MORE LEFT HANDED MEN ARE BORN DURING THE WINTER

Men born in November, December or January are more likely of being left-handed than during the rest of the year. While the genetic bases of handedness are still under debate, scientists at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, obtained indirect evidence of a hormonal mechanism promoting left-handedness among men.

Psychologist Ulrich Tran and his colleagues published their findings in the scientific journal Cortex.

Various manual tasks in everyday life require the use of the right hand or are optimized for right-handers. Around 90 percent of the general population is right-handed, only about 10 percent is left-handed. The study of Ulrich Tran, Stefan Stieger, and Martin Voracek comprised two large and independent samples of nearly 13,000 adults from Austria and Germany. As in modern genetic studies, where a discovery-and-replication-sample design is standard, the use of two samples allowed testing the replicability and robustness of findings within one-and-the-same study.

Overall, 7.5 percent of women and 8.8 percent of men were left-handed. "We were surprised to see that this imbalance was caused by more left-handed men being born specifically during November, December, and January. On a monthly average, 8.2 percent of left-handed men were born during the period February to October. During November to January, this number rose to 10.5 percent," according to Ulrich Tran, lead author of the study.

A hormonal cause during embryonic development

"Presumably, the relative darkness during the period November to January is not directly connected to this birth seasonality of handedness. We assume that the relative brightness during the period May to July, half a year before, is its distal cause," explains Ulrich Tran. A theory, brought forth in the 1980s by US neurologists Norman Geschwind and Albert Galaburda, posits that testosterone delays the maturation of the left brain hemisphere during embryonic development. The left brain hemisphere is dominant among right-handers, the right brain hemisphere is dominant among left-handers. Intrauterine testosterone levels are higher in the male fetus, because of its own testosterone secretion, than in the female fetus. However, the testosterone level of the mother and external factors may also affect intrauterine testosterone levels. Specifically, more daylight may increase testosterone levels, making a seasonality effect plausible.

Previous studies on the subject provided mixed and inconsistent evidence. There was no clear indication which season has an effect, and whether seasonality affects men, women or both sexes equally. According to the current findings, there is a small, but robust and replicable, effect of birth seasonality on handedness, affecting only men. These results are consistent with a hormonal basis of handedness, corroborating thus an old and controversial theory. However, the exact way of causation needs to be investigated in future studies.

MEN WHO EXERCISE LESS MORE LIKELY TO WAKE UP TO URINATE

Men who are physically active are at lower risk of nocturia (waking up at night to urinate), according to a study led by a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine researcher

The study by Kate Wolin, ScD, and colleagues is published online ahead of print in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Nocturia is the most common and bothersome lower urinary tract symptom in men. It can be due to an enlarged prostate known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) -- as the prostate enlarges, it can squeeze down on the urethra. Other causes include overproduction of urine, low bladder capacity and sleep disturbances. Nocturia increases with age, and is estimated to occur in more than 50 percent of men 45 and older.

Wolin and colleagues analyzed data from a large, ongoing clinical trial called the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO). Men ages 55 to 74 were eligible for the trial. The study included questions on BPH-related outcomes, including enlarged prostate, elevated PSA levels and nocturia. PLCO also asked men about physical activity and other lifestyle factors.

Wolin's analysis included 28,404 men in the PLCO trial who had BPH outcomes before enrolling in the study (prevalent group) and 4,710 men who had newly developed BPH (incident group).

Among men in the incident group, those who were physically active one or more hours per week were 13 percent less likely to report nocturia and 34 percent less likely to report severe nocturia then men who reported no physical activity. (Nocturia was defined as waking two or more times during the night to urinate; severe nocturia was defined as waking three or more times to urinate.)

"Combined with other management strategies, physical activity may provide a strategy for the management of BPH-related outcomes, particularly nocturia," Wolin and colleagues wrote.

There are several possible mechanisms by which physical activity can protect against nocturia, including reducing body size, improving sleep, decreasing sympathetic nervous system activity and lowering levels of systemic inflammation.

