Re: Diagnosed with neuropathy

[Guest guest]

About 6-1/4 years ago, I was diagnosed a diabetic. I had a large

hole in my foot which would not heal. I was sent to a physical

therapist who debrided my foot many times over the next 4 or 5 months.

Debriding is a fancy way of saying he carved on the dead rind of

callous my body had built up around the non-healing hole. On the 2nd

or 3rd visit, he looked rather perplexed after carving on my foot. I

get nervous when dentists and people with sharp knives look perplexed

while performing their work. So I asked him why he looked so

perplexed.

He told me that I was not flinching while he debrided my foot and he

had been going fairly deep. According to the records I had only

recently been diagnosed diabetic. The lack of feeling, he called

neuropathy, which is a " diabetic complication " . The therapist told

me that people who have been diabetic for several decades, and who

have not been controlling their blood sugars have much more neural

damage than recent diabetics.

I asked him what the symptoms of neurophy are. He relied that they

included erectile difficulties, tingling of hands and feet. Numbness

of hands and feet in severe cases.

I then told him I had lived a high sugar lifestyle for most of my

life. I first started getting tingling in my hands about 1980 or so.

He told me I have been an uncontrolled diabetic for over 20 years. I

asked about how to reverse neuropathy. He told me that there was no

known way to do that. If I stayed on a good diet, and took my

diabetic meds, the progression would slow down, but it will get worse

over time, even with the best of diabetic care.

I checked this with my doc, and she agreed.

Well, I did not like the diabetic meds. They made me feel terrible

and stupid. Unsafe to drive my car in traffic. So, at the nudgings

of my ex-wife and a friend, I began to explore diet and supplements.

I read that ginger can help with neuropathy, as can Cinnamon. I

started taking both. No major changes over 6 months, but I figured

it took me 20 years to get this deep into neuopathy, so it may take a

long time before I notice any positive improvements. I kept reading.

I discovered MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) which was said to help

reverse neuropathy. I read that Ginger contains some MSM, but not

that much. I do not like the taste of ginger, so I stopped taking

it. I began taking MSM several times a day. If one takes too much,

one can get the runs. No other dangers. So I took as much in a day

as my body could handle, which was close to 30 grams a day.

Over the next few years, most of my neuropathy went away. Not

completely gone, but vastly improved. I have cut back to 2 grams, 3

times a day once I had been at the maximal dose for a few years.

On the subject of fats, I thought you might be interested in these

links. The first link is to Sepp Hasslberger's website. I have come

to trust his health advice over the past few years. The second link

is to my blog. Hard to get the full article on-line without having

to join some list or buy the article, so once I had located it, I

posted it to my blog.

" Have we been sent off in the wrong direction by producers of

cholesterol lowering medications, doctors and thoughtless health

advice? Yes indeed, says Al Sears, MD who practices in Florida, USA.

To give an example, he points to a study recently published by the

Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which finds that the

more you lower cholesterol the greater the risk of your liver enzymes

going off kilter, your muscles dissolving in a potentially deadly

disease called rhabdomyolysis and of contracting cancer. "

http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2007/09/11/low_cholesterol_found_to_increas\

e_cancer_risk.htm

What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?

By Taubes

http://alobar.livejournal.com/2353681.html

Alobar

On 8/23/07, Sue <bobnsueallison@...> wrote:

> My Neurologist just told me that I have Idiopathic Neuropathy. She

> said my colesteral is too high. It is 210. She said I have to lose

> weight and gave me a low fat diet. I weigh 172. I know I have to lose

> weight but I don't believe a low fat diet is good for you after reading

> Dr. Fife's books. My husband asked her about coconut oil and she said

> no it is a fat--only use olive oil. I told my husband I don't agree

> with her. I'm thinking about getting another opinion. I really didn't

> like her curt attitude. I'm not sure who I should go to though. I

> can't work--this neuropathy is getting pretty bad. I'm afraid it will

> get worse though if I follow her advise. I'm not sure what to do. Any

> ideas? By the way I only have been using coconut oil for a few weeks.

