Peripheral neuropathy, what omega-3 doses for pain?
I have been suffering for four years from neuropathy in my lower limbs, aggravated by a double plantar fasciitis, a condition caused, by a chemotherapy treatment done four years ago to eradicate a mediastinal seminoma, clearly aggravated then by a situation of cavus and retraction of all the muscles of the body, having also been operated on with a median sternotomy. However I wanted to use thiobec 600 which I have used in the past with very slight improvement, to which I wanted to add vitamin E and your capsules. Could you tell me if they would be helpful and possibly at what dosages? Maximum
Dear Maximus,
Unfortunately, peripheral neuropathy is the main side effect of many neurotoxic chemotherapies and can also be very disabling due to severe neuropathic pain. In this condition, dietary supplementation with alpha lipoic acid is generally recommended for the antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of this molecule. But for the management of neuropathy even more useful might be to combine alpha lipoic acid with the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA-for these reasons:
- omega-3 fatty acids, because of their anti-inflammatory activity, reduce the production of pro-inflammatory molecules (cytokines) implicated in peripheral neuropathy.
- This anti-inflammatory effect is mainly attributed to DHA: progressively over time it could allow for a reduction in the use of anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs used for pain symptoms.
- The combination of DHA with alpha lipoic acid increases the absorption and efficacy of alpha lipoic acid compared with a single intake of the same.
Peripheral neuropathy, better VitaDHA 1000.
Based on what has just been said, you can take Tiobec 600 and combine it with VitaDHA 1000 at a dosage of 2-3 capsules per day to be taken with a meal. VitaDHA is a dietary supplement made from concentrated and purified fish oil-with a ratio in favor of DHA over EPA-each capsule of VitaDHA 1000 provides 470 mg of DHA and 100 mg of EPA.
Therefore, VitaDHA is recommended in cases of peripheral neuropathy as an adjunct to therapy. If you have difficulty swallowing, you may opt for liquid VitaDHA, available in single-dose 6 g vials of lemon-flavored fish oil. I recommend that you inform your treating physician if you decide to start omega-3 supplementation in conjunction with drug therapies.
I remain available for further needs.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rosaria Ramondino Pharmacist and pharmaceutical chemist
