Tenormin and Peripheral Neuropathy

Several people have talked to me about this. They share one experience - using Tenormin (beta blocker) for a while, and then developed peripheral neuropathy. I do not know if there are links between the drug and the disease. Is the sequence coincidental? Anyone out there have any information about this?

Awareness

Reading the New York Times online today. There is an item in their Health column called Times Essentials. It will show at the right of the page, half way down from the top, on the Health page. There is something labeled as "Foot Pain - your poor feet". Click on it. It lead to an article named - "Think of Your Poor Feet" by Laurie Tarkan. It is a pretty good article but Peripheral Neuropathy was not mentioned, not even once. Twenty million Americans are suffering from peripheral neuropahty, much more around the world. Almost all of them have foot pain. Not mentioned in the artical.

There are much work need to be done to raise the awareness of peripheral neuropathy.

I was searching periphral neuropathy related informaiton on the web today. Found this item on Amazon.com: WSN® Nerve Support Formula Nutritional Supplement for Peripheral, Diabetic & Poly Neuropathy Treatment. A very long name with some amazing claims: "Reducing Tingling or Numbness in the fingers, toes or legs. Ability to experience touch without pain. Reducing feeling of cold, burning or pain in the hands, feet or legs. Improving sense of balance and coordination. Reducing pain and cramps. Less dependency on medications. Works for all forms of neuropathy no matter what the cause." It is nice to kown that "Studies show a significant reduction in neuropathy symptoms." I am assumking that means "as a result of using this product." But I cannot find the studies that suppot this claim. Does anyone know any sceintifically sound clinical studies that directly suport the effectiveness and safety of this product?

What is Peripheral Neuropathy?

I was trying to see if people, the experts, have an agreement on what exactly is Peripheral Neuropathy. I have checked the following four websites, all of them should be the authority on the topic. The only thing the folloiwing statements in common is the "damage to the peripheral neurves". I am not sure if I cut my finger tip while bar-b-quing do I have PN? I would surely damage the peripheral neurves on that figure tip.

Here is what I found:

1) Mayo Clinic:

Peripheral neuropathy, in its most common form, causes pain and numbness in your hands and feet. The pain typically is described as tingling or burning, while the loss of sensation often is compared to the feeling of wearing a thin stocking or glove.

2) US National Institute of health:

Peripheral neuropathy describes damage to the peripheral nervous system, which transmits information from the brain and spinal cord to every other part of the body. More than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy have been identified, each with its own characteristic set of symptoms, pattern of development, and prognosis. Impaired function and symptoms depend on the type of nerves -- motor, sensory, or autonomic -- that are damaged. Some people may experience temporary numbness, tingling, and pricking sensations, sensitivity to touch, or muscle weakness. Others may suffer more extreme symptoms, including burning pain (especially at night), muscle wasting, paralysis, or organ or gland dysfunction.

3) The University of Chicago:

Peripheral neuropathy is not a single disease. It’s a general term for a series of disorders that result from damage to the body’s peripheral nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when nerves are damaged or destroyed and can’t send messages from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin and other parts of the body. When damage (to peripheral nerves) occurs, numbness and pain … may occur.

4) The Columbia Neuropathy Research Center:

Peripheral neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nervous system, which is responsible for transmitting information between the brain, the spinal cord, and the rest of the body. Hundreds of types of peripheral neuropathy have been identified, each with a defining set of symptoms. People commonly report numbness, tingling, and prickly sensations. Some develop an extreme sensitivity to touch, while others develop muscle weakness and muscle wasting. Severe symptoms can include burning pain which is typically worse at night, limb paralysis, and organ or gland dysfunction.

I cannot find any evidences that the ReBuilder actually works

I have had more people ask me about the ReBuilder. It claim itself as the new treatment for peripheral neuropathy. Here is the claim on the home page of the company:

The ReBuilder®

• Relieves your pain and numbness
• Helps you sleep all night
• Restores your balance and mobility
• Restores the feeling in your feet and hands
• Reduces or eliminates pain medications
• Eases nerve pain from shingles & sciatica
• Used with the footbath, toenail fungus is eliminated
• FDA Approved

The company knows the suffering of people with peripheral neuropathy and this list is directly targeted at the PNers. They have promised to Relieves your pain and numbness, and that goes together with to Restores the feeling in your feet and hands and to Help you sleep all night. They know lots of PNers have impaired balance and mobility, so they promise to Restores your balance and mobility. The consequence of pain reduction should lead to another promise and to Reduces or eliminates pain medications. It is very nice of them to throw in some specifics, such as to Eases nerve pain from shingles & sciatica. And if you Used with the footbath, toenail fungus is eliminated. It is also FDA Approved.

I have searched their websites, I did not find any hard research evidence for anything they said the device will do. They have a long monologue on the site and trying to prove this thing really should work. But, "should work" is a long way from it actually works.

About the FDA approved statement, I have found the following sentences on their website: "It is registered under the 510K basis as both a TENS and an EMS, (which is the only two categories that the FDA offers). The FDA does not approve any medical device, the FDA only 'approves' pharmaceuticals." Well, I wonder what they meant when they typed the words "FDA Approved" on the front page of their website.

The company is conducting an "ReBuilder Evaluation Study". I have found the "Enrollment Form" on their page. But be aware if you want to enroll yourself in the study. You need to sign the form and declared that "I have not been promised any particular clinical outcome". And also be aware that any credible clinical study should randomly enrolled and conducted with a double blind experiment design. I cannot find any approval for human subject protection, which is federal mandate for research involves human subjects.

The bottom line is this product promise a lot. It has no scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness. It "FDA approval" is a lie, said so by their own statements. If it had worked for 16 years as the company claimed, I encourage them to conduct serious clinical trials to prove its effectiveness, as many other medical devises have gone through.

Cancer Treatment and Peripheral Neuropathy

I have talked to quite a few people in regarding chemotherapy and peripheral neuropathy. There are anecdotal evidences that a good portion of people went through chemo have developed peripheral neurpoathy of some shape or form. It is a very good thing that the cancer's gone. It will be even better if the cancer treatment does not come with the painful neuropathy. Is anyone out there knows any specific information in this regard? Such as, the prevalence? the cause? any preventive measures?

Alternative to Metanx

Metanx is prescription B-vitamin supplement. Some people with Peripheral Neuropathy take it. It helps them to manage the pain in their foot sole. It is expensive and insurance companies will not pay for it. Does anyone know if there were an over the counter product that could have the same, or similar, effects as Metanx?