help for a friend

[ldubois7]

Hi all!

I have a good friend who is a dialysis patient (she's 53, but hasn't had kidney function for 28 years! ) She has been having trouble with her hands and feet tingling for about a month or two now. One of her thumbs feel bruised and seems numb.....she drops things and it feels like she has gloves on.
Her doc is starting her on Neurotin, but she doesn't know what's causing this. She's worried it could be MS, peripheral damage or something chronic. She's very worried because she's an artist & she has her garden planned for the spring! :(

She wondered if it could be inflammation due to food intolerances? Does anyone have any experiences or remedies to share?

Thanks!

[tex]

Hi Linda,

It sure sounds like peripheral neuropathy. Have her doctors checked both her B-12 and folic acid levels (because we can't absorb B-12 without adequate folic acid)? In my case, despite all my doctors insisting that gluten cannot cause peripheral neuropathy, I have no doubt that gluten is the cause of mine. And it's the reason why I have been taking Metanx for over 4 years. Since we don't know the cause of her issues, I wouldn't want to claim that Metanx would help her.

IMO, a sensitivity to gluten (and possibly other foods) is certainly a strong possibility. You might be able to gain some insight from this:

Gluten sensitivity as a neurological illness

Tex

[ldubois7]

Thanks, Tex. I passed on the info to my friend and she will get her B 12 checked & she's going to try to go gluten free. I can help her there!

[tex]

Is she taking any medications (other than Neurotin)? Sometimes certain medications can cause unexpected side effects.

Tex