Natural Remedies for Neuropathy: Holistic & Nutritional

I used to have those almost unbearable electric, stabbing shocks on the instep of my foot. Then I researched and now use Amla powder, a very potent vit.C from India. I make up about three tsp. in a glass with water to steep for the day and, using a straw, divide this quantity over a day and a bit right after a meal..

With this I use a cup with three full tsp. of turmeric with hemp oil and a full tblsp. plain whey powder in water. I have kept up this for, I think, two years. The pain disappeared soon, came back just a wee bit and vanished for good, so it seems.

I have this from Ayurveda and it is actually meant for diabetes without medication. It was stated that large amount of vit. C would cure the pain. It did. Om

Mama to many, Thanks you for the feedback. Interestingly enough, I have a friend that's a periodontist that had cancer and cured it by drinking carrot juice and nothing but for a month! He drank so much the bottom of his feet turned orange...but it worked! He got out of the Doctoring field because it's a "Crooked/unethical game they play to all people." He told me if I ever went to an emergency room and had full insurance coverage they would do every tesy available even if you had a hangnail...I have a neighbor who that happened to and she just had a sore wrist but they ran up an $8,000.00 bill with every kind of test possible..(MRI, CAT scan, full body Xrays, blood tests etc. etc. all stuff completely unrelated to her wrist.) my friend now has a holistic business for children in PA.

In any event, he's cured and I just may give carrot juice a try..even though neuropathy is my issue along with hep-c..Thank you again.

Please read the book by Dr. Louis Ignarro. He won the Nobel prize for science in 1997. He states clearly that Arginine and Citrulline will help neuropathy. He says to take 4000 mg arginine and 1000 mg citrulline before bed and it will bring back to life your endothelial cells and your neuropathy will be helped and your heart and everything else in your body will benefit... The combination of these 2 amino acids generates Nitric oxide...

Bernice, There are lots of different things people on Earth Clinic have tried... I would personally start with the turmeric and burdock root. They could be taken together. Also, the apple cider vinegar is good for many things, and I notice people use it for neuropathy. Burdock Root helped me with neuropathy a number of years ago. It took a couple of weeks of consistent use to see a difference. I didn't know about turmeric back then or would have used it, too.

https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/neuropathy4.html#TURMERIC

Also, peppermint and St. John's Wort are good for the nervous system. You could make a quart of this tea and drink it daily. But I would give it a good month try before deciding it doesn't work. You could put 4 tea bags (2 of each type) into a quart jar and pour boiling water over it. Let steep for 15 minutes. Strain. Sweeten. Drink hot or cold through the day.

Lots of water is important to help the body flush itself of toxins. I would also try Epsom Salt Baths twice a week. (2 cups of the salt per bath.)

I hope you find some relief soon! Please let us know what helps you.

~Mama to Many~

Hi Denise... Lack of Iodine in the body can cause cold hands and cold feet. Iodine helps to regulate and control the body's accomodation to hot and cold conditions via the thyroid gland -- especially at the peripherals of the body. So it might help if you supplement kelp or lugol's iodine to see if this helps your problem of feeling cold at the peripherals of your body.

Another reason for this problem could be because of your Hep C. Improving the liver's function thereby purifying your blood may also be helped by taking Milk Thistle(1000 mgs twice a day at mealtimes), Selenium(200 mcgs twice a day at mealtimes) and Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA (300 mgs twice a day at mealtimes). ALA is a wonderful detoxer of poisons and is well known to help peripheral neuropathy problems in the body. Drinking Chanca piedra tea two or three times a day or taking 1000 mgs of Chanca piedra (twice a day at mealtimes) will also help you detox and repair your liver. I would also take Chlorella on a daily basis to help remove any heavy metals from your body.

You can also find other useful Hep C remedies here on EC:

BHT Remedy for Hep C

Berkson Therapy for Hep C

Ted's Lysine and Vitamin C remedy for Hep C

I took the Burdock Root before meals. But I don't think it is hard on the stomach and could probably be spaced out any way that is convenient. Four to five 00 capsules is generally about a teaspoon. Hope that helps!

Yes, it worked out to about 3 teaspoons a day. It would be fine to just take the powder in water. It has a mild taste. It is used for food in other countries. I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. God bless you! KY Mama

If B12 deficiency goes on too long, it can be permanent.

Neuropathy:

FYI Stabilized R-ALA will likely be more effective than R-Alpha Lipoic Acid.

I had very painful neuropathy a few years ago. My doctor offered me pain meds and that was all he could offer. I read about Burdock Root being helpful for it. I took 3 capsules 3x a day. It can take a while for it to work but for me I was improving a lot in a week or two. It is recommended that you take Burdock for 3 months to maximize the effect. I took it for at least 6 months. This was several years ago and the problem did not return.

Burdock Root cleanses the blood. It is a vegetable, it is not dangerous to take this.

