neuropathy

[cookie66]

Could you please tell me if anyone here has had neuropathy of the feet and gotten over it or by low carbing has reversed it; i will not use the word cured as it doesn't seem right. i would appreciate your advice.
thanks cookie

[Ptrcmcc6]

From the few pages of Dr. Bernstein's book that I've read so far, I thought he had onstages of neuropathy and reversed it by lc'ing?

I could be wrong though.

[dancinbr]

Yes Dr. Bernstein had many issues all of which were reversed.

My recommendation is buy his book, read it, use it as you see fit.

Ralph

[Cajunboy47]

I reversed my diabetic neuropathy symptoms by controlling blood sugars and using Alpha Lipoic Acid.

A low-carb diet was necessary for me to control blood sugar, but just that in itself did not reverse my neuropathy. I still use Alpha Lipoic Acid, but in smaller doses, but attribute the higher doses of it as what turned things around for me....

[Nancy LC]

I've run into people with gluten induced neuropathy that swear by taking B12 (and other B vitamins), sublingual B12 should be the sort that starts with Methyl-.

[Cajunboy47]

I've run into people with gluten induced neuropathy that swear by taking B12 (and other B vitamins), sublingual B12 should be the sort that starts with Methyl-.

Nancy,

I never heard of gluten induced neuropathy. Is this a form of diabetic neuropathy? What test is there available to know this?

[Nancy LC]

That's their best guess. Some people suffer ataxia and painful neuropathy with their gluten intolerances. It clears up (sometimes completely) when they rid their diets of gluten and get some extra B vitamins.

There's some info in The Gluten File about neuropathy: http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/peripheralneuropathy

Here's a snippet:
Excerpts from:
Gluten sensitivity as a neurological illness
M Hadjivassiliou, R A Grünewald, G A B Davies-Jones:


FROM GUT TO BRAIN
Gluten sensitivity is best defined as a
state of heightened immunological responsiveness in genetically susceptible people.15 This definition does not imply bowel involvement. That gluten sensitivity is regarded as principally a disease of the small bowel is a historical misconception.28 Gluten sensitivity can be primarily and at times exclusively a neurological disease.29 The absence of an
enteropathy should not preclude patients from treatment with a gluten-free diet.

Early diagnosis and removal of the
trigger factor by the introduction of
gluten-free diet is a promising therapeutic intervention. IgG antigliadin antibodies should be part of the routine investigation of all patients with neurological dysfunction of obscure aetiology, particularly patients with ataxia and peripheral neuropathy


PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY
Peripheral neuropathy is the second
commonest manifestation of gluten sensitivity. Prospective screening of 101 patients with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy has shown the prevalence of gluten sensitivity to be 40% (unpublished data). The commonest type of peripheral neuropathy we encountered is sensorimotor axonal (26) followed by mononeuropathy multiplex (15), pure motor neuropathy (10), small fibre neuropathy
(four) and mixed axonal and
demyelinating (two). The neuropathy is usually chronic and of gradual progression. Patients with a pure motor neuropathy may progress to involvement of sensory fibres.



”But antigliadin antibodies lack specificity”

IgG anti-gliadin antibodies have been the best diagnostic marker in the neurological population we have studied. IgG anti-gliadin antibodies have a very high sensitivity for CD but they are said to lack specificity. In the context of a range of mucosal abnormalities and the concept of potential CD, they may be the only available immunological marker for the whole range of gluten sensitivity of which CD is only a part. Further support for our contention comes from our HLA studies. Within the group of patients with neurological disease and gluten sensitivity (defined by the presence of anti-gliadin antibodies) we have found a similar HLA association to that seen in patients with CD: 70% of patients have the HLA DQ2 (30% in the general population), 9% have the HLA DQ8, and the remainder have HLA DQ1. The finding of an additional HLA marker (DQ1) seen in the remaining 20% of our patients may represent an important difference between the genetic susceptibility of patients with neurological presentation to those with gastrointestinal presentation within the range of gluten sensitivity.

[RobLL]

While we cannot cure diabetes, it is at least argueable that we can cure some of the complications of diabetes. Which of course doesn't mean that they could not come back if our BGs go back up. My retinopathy has changed from a sight threatening condition requiring quarterly optho. visits, and surgical procedures to a non-eyesight threatening condition and yearly checkups. Not quite a cure but close to it.

[dancinbr]

While we cannot cure diabetes, it is at least argueable that we can cure some of the complications of diabetes. Which of course doesn't mean that they could not come back if our BGs go back up. My retinopathy has changed from a sight threatening condition requiring quarterly optho. visits, and surgical procedures to a non-eyesight threatening condition and yearly checkups. Not quite a cure but close to it.

Good for you Rob.

I am about to go for my annual intensive eye exam.

I am doing well by controlling my BG levels.

My latest A1C came in at 5.2.

I do my best to keep my BG in the range from 80-140. Occasionally, I have gone over the 140 but not for long; less than an hour. Most often I am hovering right around 100 or so lately.

Ralph

[Cajunboy47]

Rob, glad to know eyes are doing well....

Ralph, great job on A1C, keep up the good work..... I don't hear you talk about hypos, so hopefully your control is working well on the high and low ends...

I'm due for my annual eye exam in March. My only eye scare was back when my diabetes was at its worse. My eyesight was changing day to day and I had eye pain, probably from the strain of adjusting to the sight problems, never did find out for sure what caused the pain... I remember after getting control with medicines, I actually didn't need to wear my eyeglasses to drive for a couple of days but then my eyes returned to normal after a few days of controlling the blood sugars.

We are all lucky when we can get away without the eye damage from diabetes as that is not a reversible neuropathy problem...

[cookie66]

thank you for all this information, alot to absorb. Not sure about my gluten, i eat no wheat; maybe gluten is in other substances as well. i always thought my diabetes was well controlled until 08 - 2 ER visits and now neuropathy has made me look closer. A1c is 5.5 and was never higher than 5.9. Diabetes is a nasty little disease.

[Nancy LC]

Well, I mentioned gluten neuropathy because of the success taking extra B vitamins has had for some people. So the message is, get some good B vitamins and see if that speeds the healing.

[eddiemcm]

A daily dose of 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid along with 1000 mcg of biotin helps a lot of people with diabetes induced neuropathy.
Eddie

[neo_crone]

I take Alpha Lipoic Acid whenever I get neuropathy pains in my feet. It soons puts a stop to it.
B12 deficiency can also cause neuropathy, and gluten can cause B12 deficiency through malabsorbtion. Taking B12 sublingual is always a good idea for celiacs.