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| Neuritis/Neuropathy |
Last updated: Jun 30, 2009 |
Signs, symptoms and indicators | Contributing risk factors | Other conditions that may be present | Recommendations
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Neuritis is the inflammation of a peripheral nerve or nerves often accompanied by degenerative changes in nervous tissue. A neuropathy involves either a cranial nerve or spinal nerve. At times, several different groups of nerves in various parts of the body may be involved. This condition is known as polyneuritis or polyneuropathy. Some form of neuropathy affects 1 person in 400.
The causes of nerve pathology include: - Mechanical from injury, pressure, overworking a part of the body
- Vascular (blockage of a vessel or hemorrhage into nerve tissue)
- Infectious as in shingles, diptheria, polio, tetanus, or leprosy
- Toxic from heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and lead; chemical poisoning from organo-phosphates, drugs or alcohol; vaccination as in Guillain barre syndrome
- Metabolic from acidosis, vitamin deficiencies, diabetes
Symptoms of neuritis that arise from the involvement of sensory nerves include tingling, burning, pins-and-needles sensations, stabbing or even loss of sensation. If motor nerves are involved, symptoms may range from a slight loss of muscle tone to paralysis with muscle wasting. Since neuritis is regarded as a condition that results from a number of disorders, rather than a disease in itself, treatment is directed first at the underlying cause.
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 Signs, symptoms & indicators of Neuritis/Neuropathy: | | | | | | Symptoms - Nervous |  Numb/tingling/burning extremities |
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Risk factors for Neuritis/Neuropathy:
Neuritis/Neuropathy suggests the following may be present:
Recommendations for Neuritis/Neuropathy: | | | | | | Amino Acid / Protein |  L-Carnitine | L-Acetyl Carnitine (LAC) was effective and well tolerated in improving neurophysiological parameters and in reducing pain over a 1-year period. LAC is, therefore, a promising treatment option in patients with diabetic neuropathy. [Drugs R D. 2002;3(4):223-33]
Another study conducted in a British Hospital found that LAC can greatly reduce the damage caused to nerves by certain HIV drugs, even promoting nerve regeneration. [AIDS 2004;18: 1549-1560, 2004] The dose in this study was 3 grams per day (1500mg bid). |
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Botanical |
Evening Primrose Oil / GLA| | See Neuropathy and Alpha Lipoic Acid. |
Mistletoe (Viscum album)| | Mistletoe has a history of use in the treatment of neuritis, an inflammatory condition of the nerves or nerve sheath resulting in shooting or other pains throughout the body. It has been used for those with vertigo attacks and "pins and needles" sensations in the limbs. |
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Diet |
Alkalizing Agents/Diet| | An alkaline diet can reverse the effects of an overly acidic diet which may be contributing to nerve irritation and inflammation. |
Therapeutic Fasting| | In severe cases, a short juice fast for four or five days with carrot, beet, citrus fruits, apple and pineapple may be used to hasten the recovery process prior to an alkalinizing diet. |
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Drug |
Not recommended:
 Conventional Drugs / Information| | Atenolol, a beta-blocker, is one of any number of drugs that can have side effects. Fatigue is a common side-effect and paraesthesia, peripheral neuropathy and myopathies have been reported. |
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Nutrient |
Alpha Lipoic Acid| | There was a marked synergy between GLA and alpha lipoic acid which produced compounds that had at least an order of magnitude increase in efficacy over either one alone in correcting motor nerve conduction velocity and endoneural blood flow defects. A 1.3:1 GLA:alpha lipoic acid ratio appears to be optimal against experimental diabetic neuropathy. [Diabetologia (1998), 41: pp.390-399 (rat study)]
Experimental work confirms that GLA-aLA (equimolar) conjugate is so effective that it completely reverses the effects of the broken neurotrophic mechanisms that correlate with diabetic neuropathy. [Diabetologia 1998 Jul; 41(7): pp.839-843] |
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Vitamins |
Vitamin B Complex| | All vitamins of the B group have proven beneficial in the prevention and treatment of neuritis. The disorder has been helped when vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, and pantothenic acid have been given together. |
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)| | In a study of the efficacy of vitamin B1, it was given to 133 people who had headaches, joint pain, nerve pain, or neuritis. 1-2 grams of B1 once or twice daily caused 78% of headaches to improve, 71% of spine or joint pains to improve, and 62% of patients with neuralgia reported relief. Start with lower amounts and work your way up, making sure to take all of the B vitamins during this trial. [Bibl Nutr Dieta (38):pp.110-1] |
 Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)| | The medical literature contains reports of neuritis or nerve damage caused by using large amounts of vitamin B6 (1000-6000mg per day) for long periods. Lower doses have been helpful in treating neuritis. Some susceptible people may develop neuritis from as little as 300-400mg a day when the other B vitamins are not taken along with the B6. Examine your vitamin and supplement combinations to ensure that you are not taking excessive doses, but getting enough to learn if you are helped by it.
However, there has been an association with B6 supplementation at lower doses and neuropathic damage and so caution is advised.
Characteristics of pyridoxine overdose neuropathy syndrome.
A neurotoxic syndrome due to pyridoxine (B6) overdose is described. It is the largest series of B6 intoxication hitherto reported. A raised serum B6 level was present in 172 women of whom 60% had neurological symptoms, which disappeared when B6 was withdrawn and reappeared in 4 cases when B6 was restarted. The mean dose of B6 in the 103 women with neurological symptoms was 117 +/- 92 mgs, compared with 116.2 +/- 66 mgs in the control group. There was a significant difference (P less than 0.01) in the average duration of ingestion of B6 in the neurotoxic group of 2.9 +/- 1.9 years compared with 1.6 +/- 2.1 years in controls. The symptoms were paraesthesia, hyperaesthesia, bone pains, muscle weakness, numbness and fasciculation, most marked on the extremities and predominantly bilateral unless there was a history of previous trauma to the limb. These women were taking a lower dose of B6 than previously described (1,2), which may account for the complete recovery within 6 months of stopping B6. [Acta Neurol Scand. 1987 Jul;76(1): pp.8-11] |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | May have adverse consequences |
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