Nutrition Health Chat: Tuesday, Dec. 8th, 5-6 PM Eastern. Learn how vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients affect your health. Free live Q&A. Join us!
Member Comments are provided by individuals and reflect their personal opinions only. Under NO circumstances should you act on any advice or opinion posted in this forum. ALWAYS check with your personal physician before taking any action regarding your health! MedHelp International and our partners, sponsors and affiliates have no obligation to monitor any comments posted on this site, or the content and/or accuracy of such exchanges. MedHelp International does not endorse the views of any user.
Neurology (Expert Forum)
Thiamine Deficiency Peripheral Neuropathy Damage and Recovery
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury.
Thiamine Deficiency Peripheral Neuropathy Damage and Recovery
by optimumeg, Dec 28, 2006 12:00AM
I have a few questions regarding the damage and recovery from thiamine deficient PN. How long between symptoms of peripheral neuropathy appear and neuronal cell death (usually)? Generally speaking, what percentage of people fully recovery from this cause of neuropathy? How long does recovery usually take? Is there anything to speed up recovery?
My story is that I became thiamine deficient and developed pain and numbness in my feet, ankles, and hands. Until I could learn the cause, about 5-7 days had passed. I found information stating that this can cause cell death, but no estimate on how long it took, and no estimate on how long it takes to recovery and if I am guarenteed a full recovery.
My story is that I became thiamine deficient and developed pain and numbness in my feet, ankles, and hands. Until I could learn the cause, about 5-7 days had passed. I found information stating that this can cause cell death, but no estimate on how long it took, and no estimate on how long it takes to recovery and if I am guarenteed a full recovery.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-SH, Jan 23, 2007 12:00AM
First of all, keep in mind that I am unable to diagnose you because I am unable to examine you, this forum is for educational purposes.
Your body has about a 1 month supply of thiamine (vitamin B1) that is stored in muscle. It is a water soluble vitamin and deficiency usually results from decreased intake, decreased absorption or impaired metabolism. Within 1 week of low thiamine supply symptoms can develop a syndrome called beriberi with tachycardia, weakness and peripheral neuropathy (which causes pain, numbness, tingling in the arms and legs). At this point the symptoms are ususally very reversible and resolve completely with replacement (Thiamine 100mg per day (IV may be needed if absorption is a problem)). If the deficiency persist and the symptoms worsen patients develp wernickes encephalopathy with vomiting, fever, abnormal eye movements and altered mental status. This syndrome can then progress into a progressive worsening of mental status to a profound dementia called Korsakoff syndrome (at this point, permanent damage is done, but it is usually partially reversible with thiamine). The most common cause for thiamine deficiency is alcohol (alcoholics have poor dietary intake, decreased absorption and impaired metabolism due to liver disease). Other causes include short gut syndrome (due to bowel surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric bypass etc), dialysis, cirrohsis of the liver, and improper diet (for example people living off of humanitarian aid rice have developed beriberi due to the lack of other micronutrients in their diet).
I hope this has been helpful.
Your body has about a 1 month supply of thiamine (vitamin B1) that is stored in muscle. It is a water soluble vitamin and deficiency usually results from decreased intake, decreased absorption or impaired metabolism. Within 1 week of low thiamine supply symptoms can develop a syndrome called beriberi with tachycardia, weakness and peripheral neuropathy (which causes pain, numbness, tingling in the arms and legs). At this point the symptoms are ususally very reversible and resolve completely with replacement (Thiamine 100mg per day (IV may be needed if absorption is a problem)). If the deficiency persist and the symptoms worsen patients develp wernickes encephalopathy with vomiting, fever, abnormal eye movements and altered mental status. This syndrome can then progress into a progressive worsening of mental status to a profound dementia called Korsakoff syndrome (at this point, permanent damage is done, but it is usually partially reversible with thiamine). The most common cause for thiamine deficiency is alcohol (alcoholics have poor dietary intake, decreased absorption and impaired metabolism due to liver disease). Other causes include short gut syndrome (due to bowel surgery, inflammatory bowel disease, gastric bypass etc), dialysis, cirrohsis of the liver, and improper diet (for example people living off of humanitarian aid rice have developed beriberi due to the lack of other micronutrients in their diet).
I hope this has been helpful.
Member Comments (1)
by AnneH322, Apr 09, 2008 07:07PM
A related discussion, Peripheral Neuropathy and ventricular Tachycardia was started.
by Backo, Jan 26, 2009 03:58AM
A related discussion, Thiamine deficiency was started.
by chilcutt, May 04, 2009 05:59PM
A related discussion, Neuropathy damage was started.