> Thanks, Sue

>

>

[Guest guest]

Alobar,

Thanks for sharing your story. Does alpha lipoic acid been effective

for you?

I read that it might help diabetics.

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/alp_0159.s

html

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2003-rst/1733.html

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm

phine

>

> About 6-1/4 years ago, I was diagnosed a diabetic.

[Guest guest]

I take lots of supplements. Not sure if any of them help neuropathy,

but they do help me in many ways. The combo of Alpha Lipoic Acid,

Acetyl L-Carnitine, and Benfotiamine do wonders for keeping my mind

sharp as I age, improve my ability to take insulin and glucose into my

cells, and get rid of old carbohydrate gunk from my cellular

mitochondia.

Alobar

On 9/13/07, jlkinkona <josephine@...> wrote:

> Alobar,

> Thanks for sharing your story. Does alpha lipoic acid been effective

> for you?

> I read that it might help diabetics.

>

> http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/alp_0159.s

> html

> http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2003-rst/1733.html

> http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/alpha-lipoic-000285.htm

>

> phine

>

[Guest guest]

Hi this is my first post and I have neuropathy and found this

interesting very natural cure for the condition which I am going to

try and thought you might be interested. The website url is

www.keephopealive.com. Hope this email isn't too long, but it is so

encouraging to people who have the condition and no remedies. Here goes.

NEUROPATHY REVERSED IN 14 DAYS

Mark Konlee

Neuropathy is a painful disorder affecting the nervous system that

causes numbness, burning or aching sensations in various parts of the

body. On September 1, 1994, a friend, Jim, with visible AIDS-related

neuropathy was limping along toward a country style farmers market and

complained how difficult and painful it was to walk. He used a cane

but had to frequently stop to let the aching and burning sensations

subside. His face showed the anguish and despair at his condition.

I asked him if he were taking Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins. He

replied that he was and that the supplements were not helping him. I

offered to help him research how to treat his condition. When we

returned home, I checked his saliva pH and found it was very acid -

registering 5.5 on the pH tape. Jim asked me what saliva pH would have

to do with the pain he was experiencing in this legs. I told him I

wasn't sure, but that persons who were assimilating essential fatty

acids, proteins and minerals usually had a normal saliva pH of 6.4. I

had noticed that he had been losing weight. I told him that indicated

he had a malabsorption problem.

A condition similar to neuropathy is called " Neuritis " and is

described in Dr. Balch MD's book Prescription for Nutritional

Healing as an " inflammation or deterioration of a nerve or group of

nerves. " Supplements deemed essential for recovery are lecithin, which

repairs nerve membranes, multiple vitamins with emphasis on all B

vitamins including B-12. Very important are Calcium, Magnesium

Chloride and Free Form Amino acids, the latter of which is important

in nerve cell repair.

I suggested that Jim try the following diet and supplements. First, to

give up all grains, including gluten free grains like rice, corn and

spelt. His diet would consist of a variety of vegetables both cooked

and raw. Cooked were yams and squash, baked or boiled beets and

onions. Raw was Romaine lettuce, parsley, carrots, beet greens,

onions, avocado, broccoli, celery, red bell pepper and garlic in a

tossed salad with ripe or green olives added and seasoned with lemon

juice and olive oil. Some cooked white potatoes were used. For

proteins, he used cottage cheese with flax oil added, yogurt, pea soup

or lentil soup.

With each meal, he drank a whole lemon/olive oil drink. This drink was

made by placing 1/2 of a whole lemon (rind, seed and pulp) in a

blender with one cup of water and one tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive

Oil. It was blended at high speed for one minute, then passed through

a strainer to remove the pulp. This was consumed along with two 19

grain lecithin capsules three times a day. Other supplements includes

a multiple liquid vitamin formula high in all the B-vitamins and two

magnesium chloride tablets (500 mg ea.) each day.

After 5 days, his saliva pH increased to 6.0 and his neuropathy

lessened. On the 5th day, I suggested he take 1 tbsp of blackstrap

molasses 3 times a day to speed up the process of restoring his saliva

pH to 6.4, which is normal. By the 10th day, his saliva pH was at a

normal 6.4. He no longer used his cane and told me his condition was

90% improved.