Future studies should explore physical activity as a potential symptom-management strategy, "with particular attention to the dose of physical activity necessary and the mechanisms that might underlie the association," Wolin and colleagues wrote.

Chemotherapy Related Neuropathy More Evidence

Today's post from uvtapp.uvt.nl (see link below) reveals the results of a Dutch university study into the long term effects of chemotherapy, especially in relation to neuropathy. Not great news for cancer sufferers I'm afraid but something to be aware of if you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment. The conclusion states that solutions to this problem will be needed in the future but just as with other forms of neuropathy, that's stating the very obvious.

Neuropathy-related symptoms can be due to chemotherapy 

Press Release 19 June 2013

Patients with colorectal cancer may still have problems with neuropathy symptoms caused by treatment with chemotherapy 2 to 11 years after diagnosis. Patients with neuropathy symptoms reported worse quality of life score compared to those without these symptoms. This conclusion can be read in a recent article of Dr. Floortje Mols (Tilburg University and Dutch Comprehensive Cancer Centre South) and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

To gain insight into the prevalence and severity of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and its influence on health-related quality of life, Floortje Mols and colleagues issued questionnaires to colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors 2 to 11 years after diagnosis.

Methods

All alive individuals diagnosed with CRC between 2000 and 2009 as registered by the Dutch population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry were eligible for participation. 1,643 patients filled out the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) C30 and the EORTC QLQ Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy 20.

Results

The five neuropathy subscale–related symptoms that bothered patients with CRC the most during the past week were erectile problems (42% of men), trouble hearing (11%), trouble opening jars or bottles (11%), tingling toes/feet (10%), and trouble walking stairs or standing up (9%). Additionally, patients who received oxaliplatin more often reported tingling (29% v 8%), numbness (17% v 5%), and aching or burning pain (13% v 6%) in toes/feet compared with those not treated with chemotherapy.

They also more often reported tingling toes/feet (29% v 14%) compared with those treated with chemotherapy without oxaliplatin. Those with many neuropathy symptoms (eg, upper 10%) reported statistically significant and clinically relevant worse health-related quality of life scores on all EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales.

Conclusion

Two to 11 years after diagnosis of CRC, neuropathy-related symptoms are still reported, especially sensory symptoms in the lower extremities among those treated with oxaliplatin. Because neuropathy symptoms have a negative influence on health-related quality of life, these should be screened for and alleviated. Future studies should focus on prevention and relief of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.

Reference: Floortje Mols, Tonneke Beijers, Valery Lemmens, Corina J. van den Hurk, Gerard Vreugdenhil, and Lonneke V. van de Poll-Franse. Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy and Its Association With Quality of Life Among 2- to 11-Year Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Results From the Population-Based PROFILES Registry. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2013.

http://uvtapp.uvt.nl/fsw/spits.npc.ShowPressReleaseCM?v_id=2963474670418099

Ten More Things To Consider If You Have Nerve Pain

Today's post from dailyhealthrecords.com (see link below) is yet another list of learning experiences from someone living with chronic pain. People love making lists and judging by their popularity on the internet, people love reading them too. There's nothing wrong with that and nothing wrong with sharing tips based on your own experiences, so long as you don't descend into cliché and so long as you keep it practical and realistic. Having said all that, with it's implied criticism of new age wisdoms, if you skim through the 10 headings and don't want to read it after that, then this article is not for you. Personally, I agree with everything she says!

10 Things I’ve Learned About Living With Chronic Pain
December 26, 2015 lussy

I was first diagnosed with chronic pain when I was 7 years old. I just turned 21. For the past 14 years, I have told as few people as possible about my illness. I have my reasons for this. It’s not a very glamorous topic, and I would like for most people to assume I’m a normal 21 year old.

Recently, my condition seems to be changing, deteriorating more rapidly than doctors can, or want to, deal with. These past few months have been full of exercises in looking for silver linings, but there are times I’ve had to be honest with myself about my disease and my pain. Learning how to cope with pain is a process, and I had to start writing down things I needed to remind myself: don’t take your pain out on other people, try to remember that people won’t understand when or how much pain you’re in, don’t defend yourself for making your health a priority. They were hard truths to deal with, but they have helped me.