Hello, I am loving this site! I listen to am radio from our area where there doctors whom really push holistic medicine it works and it needs more pushing for the really bad sickness like I have been dealing with since I have had cancer. I love what I learn about the different sulliments for ailments. It is good to try them to see if they work for my ailment.

I just increased my intake of lipoic acid and my feet have been better and the meralgia paresthetica seems to be easing the sharp electrical shock shooting zaps. They are terrible and I am hoping to see if I can get off the pain meds and increase the dietary supplements that I have increased to help me get better. I have different ailments that have made me unable to get around so I will come back on here in 60 days and give a report on my status on my pain so keep looking for my feedback. Thanks Jeff from Lowell, type 2 diabetic with meralgia paesthetica and facet joint arthritus / upper thoraic arthritus philbitus and neuropathy from the pinced nerve is terrible. The color of my legs scares me there, a color that is bad like black and blue, so keep looking for me and wish me well. ok bye all

Gluten-Free Diet for Neuropathy

Research ideopathic gluten sensitivity. I have had relief from kicking gluten from my diet!! I tried all the other stuff & got some relief BUT this was relief and it happened within days of being diligent about NO GLUTEN.

Lugel's Iodine is the best and most potent...be mindful it requires very little!

Hi Al, Great to hear of your improvements. With regards to your wondering if the ALA was sending your hair back to its original colour I would think that maybe it is. I have included the following article which describes the relationship between ALA and ALCAR when used together. Bascially says that ALCAR can cause oxidative stress which is why it is usually teamed with ALA to counteract any negative impact on cells. I think it is basically the Good guy of the duo and may very well be what has caused your hair to go back to its original colour.

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/alpha-lipoic-acid-and-acetyl-l-carnitine-can-they-improve-sports-performance-8

With regards to your wondering if it was welding that caused your hair to turn grey in your early years, all I can say to that is that I have an uncle and he has been welding for many years. He is now in his late seventies and last year he had to undergo an operation for a hole at the back of this eye - at least I think that's what it was, which he says he is nearly sure was caused by welding - this goes to show you how much welding he done over a lifetime, however he didn't actually turn grey until he was in his late forties/early fifties. But who knows maybe it's a case of horses for courses.

I have also included a link with regard to a forum on nerve regeneration which may/may not be of use to you, the first guy seems to be using supplements similar to that you use for nerve regeneration.

http://www.healthboards.com/boards/neuropathy/75917-anyone-experienced-nerve-regeneration.html

All I can say Al is that it is truly great to hear of your good news. I can't say that there seems to be much info out there results-wise for people in relation to ala/alcar and neuropathy so you seem to be a pioneer to some extent. Wishing you the best going back to work and hoping that you will keep us updated. Regards.

I have been using the yucca for just over a week and am seeing amazing results. While the nerves in my feet are super sensitive, which results in swelling and high levels of pain, I am now seeing a substantial reduction in the swelling and pain with the yucca.

For those of you who are wondering what I am using, I am now taking:

ALA-200 mg/day, grape seed extract-200mg/day, B12 sublingual-30, 000mcg/day, benfotiamine, B3, folic acid, curcumin, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorous, fenugreek, acetyl-l-carnitine, l-lysine, vitamin C, vitamin D and yucca.

I may have missed some and don't know the dosages of all of them as I am not at home right now. If anyone has any specific questions please contact me directly at gustafsonal (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thank you and don't give up.

ALA will make your heart race if you have overactive thyroid problems and/or are on thyroid medication(s). You should maybe get your thyroid gland checked out and that might even fix your neuropathy. Most ALA labels caution about using it with thyroid medications.

3 months now since I started ALA & ALCAR and I have been working full time - just around 60 hours per week in the log book. I am quite surprised at how well I am doing. At the end of the first week I was exhausted, partially due to icy roads on days 4 & 5, and thought I would need to take a break midweek for a few weeks but kept at it and didn't need to. I still have a bit of pain, tingling and numbness but it is still receding. I expect that it will take many months to completely recover if I ever do. I am maintaining my supplement regimen but have reduced the Lyrica by 50% a week ago, resulting in an increase in the pain level, and have also reduced the amount of Diamicron MR that I am taking by 50% as well due to the blood sugar getting too low, a good indication that the curcumin and Diamicron MR are actually healing the pancreas as I am healing the neuropathy. Maybe the two are complementary. I saw another acquaintance today that I hadn't seen since June and he didn't recognize me due to my hair colour returning. Onwards and upwards.

My husband has a rare disease called Tangiers. It causes neuropathy mainly in his limbs, but has lost feeling all over. He suffers from alot of pain. He is getting ALA treatment from his naturopath. They are starting a new treatment that involves a new natural med that will be administered before the ALA to help the body absorbe it. They say he will notice a difference with in 30 days. Fingers crossed!