He then reduced his blackstrap molasses to 1 tbsp daily and has added

some grains to his diet. His saliva pH has remained at 6.2 to 6.4 and

he has gained 3 lbs. Three weeks later, he stopped taking the lecithin

and the lemon drink for several days and reported an increase in joint

pain associated with neuropathy. He said he was going back on the

whole lemon/olive oil drink and is convinced it helped him immensely.

Note: Acid saliva pH is a an indication of an acid blood and lymph

system and is associated with two conditions: 1. toxins and waste

matter from cells that is not being eliminated from the body 2.

Failure to properly absorb essential fatty acids, proteins and

minerals from ingested food. 3. Food moves rapidly through the G.I.

tract when saliva pH is acid. The acid environment is conducive to

growth of viruses and many pathogens and is oxygen deficient. The

color of the blood is often of the blue side, even in the arteries.

The acid person is likely to fatigue easily.

Hope this helps me and someone else.

[Guest guest]

In 2001 I developed neuropathy after using statins. The pain and

burning was so bad that I often felt that if it got any worse I would

rather die. My doctor started me on B-12 shots to deal with it, and

on my own I started taking alpha lipoic acid, and also daily

sublingual B-12, along with a number of other supplements. Well, over

time my neuropathy improved *immensely*, and today it is a very minor

effect in my life. My bowel nerves were also severly damaged from the

statins, but they did not seem to recover as the neuropathy of my

limbs did. The nerves to the bowel are more permanently and severely

damaged than other nerves. Other nerves often do have some recovery,

but usually not bowel nerves. So think about this when you consider

taking statins.

I just wanted to say, though, that neuropathy does not have to be

progressive - it can get better. But, it is very important, if you

are trying to heal nerves you cannot intake things that cause nerve

damage such as foods or meds that elevate blood sugar. If you already

have nerve damage you must keep your blood sugar low, and stable;

without wide up and down swings from the types of foods you eat. Even

moderate blood sugar swings, in someone who already has some nerve

damage, will increase that damage. But, with very tight blood sugar

control, staying away from toxins, and taking nutrients that help

heal the nerves, neuropathy can get better instead of worse.

When you are considering the things that can be toxic to nerves you

would be surprized at the number of medications that when you look at

the PDR insert, have possible neuropathy in the list of side effects.

Sometimes it is just not possible to avoid all meds that have that

possibility (like heart drugs, or even antibiotics), but when I am

determining whether to take a medication I look at that as a

determining factor. Mainly, I have just decided that I try my best to

avoid medications unless I absolutely have no choice, because the

side effects list is sooooooo long. I figure, most times, the risks

are just so much greater than the gain.

I do take a heart drug. I tried to get off of it, but landed in the

hospital. And, I do have to take antibiotics every so often for

dental work. I used to be on a lot of meds (anti-depressants, seizure

meds for the neuropathy pain, bone-building drugs, estrogen, asthma

inhalers, etc, etc) but gradually I went off of them (the ashma

inhalers alone ended up giving me borderline glaucoma and borderline

cushings disease and insulin resistance - which have gone away since

getting off of them). By eating healthy, staying mostly away from

sugar, and taking CO I have found I seldom have asthma attacks

anymore.

Anyway, I rambled a bit, but hope what I had to say meant something

to someone.

Amber

=========

> > My Neurologist just told me that I have Idiopathic Neuropathy.

She

> > said my colesteral is too high. It is 210. She said I have to

lose

> > weight and gave me a low fat diet. I weigh 172. I know I have

to lose

> > weight but I don't believe a low fat diet is good for you after

reading

> > Dr. Fife's books. My husband asked her about coconut oil and she

said

> > no it is a fat--only use olive oil. I told my husband I don't

agree

> > with her. I'm thinking about getting another opinion. I really

didn't

> > like her curt attitude. I'm not sure who I should go to though.

I

> > can't work--this neuropathy is getting pretty bad. I'm afraid it

will

> > get worse though if I follow her advise. I'm not sure what to

do. Any

> > ideas? By the way I only have been using coconut oil for a few

weeks.