I wake up in pain, and I go to sleep in pain. I can not explain the kind of toll this takes on you mentally, physically, and emotionally. These coping mechanisms worked for me, and I can only reference my own pain, hence the following truths are my stories, but I do believe that other pain patients experience many of the same frustrations I do. I can’t talk about what living in pain is like for everyone. What I can do is talk about my pain, something I largely avoid for several reasons — the chronically ill and in pain are meant to be brave and handle their suffering in inspiring ways, talking about it with the wrong people can make it worse, and trying to keep up a positive front all being important ones.

These are some things I’ve learned about how to be chronically ill, and how to manage living with chronic pain, and still try to remain as sane as possible. I hope that should other chronic pain patients read this, that they will find some comfort in knowing they are not alone in their pain.

1. People can’t understand.

Unless you live in chronic pain, or with a chronic illness, you cannot possibly imagine it. For months, my health has been rapidly deteriorating, and I realized quickly most people either don’t understand, or don’t care.

The hardest part of dealing with chronic illness/pain for me has been cutting people out of my life who make it harder to deal with. This wasn’t a choice, but a necessity. I couldn’t take any extra negativity, I couldn’t handle defending my situation time and time again to people who were supposed to be my friends. I guess I understand, it’s hard for them to deal with, maybe. Unlike me, they don’t have to deal with it. It is also important to remember that when people can’t see your suffering, when they can’t see outwardly that you are in pain, they can’t be expected to understand.

The reason for the archaic pain scale with the faces slowly becoming more warped in pain with a scale of 1-10 is because there is no test for pain, no base line, there is just pain. I’m lucky to have a few friends who — while they don’t pretend to understand — still put up with me and do their best to help me be comfortable and get out of the house. Find your people and keep them by your side, you’re going to need them. Get anyone out of your life who is making your journey more difficult, you don’t need that kind of negativity.

2. Some medical professionals suck at their job.

First, all hail good nurses. Good nurses have done more for me than any doctor I’ve seen so far. That said, for every one good nurse there seem to be two bad ones. The ratio changes for doctors. By my experience, almost all doctors suck at managing chronic illness and pain. They want you in and out of their office, and they don’t want to deal with you on a weekly, or even more frequent basis. Yes, most people I have gone to asking for help — be it an ER doctor, an internist, or one of the dozens of specialists I’ve seen — have shrugged, decided they don’t want to deal with this and washed their hands of me. Not all doctors are created equal. I have had exactly one good doctor so far, and I’ve seen dozens.

I’m not saying good doctors don’t exist, I’m saying that, as in any profession, some people excel far above others. Keep searching for the right doctor for you, it’s going to be miserable and time consuming and frustrating, but despite all the bad doctors I’ve met, I believe there is one out there that can help me. I’ve just got to find them.

3. You get to feel however you want.

People won’t understand what it’s like to try to get through a day, and you don’t have to explain why you feel how you do today. I found myself frustrated whenever someone asked “How are you feeling?” If my answer was “good,” then I found they were less likely to be understanding if I needed a break, or if I couldn’t keep up with the group. Wasn’t I feeling good today? It’s all relative.

For me, a good day is one where I do not reach a 9 on that pain scale. If I told someone I was feeling bad, or having a bad pain day, I would quickly be reminded there are worse conditions than mine, that I could be dead already, that there are people starving all over the world. These are all true things, but do not negate my right to have a bad day.

Staying positive is an important part of managing life with chronic pain, but bad days still happen. To lie and say that even when you’re in pain every day has to be bright and sunshine-y is not mental health, it’s crap. You get to feel however you want and you don’t have to explain why you are having a bad day. You also don’t have to defend why your health takes priority over everything else. If people around you don’t understand that, you might want to re-consider who you are keeping in your inner circle. While you have the right to feel however you want, be careful not to let your pain cause you to lash out at people. It is hard to be patient when you are hurting, but you can’t get let your frustrations out on people. You have the right to be in pain, but pain does not give you a free pass to become cruel.