Thanks. Red light therapy maybe a lesser known but effective treatment, without having to take another pill. Ordered a unit today. Will be doing this daily and will come back in 30 days to report my spouses response to this.

I added an ADRENAL Gland support and with the gluten free I now have dropped the supplements except for B-12 injection and take fish oil -2 tbsp. A day and I have almost total relief. Thanks to everyone who has posted. I hope everyone finds relief like I have.

After a bad two-week long spell of sharp, needle-like pain in my feet I looked at this site for advice. At my next doctors appointment a few days later, I checked with him for his opinion, and based on that added ALA to my treatment (which was metanx pills he gave me last year). Within 24 hours of taking one 600 mg tablet of ALA the pains were down by at least 50% intensity, and now a week later they are almost completely gone. A few days ago, I also added a B complex, and plan on adding a B12 lozenge too.

My doctor - a foot doctor who specializes in neuropathy - had no problem with these 'additions', in fact he is the one who suggested B12 in a lozenge form, not a tablet. I'm now a strong believer in taking ALA B vitamins for those pains in my feet!

BTW: Bought my 600mg ALA tabs at GNC - they've got an amazing vanilla flavor and are a pleasure to take! I take 3 per day and a Bcomplex once a day.

I also swear by Turmeric for Neuropathy, but my understanding is it needs to be heated and taken in conjunction with black pepper for activation. If I have fresh Turmeric I simmer it for approx 10 minutes but if it is powdered making a tea with boiling water is another way to go, I add ginger, black pepper and agave to sweeten and it is a very pleasant drink. I have this drink daily and the pain relief properties are amazing.

I also took the same Bs as Shrikant (the fat soluble B 12 & Metacobalin) and my neuropathy in both feet that I had for a few years got better THE NEXT 24 hours I could tell - a difference for the better. I am now still on the fat soluble Bs and it has been 1 1/2 years now. The tingling, the extreme sensitivity, the sudden jerking jolts of what felt like electric shocks within my feet are all gone.

Only thing is lately, I have noticed a tightness appearing and I cannot bend back my toes towards me comfortably. Don't know why...

Hi Ms (from Honolulu), If it feels like that they might cramp if you move them any further then I would suggest magnesium. Works for me if my toes feel like or do cramp. Even if it is not cramp it would be worth trying some mag.

My partner also suffered with PN due to his diabetes, he was already taking ACV and CO, this seemed to help his blood sugars , but not the pain.

However literally after the first dose of MSM he got instant relief, he continues to take it but rather on an if and when need basis. Also we read that LECITHIN can help, which he also takes, daily, due to a relative short shelf life. He is so much better.!!! Oh I hope this helps , any one that suffers this puts up with so much.:(.

Hi Monique - You may want to increase your Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamine - take sublingual tablets) and ensure you take a Vitamin B Complex as well. I've read that Vitamin B12 protects the sheathing surrounding nerve cells and can promote regeneration and growth of nerve cells.

Also, be tested for Vitamin D deficiency (mercola.com or Vitamin D Council have lots of info on this). If you do an Internet search for "vitamin D deficiency neuropathy" you'll find lots of information suggesting you get your Vitamin D levels up. Good luck!

I belive my neuropathy is caused by a course of Leqavuin 2 years ago. It started with a numb big toe and spread out. I've taken b-12 patches, Alpha Lipoic, Lecithin, MSM, acupuncture, Bach remedies, NAC, but what feels like a cure:

This week

5 pieces of Turmeric juiced into my morning carrot juice, along with 2 packets of Liposomal glutathione.

I actually credit the Turmeric more than the gluathione, but the two in combination are alleviating all my numbness and prickling for the last 7 days.

People who have burning feet - do you realise that it can be caused by too much caffeine? Caffeine prevents the absorption of vitamin B, so that even if you are eating well and having vitamin B supplements, that vitamin B is not being absorbed. The reason why some sufferers are not getting any better when they take various remedies may be because they are drinking eight cups of strong tea or coffee a day! Give it up and see the difference it makes.

Hi, I have a pinched nerve also in my lower back and I have not been diagnosed with neuropathy, I do have symptoms like neuropathy. I did research on EC and other sites regarding alc and alpha lipoic acid is helping me also. I take 400mg a day.

Alpha Lipoic Acid for Neuropathy

I have a pinched nerve in my back which causes peripheral neuropathy. I have been using ALA for almost 2 weeks now and my symptoms have improved I take 300 mg (time released tablets) twice per day.

I have severe neuropathy and my head shakes. I went to a health food store and got alpha lipoic acid amd have been on it for eight days and it has been wonderful. I no longer have pain and my head doesn't shake. I feel like anew person.I hope this can help someone else. It's nice to go out and not be stared at.

For Neuropathy Pain:

Take 250mg pantothenic acid a day.