> > Thanks, Sue

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, for all the advice. Actually, I was wrong. I have

polyneuropathy. I heard the Dr. wrong. I requested my medical

records so I could see the results of the tests she did. I feel a

lot better after I started taking the Neurontin, but it also could

be the effect of the VCO and eating healthier. I'm still very weak

in my arms and hands though. I printed out an article from Reuters

Health that says Dr.'s often dismiss patient's complaints about side

effects from statins. 51% of patients with peripheral neuropathy

had Doctors that dismissed their complaints. If so many patients

taking statins complain of neuropathy, I can't understand why my

Neurologist would even consider having me take statins. I'm going

to show the article to her to see what she says. If I didn't think

the medication she gave me might be helping, I wouldn't go back to

her. I think it is a waste of time. Does anyone know whether or

not VCO helps migraines? My son has migraines almost all the time.

Thanks, Sue

> > > My Neurologist just told me that I have Idiopathic

Neuropathy.

> She

> > > said my colesteral is too high. It is 210. She said I have

to

> lose

> > > weight and gave me a low fat diet. I weigh 172. I know I

have

> to lose

> > > weight but I don't believe a low fat diet is good for you

after

> reading

> > > Dr. Fife's books. My husband asked her about coconut oil and

she

> said

> > > no it is a fat--only use olive oil. I told my husband I don't

> agree

> > > with her. I'm thinking about getting another opinion. I

really

> didn't

> > > like her curt attitude. I'm not sure who I should go to

though.

> I

> > > can't work--this neuropathy is getting pretty bad. I'm afraid

it

> will

> > > get worse though if I follow her advise. I'm not sure what to

> do. Any

> > > ideas? By the way I only have been using coconut oil for a

few

> weeks.

> > > Thanks, Sue

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Polyneuropathy just means that you have neuropathy on both sides of

your body evenly. You still have neuropathy. tby

In Coconut Oil , " Sue "

<bobnsueallison@...> wrote:

>

> Thanks, for all the advice. Actually, I was wrong. I have

> polyneuropathy. I heard the Dr. wrong. I requested my medical

> records so I could see the results of the tests she did. I feel a

> lot better after I started taking the Neurontin, but it also could

> be the effect of the VCO and eating healthier. I'm still very

weak

> in my arms and hands though. I printed out an article from

Reuters

> Health that says Dr.'s often dismiss patient's complaints about

side

> effects from statins. 51% of patients with peripheral neuropathy

> had Doctors that dismissed their complaints. If so many patients

> taking statins complain of neuropathy, I can't understand why my

> Neurologist would even consider having me take statins. I'm going

> to show the article to her to see what she says. If I didn't

think

> the medication she gave me might be helping, I wouldn't go back to

> her. I think it is a waste of time. Does anyone know whether or

> not VCO helps migraines? My son has migraines almost all the

time.

> Thanks, Sue

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> > > > My Neurologist just told me that I have Idiopathic

> Neuropathy.

> > She

> > > > said my colesteral is too high. It is 210. She said I have

> to

> > lose

> > > > weight and gave me a low fat diet. I weigh 172. I know I

> have

> > to lose

> > > > weight but I don't believe a low fat diet is good for you

> after

> > reading

> > > > Dr. Fife's books. My husband asked her about coconut oil

and

> she

> > said

> > > > no it is a fat--only use olive oil. I told my husband I

don't

> > agree

> > > > with her. I'm thinking about getting another opinion. I

> really

> > didn't

> > > > like her curt attitude. I'm not sure who I should go to

> though.

> > I

> > > > can't work--this neuropathy is getting pretty bad. I'm

afraid

> it

> > will

> > > > get worse though if I follow her advise. I'm not sure what

to

> > do. Any

> > > > ideas? By the way I only have been using coconut oil for a

> few

> > weeks.

> > > > Thanks, Sue

> > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Sue, the neuropathies have a strong component of oxidative

stress, which can be reduced or eliminated with an antioxidant

program especially the glutathione precursors (undenatured whey

being the natural one) and selenium. A romp through PubMed will

turn it up, and there are prewritten queries into the

degenerative illnesses generally in my glutathione references:

http://members.shaw.ca/duncancrow/glutathione-references.html

This page on glutathione is a huge resource for people who don't

romp that well through medical archives. If you see an article

you like, try the related articles.