I have also noticed that people seem to think that chronic illness somehow instills some sort of super human strength inside the person suffering. As if all sick people experience pain but survive solely by persevering with integrity and grace. I have to side with Julius Caesar who said, “It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die, than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” Make no mistake, I do not wish for my life to end. But there are days where the pain has been so great that I would have been very happy to die. That’s the side of chronic pain the universe doesn’t see — how much you keep wrapped up to try to put on a façade of a “normal” person.

I’ve had many days where I found myself losing track of the conversations happening around me, enveloped in pain and trying to hold back tears or outward manifestations of the pain. I know many other chronic pain patients who try to stay quiet about their illness, and it is brave and wonderful and inspiring and all those words often used to describe those of us living in the genre of sick personhood. You still are allowed to have bad days, even if the world could be a worse place, and you don’t always have to pretend the bad days aren’t bad days.

4. Be honest.
 
I’ve learned you must be honest with people when you are sick, and when you need them to understand. My teachers, coaches, and friends I’ve trusted with the details of my illness/treatment are all people I need to be up front with when I need extra time for an assignment, or I can’t go to practice, or I’m not feeling up to going out. However, it’s also very important to state that you don’t have to disclose any of your medical history to people you are not comfortable discussing it with. It’s your choice to decide how, when, and in what detail you would like to discuss your illness with someone, so never feel bad about keeping details to yourself if you are uncomfortable discussing them. Your body, your rules.

Also, be honest with your doctors. This can be difficult because I feel that, culturally, I have been raised to think that doctors had the answer and that I didn’t need a second opinion. If you don’t think they’re listening, if you don’t think the current treatment is working, if you think more tests need to be run — demand it. I’ve learned that playing nice while trying to get treatment just doesn’t work. I don’t seem to get any attention until I start advocating for myself. I’ve also learned to be honest when evaluating doctors. Before I tried to always be kind. Maybe that doctor had a bad day, maybe their head is somewhere else, perhaps they’re exhausted. These are all things that are understandable- but if you are not receiving the care you deserve it’s time to start making calls. I’ve realized that the only way to get better treatment is to make them give it to you. You deserve the best quality of life possible.

5. Listen to your body.

When you’re a professional sick person, you have to learn to listen to your body. Stay in if you need to stay in. I was a 20 year old student-athlete who was active on my university’s campus when my illness quickly took a turn for the worse. Giving up my sport was heart breaking, but physically I couldn’t do it anymore. I pushed myself long and hard before I listened to what my body was telling me: slow down, you can’t do this. I needed to take a step back from all the things I was participating in and try to get my health back. I still find myself frustrated when I have to cancel plans with friends, I even had to cancel my 21st birthday celebrations because I just wasn’t feeling up to it. I could have pushed it, but I knew how I felt, and I knew that if I went out and forced myself to stay out all night that I would pay for it later. It is hard to give up things you want to do just because your organs suck at being organs, and it is disappointing to be stuck in a body you particularly care for. I do believe that I have more good days when I slow down, and don’t push myself harder than my body can handle. Learn to listen to your body’s limits, and it can help increase your overall wellness.

6. Go out when you feel up to it.

When you’re in constant pain, or you just don’t ever seem to feel good, it can be easy to become a homebody. Maintaining your quality of life as much as possible is essential to coping with chronic illness. I know — I just said you should stay in if you need to, but if you are feeling up to going out by all means do so! Staying in sick all day every day can quickly lead to depression and anxiety. Even small things like going out to a movie seem to do wonders to cheer me up if I’ve been stuck home sick for a few days. If I find myself having a good day and I didn’t have plans, I try to take advantage of healthy moments, even if that just means a walk around the block with a friend. It can be tricky to find where the line between going out and having fun and going out and wearing yourself out so that you’re even sicker after is, but searching for that area is well worth the effort it requires.

