Advice on dealing with early peripheral neuropathy

[TheThirteenthFairy]

I have last week been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, so I'm just beginning to get to grips with the fucker. (It's not due to chemo or an auto immune condition.) I was already taking magnesium supplements to help with sleep (it makes a big difference) and I've read that magnesium cream applied topically to legs/feet can really help, especially at night. I've looked on Amazon; there are lots of them but I'm wondering if any of these actually have enough magnesium in them to have an effect, and I'd very much appreciate advice from anyone who might know.

I've tried using Heiltropfen Magnesium Oil to deal with leg cramping, but found that it actually irritated my skin. If I mixed it with a skin cream it's a bit more tolerable. It may be helpful, but I only use it now if I can't get relief any other way.

Thank you.

I’m currently on chemo that can cause peripheral neuropathy. I was using Sweet Bee Organic magnesium butter prior to this to help with sleep and have continued throughout chemo. I’ve had little neuropathy so far. I couldn’t say hand on heart that’s solely down to the magnesium butter but feel the massaging every night must help somewhat plus it’s really relaxing.

I've ordered some - at that price it should be good!

OP, also look at B vitamins, specifically B12, B1, B6. B12 is depleted by metformin and other meds, it is needed to maintain/rebuild the nervous system.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35491956/

Thank you. I've been close to vegan for decades which probably hasn't helped.

@TheThirteenthFairy hope it works for you, all the best

Vegetarians and Vegans should really be supplementing their diet with B12 as the best source is red meat. If you haven't then that could be the reason why the magnesium isn't working as well as it used to. Low iron can also be making it worse (one cause of restless legs too). Do you have any blood tests results for them?

I'm eating a bit of meat and taking supplements now but for much of my life I wasn't. Coincidentally I had my routine yearly blood test a month or so ago, before this diagnosis, and everything was apparently within normal limits. We'll see.

Almost certainly b12 deficiency causing your neuropathy, I had the same but not a vegan, I can't absorb oral b12. Get a b12 test, also ferritin and folate. You may need b12 Injections.

@ParkingNightmares I will, but I used to drink rather a lot. This can also cause trouble.

You can use a Tens machine before bed
Hydrotherapy a couple times a week
Amitriptyline at low doses also helps.

@AmberTigerEyes Thanks, I'll look up Tens machines. I hadn't thought of that.

My oncologist recommended I take a good B complex, as I had a bit of neuropathy. It's practically gone now. I also take magnesium at night.

I have just been to doctors again yesterday and now referred to neurology with peripheral neuropathy (mostly numbness in legs, warm, could not feel pin pricks when doctor poked me with a needle in legs or feet, numbness across face too). The numbness is a strange disconnected feeling.

All bloods last week came back ok, but GP have sent away more today (zinc, copper, ceruloplasmin).

I had assumed “peripheral neuropathy” was a symptom of something rather than a diagnosis in itself? And the referral is to find out what is causing it, so it can be (hopefully) fixed? Or that’s what I am hoping (maybe naively!)

I think mine may have been triggered by long term PPIs (omeprazole), but I have been off them for 18 months now and the PN is getting worse (it’s probably been there for at least 18 months).

Dr had no idea how long the referral waiting times are so I am waiting for a copy of the referral to be sent to me and will try my work health plan and see if anything can happen through that.

Are you waiting for a referral/further tests too?

NHS limits are woefully low.

Ferritin should be 70 for healthy hair growth, 100 is optimal.
B12 - under 300 requires supplements but Europe classes 500 as low, USA treat anything under 600.
Folate - below 4.1 is considered low, 17 is effective but needs to be a minimum of 7 for B12 to be utilised.
Vit D needs to be above 75 for good, but between 120 and 140 to be optimal.

Always take B12 with folate as you cannot process B12 without it (think as similar link of iron and Vit C, or Vit D with Vit K).

Check your results against these figures.

@LittleGreenDragons Thank you so much. I'll see if I can get an actual look at the results; I was just told all fine. Obviously there's a lot more to it than I thought.

Try the NHS app, your test results should be there.