Duncan

On 15 Sep 2007 at 7:19, Coconut Oil

wrote:

>

> Posted by: " Sue " bobnsueallison@... jsallis2000

> Date: Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:26 am ((PDT))

>

> Thanks, for all the advice. Actually, I was wrong. I have

> polyneuropathy.

[Guest guest]

>

> Low fat diet and the one that uses any vegetable oils except the

coconut oil will only damage your health. If there is only one book

that you will want to read make it " Eat Fat, Lose Fat " by Enig

PhD. who studied fats for 30+ years and knows her fats. If you follow

her instruction, you will lose weight and gain health at the same

time. Your cholesterol is not too high, but it is perfect for you.

Cholesterol drugs are only good to make money for pharmaceutical

companies. The whole cholesterol campaign if a fraud. Please read this .

'What right,'' Handler asked, ''has the federal government to propose

that the American people conduct a vast nutritional experiment, with

themselves as subjects, on the strength of so very little evidence

that it will do them any good?''

" Nonetheless, once the N.I.H. signed off on the low-fat doctrine,

societal forces took over. The food industry quickly began producing

thousands of reduced-fat food products to meet the new

recommendations. Fat was removed from foods like cookies, chips and

yogurt. The problem was, it had to be replaced with something as tasty

and pleasurable to the palate, which meant some form of sugar, often

high-fructose corn syrup.

Meanwhile, an entire industry emerged to create fat substitutes, of

which Procter & Gamble's olestra was first. And because these

reduced-fat meats, cheeses, snacks and cookies had to compete with a

few hundred thousand other food products marketed in America, the

industry dedicated considerable advertising effort to reinforcing the

less-fat-is-good-health message. "

And as the band plays on, the sick get sicker, those that are not yet

sick (children) slowly become the next generation of big pharma

customers, more conveniently serviced thru Big Box drug chain stores,

the internet, and tv commercials where the individual does the

pre-diagnoses and convincing themselves the symptoms alone confirm

the dis-ease. Doctors, have to do so much less work these days........

[Guest guest]

I would like to clarify that only part of this message is mine.

Re: Diagnosed with neuropathy

>

> Low fat diet and the one that uses any vegetable oils except the

coconut oil will only damage your health. If there is only one book

that you will want to read make it " Eat Fat, Lose Fat " by Enig

PhD. who studied fats for 30+ years and knows her fats. If you follow

her instruction, you will lose weight and gain health at the same

time. Your cholesterol is not too high, but it is perfect for you.

Cholesterol drugs are only good to make money for pharmaceutical

companies. The whole cholesterol campaign if a fraud.

My message ends here. Below is not mine.

Barbara

Please read this .

'What right,'' Handler asked, ''has the federal government to propose

that the American people conduct a vast nutritional experiment, with

themselves as subjects, on the strength of so very little evidence

that it will do them any good?''

" Nonetheless, once the N.I.H. signed off on the low-fat doctrine,

societal forces took over. The food industry quickly began producing

thousands of reduced-fat food products to meet the new

recommendations. Fat was removed from foods like cookies, chips and

yogurt. The problem was, it had to be replaced with something as tasty

and pleasurable to the palate, which meant some form of sugar, often

high-fructose corn syrup.

Meanwhile, an entire industry emerged to create fat substitutes, of

which Procter & Gamble's olestra was first. And because these

reduced-fat meats, cheeses, snacks and cookies had to compete with a

few hundred thousand other food products marketed in America, the

industry dedicated considerable advertising effort to reinforcing the

less-fat-is-good-health message. "

And as the band plays on, the sick get sicker, those that are not yet

sick (children) slowly become the next generation of big pharma

customers, more conveniently serviced thru Big Box drug chain stores,

the internet, and tv commercials where the individual does the

pre-diagnoses and convincing themselves the symptoms alone confirm

the dis-ease. Doctors, have to do so much less work these days........