'"
Found the bottle(!). Told him, "Take 600mg/day, half in am, half before bed, NO DEVIATION, DO NOT FORGET! If it's not better by Monday I'll schedule a root canal."
Monday came and went. I didn't dare ask. Tuesday night: "How's the tooth...?"
"A little better, actually."
Interesting.... "Keep taking it," I replied.
By the following weekend, the pain was GONE. He kept it up for another two weeks, no recurrence. Was understandably nervous about going back to dentist for permanent (3rd) filling but it went fine, uneventful. Dentist had never heard of Benfotiamine.
I always keep it in the house now.
Glad to hear you’re so much better! Increasingly patients can do the research to heal themselves.