***The Misery of Nerve Pain

Jane asks: "Will you please write about neuropathic pain and ways to alleviate it?" Neuropathic pain, a form of neuropathy, comes from nerve damage that causes pain, tingling, and burning–alternately or all at the same time. Some liken it to electrical shocks. It's estimated that more than twenty million Americans suffer from neuropathy. That's a whole bunch of pain! Treatment varies by the cause, so doing some detective work on your own improves the outcome. Maybe even determines whether the damage is permanent or temporary. Causes of neuropathy

• Diabetes
• Adrenal exhaustion
• Kidney failure
• Infections
• Inflammation
• Autoimmune disease
• Statin drugs
• Fluoride, in water, fluoride-based antibiotics and antidepressants
• Chemotherapy
• Blood pressure medications
• Antacids, especially proton pumps
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Food additives
• Alcohol intake
• Heavy metals
• Etc.

With such a wide variety of causes--diseases, medications, diet, toxins, etc. --figuring out what triggered the pain obviously has a large do-it-yourself component. Let me make some general suggestions. Stop taking medicines that chew up your nerves.

• Nobody should take statins.


• Non-fluoride antibiotics work, although they're considered old-fashioned, and you should aim for health that eliminates the need for antibiotics in any case.


• Antidepressants don't fix depression. Nutrition does a far better job.


• Very few people need antacids, although symptoms seem to indicate they do.


• Blood pressure meds are less helpful than natural methods.


• Always suspect any medication that preceded your nerve problems.

You may well need help in weaning yourself off various meds, and you may have to change doctors to get it. Deal with nutritional deficiencies, which rank high in causing neuropathy, so starting a full, balanced program of supplements would be good. Please note, it's not about what you read in magazines, hear from the doc, or even health food stores. That follow-the-trend advice is the reason I jump and down so much about a balanced approach to vitamins, minerals and such. Here are just a few tips:

• Vitamin B protects and heals nerves. Start with a B complex so you get the synergy the Bs need to sparkle and shine, as well as to protect against an overdose of any single B vitamin.


• Studies show that Vitamin B1, thiamine, offers big-time help for nerve problems, so once you get the B complex going, consider adding some extra B1. B1 comes in two good, but different, forms, thiamine and benfotiamine. Water-based thiamine hurries through your body while fat-based benfotiamine takes the scenic route, sticking around to work longer. Some people choose between them, while others take both. Our bodies vary in which they need–and the form they prefer–so you'll have to experiment. Always start, and make changes, step-by-step so your body has a chance to offer its opinion on what you're doing.


• B12 helps nerves in lots of ways, too. Age, poor diet and antacids pummel B12. Get the sublingual methylcobalamin tablet form and let one or two, depending on your body's needs, dissolve under your tongue every day. B12 can also help anemia, dementia and psychiatric problems. And it boosts the endocrine system as well, especially the adrenals and thymus. Our bodies vary in which they need–and the form they prefer–so you'll have to experiment. Always start, and make changes, step-by-step so your body has a chance to offer its opinion on what you're doing. Our bodies vary in which they need–and the form they prefer–so you'll have to experiment.


• B6 also helps nerves, although you may have read scare stories that it actually causes nerve damage. The synergy of a B complex makes it safe. You can always take some magnesium to be extra safe.

Avoid toxins such as fluoride. Using fluoridated water--to drink, cook, bathe, shower or let into our bodies in any way--is just asking for a world of trouble. And the same goes for fluoridated toothpaste. Get a good diet going: Finally, eat a low carb diet and avoid liquid vegetable oils (such as corn oil), which cause inflammation. Make good saturated fat (from grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, coconut oil, palm oil, etc.) a major part of your diet. I know, I know, we've all been taught that eating fat puts on the pounds like nobody's business, but I say nay, nay. When you exclude fat from your diet, your body panics and starts hoarding the fat it has. If you lose weight, you'll be losing muscle. Since the heart is a muscle, this isn't good. But when you eat good saturated fat, your body sighs with delight, thinking "Daddy's home, and I'm safe." With no reason to panic about running out of fat, your body will release it. The "secret" to health is understanding how your body works and how you can help it do better. Unfortunately, this is not common knowledge. Fortunately, I'm all over it. God is good, Bette Dowdell