7. Accept your body, even when you hate it.

Having my body shut down on me so painfully and rapidly was hard for me to accept, I was so active before and my illness was very manageable. While I have every intention to stay involved with my case, to find relief and answers, I had to accept that — for right now — this is the one body and one life I have. I’ve had to sit back and watch my athleticism slowly disappear, the dark circles develop under my eyes from sickness and exhaustion, and watched the color drain from my lips. It is beyond frustrating to watch my body waste away and have no say in it, no way to stop it. I am not particularly fond of my current situation. But when I accepted it, when I stopped trying to act as if I wasn’t sick, and started to listen to my body I found myself having more less bad days, which for chronic pain patients are synonymous with good days.

8. Seek out anything that will keep you smiling.

Every chronic pain patient I have met has also struggled with depression, some mild some as debilitating as the pain that caused it. Find anything you can to keep your spirits up: good books, movies, a special tea to drink, a place in the park that you like to visit — do whatever you can to keep smiling. It sucks to be sick and in pain, and unfortunately for chronic pain patients the elimination of pain is a fantasy. So we must deal with the pain while trying not to let it change who you are. Pain can change you, quickly. It makes you angry, depressed, frustrated, exhausted, scared, and other unpleasant adjectives. If you can find one song, one poem, one comedy sketch that can get you to smile hold onto it, and refer back to them often. Try to find whatever you can to get you through the next second, hour, or day.

9. You are allowed to ignore people who think they know what’s best.

For some reason if you are chronically ill, people in your life from family members to random hospital personnel will start to fancy themselves physicians. They might recommend a new diet, snorting some homeopathic remedy, covering yourself in some sort of home made salve, or some other ridiculous thing they once read on the internet. These people mean well. They hope that their insight will bring you relief. You are allowed to ignored these good intentioned people, specifically the ones who have no knowledge of your illness or medicine. I’ve taken to smiling, saying “I’ll look into that,” and then politely excusing myself from the conversation.

10. Advocate for yourself.
This is the single most important thing I’ve learned as a professional sick person: you must advocate for your own health. Doctors see many patients every day, nurses are busy, and none of them know what it’s like to live in your body. Take action, get involved in your case, start doing research. Go into appointments with documentation, ideas, second opinions, anything you can get to push your treatment forward. Medical professionals may not understand the urgency of your case, or the severity of your pain, so make it clear. Write down everything you need to talk about before your visit, and make sure you get every question you have answered. If your doctor can’t answer them, get a referral or find another opinion. Nothing is more important than your health and trying to maintain the best quality of life possible.

http://dailyhealthrecords.com/10-things-ive-learned-about-living-with-chronic-pain-2/

More accurate testing for nerve damage

At last they seem to be finding new ways of accurately assessing nerve damage. The EMG's etc are fine for giving a general idea but can't see the damage to the myelin sheath (a biopsy always needed - not good for a living patient) and can therefore be misleading. Luckily, most doctors give the EMG result equal status with the patient's symptoms and story but some patients are still sent away after being told there's apparently nothing wrong, when the numbness, tingling and pain tell them that there quite clearly is. The research in today's post, as highlighted by Sciencedaily.com (see link below) seems a much more promising development in the search for a detailed medical assessment, although it's important to realise that at this stage, it's just research and probably a long way off normal practice.

New Imaging Technique Evaluates Nerve Damage







ScienceDaily (Sep. 14, 2011) — A new imaging technique could help doctors and researchers more accurately assess the extent of nerve damage and healing in a live patient.

Researchers at Laval University in Québec and Harvard Medical School in Boston aimed lasers at rats' damaged sciatic nerves to create images of the individual neurons' insulating sheath called myelin. Physical trauma, repetitive stress, bacterial infections, genetic mutations, and neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis can all cause neurons to lose myelin. The loss slows or halts the nerve's transmission of electrical impulses and can result in symptoms such as numbness, pain, or poor muscle control.

Using their images of neurons, the researchers measured the thickness of the myelin at different locations and times after the rats' sciatic nerve was damaged. Two weeks after injury the nerve's myelin covering had thinned considerably, but at four weeks the nerve had begun to heal.

