B-complex vitamins consist of eight water-soluble vitamins that are necessary for health but can't be manufactured by the body. The B vitamins serve a wide variety of important functions, including supporting metabolism of food into energy and maintenance of your immune and nervous systems. B-complex vitamins have been associated with diabetic neuropathy from both causative and curative perspectives. Use B vitamins with your doctor's supervision to treat diabetic neuropathy.
Combination Therapy
Combination therapy with vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12 alleviated neuropathy symptoms in a study on laboratory animals conducted by the Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego. Supplementation with the B-complex vitamins for nine days reduced pain and improved nerve conduction velocity. All three vitamins contributed to pain relief, when tested by themselves; however only vitamin B-6 improved nerve conduction speed. Markers for oxidative stress and tissue damage did not change significantly with B vitamin supplementation. Researchers concluded that the functional benefits of these vitamins on diabetic neuropathy warrant further investigation for potential use in the treatment of diabetes in humans. The study was published in the June 2009 issue of the "European Journal of Pharmacology."
Insufficient Evidence
In a review of published research published in the July 2008 "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews," researchers concluded that there's limited data and insufficient evidence to determine the effects of B-complex vitamins on peripheral neuropathy. However, a trial on alcohol-related peripheral neuropathy showed improvement in sensitivity to vibration. Higher doses seem to be more effective than lower doses in studies in which symptoms improved. Additionally, B-vitamins were less effective than the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid in studies lasting two to eight weeks.
Excessive Levels
Excessively high vitamin B-6 levels may cause peripheral neuropathy, according to a study conducted by the Department of Neurology, Pennsylvania State College School of Medicine. The report describes 26 patients with symptoms of numbness, burning, tingling and weakness who were found to have elevated vitamin B-6 levels. Twenty of the patients reported daily vitamin supplement use. The researchers caution that vitamin B-6 supplementation may lead to symptoms of neuropathy. The study was published in the June 2008 issue of the journal "Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology."
Metformin
The diabetes drug metformin may induce peripheral neuropathy by causing vitamin B-12 deficiency, according to researchers at the Southside Endocrinology and Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Alabama Medical School, Birmingham. Long-term use of metformin causes vitamin B-12 deficiency in 30 percent of users. Vitamin B-12 deficiency symptoms can include peripheral neuropathy that may be mistaken for diabetic neuropathy, which, if undiagnosed, can lead to potentially irreversible nerve damage that may affect the central nervous system in addition to the peripheral nervous system. The study was published in the March 2010 issue of the "Southern Medical Journal."
References
- "European Journal of Pharmacology"; B Vitamins Alleviate Indices of Neuropathic Pain in Diabetic Rats; C.G. Jolivalt, et al.; June 2009
- "Cochrane Database Systematic Reviews"; Vitamin B for Treating Peripheral Neuropathy; C. Ang , et al.; July 2008
- ""Electromyography and Clinical Neurophysiology"; Elevated B6 Levels and Peripheral Neuropathies; K. Scott, et al.; June 2008
- "Southern Medical Journal"; Metformin-induced Vitamin B12 Deficiency Presenting as a Peripheral Neuropathy; D. Bell, et al.; March 2010
Member Comments