Traditionally, researchers could only obtain such myelin measurements by removing the nerve and slicing it into thin layers, a technique whose destructive nature prevented it from being used to evaluate nerve injuries in living patients. The new imaging method, described in the September issue of the Optical Society's (OSA) open-access journal Biomedical Optics Express, holds promise as a diagnostic tool for doctors treating nerve damage or degenerative diseases, the researchers write.

Story Source: The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Optical Society of America, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110913103211.htm

WOMEN MORE LIKELY TO DEVELOP ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AFTER HEART ATTACK

Women are more likely to develop anxiety and depression after a heart attack (myocardial infarction; MI) than men, according to research presented at Acute Cardiovascular Care 2014 by Professor Pranas Serpytis from Lithuania.

 Acute Cardiovascular Care is the annual meeting of the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and takes place 18-20 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

Professor Serpytis said: "The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 depression will be the second leading cause of disability and mortality in the world, surpassed only by ischaemic heart disease. Major depression follows MI in approximately 18% of cases and is an important predictor of disability and poor quality of life in the year post-MI."

He continued: "Patients with depression are nearly 6 times more likely to die within 6 months after an MI than those without depression. The increased risk of death in patients with depression persists up to 18 months after the MI. But despite the fact that post-MI depression is common and burdensome, the condition remains under-recognised and undertreated."

The current study investigated the impact of gender and cardiovascular disease risk factors on the risk of developing depression and anxiety after an MI.

The study included 160 patients admitted with a myocardial infarction to the Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu Clinics in Vilnius, Lithuania. Patients were interviewed at least 1 month after the MI to collect information on demographic (including sex, age, education, marital status) and clinical characteristics (incidence of diabetes mellitus, previous treatment for hypertension, previous MI), other cardiovascular disease risk factors (smoking, physical activity), and history of mental health issues.

Depression and anxiety were both assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): no depression and anxiety (0-7 score), possible depression and anxiety (8-10 score), mild to moderate levels of depression and anxiety symptoms (11+ score).

The researchers found that nearly one quarter of patients in the study were depressed (24.4%) and of those, 28.2% had received treatment with antidepressants (p<0.05). The average HADS score for depression was 6.87 (±4.6) in men and 8.66 (± 3.7) in women (p<0.05). For anxiety the mean score was 7.18 (±4.6) in men and 8.20 (±3.9) in women (p<0.05).

Professor Serpytis said: "We found that women were more likely to develop anxiety and depression after a heart attack than men. More research is needed to discover the possible reasons for this."

The researchers also found an association between anxiety and smoking. In the study, 15.6% patients were current smokers and their mean HADS score for anxiety was 10.16 (±4.9). An additional 77.5% of patients had never smoked and their mean HADS score for anxiety was 7.3 (±4.1), while the 6.9% patients who had quit smoking more than 2 years ago had a mean HADS score for anxiety of 4.55 (±3.7) (p<0.05).

Professor Serpytis said: "Current smokers were more likely to have anxiety after an MI than never smokers or people who had quit smoking more than two years ago. We did not find any association between smoking and depression after an MI."

Physically inactive patients tended to be depressed, with a mean HADS score of 8.96 (+4.1). Overall, 64% of patients with depression said they were not physically active (p<0.05).

Professor Serpytis said: "Women are misrepresented in many clinical studies on MI even though they often have worse outcomes. Our study shows that women are more likely to develop anxiety and depression after MI than men but until now this issue has been largely unnoticed. Clinicians should assess MI patients, particularly women, for anxiety and depression so that timely treatment can be started."

He concluded: "Our study suggests that encouraging patients to quit smoking and increase their physical activity levels should reduce their risks of anxiety and depression after MI. More research is needed on the links between myocardial infarction and mental health problems."

More About Allithiamine Vid

Today's video from beatingneuropathy.tv (see link below) takes another look at the potential of allithiamine in helping people living with neuropathy. It follows on from yesterday's post and together they suggest a strong case for at least trying the topical form of allithiamine if you can get hold of it. It's always wise to get advice from your doctor first but it certainly looks promising. As with all these new discoveries, the proof is in the pudding.

Episode 55: Allithiamine Stories  
Posted by John Hayes Jr Thursday, April 24th, 2014


In this episode of Beating Neuropathy TV: Dr. John Hayes Jr. Discusses a form of vitamin B1 called Allithiamine. Allithiamine is the synthetic version of a naturally occurring molecule, which in many cases is more therapeutic than the more common thiamine hydrochloride or synthetic benfotiamine. Here, he is teaching his clinicians usage of a topical creme form. Learn much more about this at our hub site NeuropathyDR.com and follow the ongoing story on Facebook/BeatingNeuropathy.


 http://beatingneuropathy.tv/2014/04/bntv-episode-55-allithiamine-stories/

Neuropathy Can Affect More Than Your Feet Vid

Today's short video from creativepharmacist.com is addressed towards diabetic neuropathy sufferers but in this case, the information applies to many other neuropathy sufferers and talks mainly about autonomic neuropathy (neuropathy that affects involuntary functions of the body: digestion, sexual performance, breathing etc). It's very short, doesn't tell you much but leads you towards more information on their site. It's very possible that you weren't aware that neuropathy can affect other areas of your body apart from your feet and legs. For more information on this blog, check out 'autonomic neuropathy' in the alphabetical list to the right of the blog, or use the search function to find more articles on the subject.




Sweet Spot January 2013 - Neuropathy

Yet More Dosage Information About Turmeric Curcuma For Neuropathy

Today's post from turmericforhealth.com (see link below) maybe should be taken with a pinch of salt (or in the case of turmeric (curcuma)...a pinch of pepper!). The claims for turmeric are becoming more exaggerated by the day. However, there's nothing wrong with turmeric and it can't do you much harm, so even if half the claims are even partly true, then you may be making a wise dietary move by including it in your daily supplementation for nerve pain. The article mentions adding pepper to your intake several times but doesn't really explain why this is necessary. Because turmeric will leave your system before you can blink, there has to be a binding agent for better absorption and in this case, pepper will do nicely. (There are other methods of improving absorption (see here) The article provides lots of useful information to stimulate further research but never blindly believe everything you read here. It may be true but then again it may not and healthy skepticism will always prevent disappointment. That said, the authors also provide warnings and general good advice about taking turmeric sensibly and as such, this is an interesting read that will fill in some of the gaps in your knowledge about turmeric (curcuma).

Turmeric Dosage For Neuropathic Pain
2017 No author mentioned

Damage to nerves causes nerve pain. Nerve pain can be a symptom of various severe conditions such as diabetes mellitus, regional pain syndrome (RPS) exposure to toxins, traumatic injuries and cancer.

Impairment to the peripheral nervous system or central nerves system results in pain, this is called as neuropathy.

Peripheral neuropathic pain is also called as nerve pain, sensory peripheral neuropathy or peripheral neuritis .

A nerve in the body sends sensation signals to the brain and alerts the brain to the danger.

In a person with nerve pain, the signaling system does not work precisely. Even when the pain is felt and the signal is received by the brain there is no evident cause .

Symptoms of Nerve pain include:
Difficulty in sleeping
Loss of balance
Numbness 

Benefits of Turmeric in Nerve/Neuropathic Pain

Turmeric relieves nerve pain in the following manner:

1.Turmeric serves as a good analgesic

2.Turmeric is useful in relieving numbness, tingling sensation and pain in hands or feet.

3.It has anti-nociceptive action- it relieves pain signals.

4.It benefits in diabetic neuropathy.

Read

Turmeric for nerve pain

Turmeric for pain

Can Turmeric Replace as Opioid Painkillers?

Best Ways To Take Turmeric For Nerve Pain or Neuropathy

Disclaimer – There is no particular prescribed dose of turmeric defined for Neuropathic Pain. Based on the studies and reader’s reports we have summarized various ways of taking turmeric which could benefit in this disorder.

The dosage depends in terms of the formulation and severity of the condition. Here is the recommended dose:

Fresh roots

Turmeric roots are a great addition to diet but the limited quantities we eat cannot exert a significant therapeutic effect in neuropathic pain.

Recommended intake: 1-3 g or ½ inch long piece of root sliced or chopped. You can also juice it and take it with a pinch of black pepper.

This can be a part of your fresh juices or taken individually as 30 ml thrice a day to curb pain. You can also make Golden paste from fresh roots.

Further Read – Is fresh turmeric better then powder?

Turmeric powder

If you are including turmeric powder in cooking then 1 tsp daily is sufficient. Always opt for good quality organic turmeric powder (How to identify organic turmeric, Recommended Turmeric brands)

However if you take turmeric powder straight with black pepper then it would be 1-2 g of turmeric powder with a pinch of black pepper.

In terms of teaspoon that would be 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder with ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper powder twice a day.

Start with small doses and increase gradually. Avoid taking it on an empty stomach. You can also make Turmeric capsules at home.

Maximum dose: 1 tsp of turmeric powder with ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper thrice a day

Golden Paste

Golden Paste combines heat, black pepper and healthy fats to increase the absorption of turmeric.

It is highly recommended to take this paste after/with meals and to avoid taking it close to other medications. (Read Does Turmeric cause acid reflux? Black pepper in GP: Does it cause drug interaction?) Here is the recipe.

You can also make Golden Paste from fresh roots.


Start with small doses such as 1/4-1/2 tsp and if you see no side effects then increase the dose by ¼ teaspoon every week. Continue till reach a dose of 1-2 tsp 2-3 times a day (precisely 1 tsp 3 times a day).

Also if the pain is too severe you can consider splitting the dose and taking it in regular intervals. Or you may increase the dose.

This is the ideal dose of Golden Paste where you should experience relief. The ideal dose differs with every individual; some do fine on a small dose while some may need more.

Thinking of other ways to take Golden Paste read 10 ways to take Golden Paste

Maximum dosage: 1 table spoon 2-3 times a day only advised if you are comfortable taking it and not experiencing gastric side effects.

Turmeric tincture

Some individuals swear by turmeric tincture’s pain relief action. And it also skips the taste issue.

Take 10-30 drops 2-3 times a day depending on the condition. It can be added to teas, juices or smoothies.

Maximum dosage: 20-30 drops 3 times a day



Turmeric tea

This is a good option for tea lovers and who want to skip the taste of turmeric paste. Here is the recipe.

Recommended intake: 1-2 cups a day

Turmeric Milk

This is just perfect when it comes to combating pain naturally. You can find the recipe here.

Recommended intake: 1-2 cups a day
Turmeric supplements

The recommended dosage for supplements is 300-400mg 2-3 times a day for standardized 95% curcumin extract.

However the dose would differ based on the formulation, hence it is best to consult a doctor before taking turmeric supplements.

Avoid taking supplements on an empty stomach and close to the time of taking medicines. Consult a health practitioner before taking turmeric supplements.

Precautions

Turmeric in diet is absolutely safe. Turmeric supplements should be taken with care. (Read Side effects of Turmeric)

If you are taking blood thinners, turmeric supplements should be avoided. Turmeric can be included in diet in small doses. If suffering from a bleeding disorder consult a doctor and herbalist or naturopath before taking turmeric.

Turmeric supplements should be avoided in case of pregnancy and lactation. Discontinue use of turmeric supplements 2 weeks prior to surgery.

Turmeric supplements should be avoided in case of gall bladder obstructions.

Turmeric may interact with certain medications like stomach acid reducing drugs, diabetes medications, blood thinners. Avoid taking turmeric supplements at the same time as medicines.

If suffering from gout or kidney stones, limit intake of turmeric as a spice. (Read Does turmeric cause kidney stones? Is turmeric safe in gout?)

Consult a health practitioner before taking turmeric supplements.

If harrowed by turmeric stains here is how you can take care of them.
Conclusion

Turmeric has many medicinal properties such as anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory property which makes it efficient in treating the symptoms of neuropathic pain such as numbness or pain in hands or feet.

Turmeric is beneficial for patients suffering from neuropathic pain.

http://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-dosage/turmeric-dosage-for-neuropathic-pain