Neuropathy - More Info

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the great info - here's more:

http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/cryo/connection.html

<A Painful Connection: HCV, Cryo, and Neuropathy

"People with Hepatitis C who suffer numbness or tingling in their extremities know from experience there is an association between HCV and neuropathy. Increasingly, their claims are finding support: according to medical researchers and clinical physicians, there is a "very strong association" between hepatitis C virus and a blood condition called essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC).">

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9789135

<Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Brescia, Italy.

"BACKGROUND: Fifty per cent of patients with chronic hepatitis C, show detectable cryoglobulinaemia, even though most of them do not show cryoglobulinaemia related symptoms. Peripheral neuropathy is present in most of the patients with symptomatic cryoglobulinaemia, where it may be the first clinical manifestation. The prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with hepatitis C and cryoglobulinaemia is unknown. AIMS: To assess the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy in HCV infected patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic detectable cryoglobulinaemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-nine patients with HCV infection and detectable cryoglobulinaemia underwent electrophysiological studies. RESULTS: Electrophysiological evidence of peripheral neuropathy was found in 37% and was significantly associated with: the presence of cryoglobulinaemia syndrome, older age, higher rheumatoid factor reactivity and immunoglobulin M levels and reduced complement C4 activity. However, electrophysiological evidence of peripheral neuropathy was unrelated to cryocrit levels and type of cryoglobulinaemia and was found in 23/68 patients without any symptoms of cryoglobulinaemia other than pain and paresthesia. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that peripheral neuropathy is frequent in patients with hepatitis C and detectable cryoglobulins. Neuropathy was found to be present in 1/3 of patients without other cryoglobulinaemia-related symptoms, thus a direct or indirect role of HCV, independent of cryoglobulinaemia, in the pathogenesis of nerve damage cannot be ruled out."

PMID: 9789135 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]>

http://millercenter.uchicago.edu/learnaboutpn/typesofpn/

<Types of Peripheral Neuropathies

"There are many types of peripheral neuropathy, often brought on by diabetes; genetic predispositions (hereditary causes); exposure to toxic chemicals; alcoholism; malnutrition; inflammation (infectious or autoimmune); injury; nerve compression; and by taking certain medications such as those used to treat cancer and HIV/AIDS. When the cause of a person's peripheral neuropathy remains unknown, it is called 'idiopathic'—a term for a disease or disorder having no known cause.">

I clicked on "Celiac Disease" and found this: (further evidence that anyone who has hep-c, IBD, or neuropathy to be tested for Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance:

http://millercenter.uchicago.edu/learnaboutpn/typesofpn/inflammatory/celiac.shtml

A recent study found that some people with celiac disease had neuropathic symptoms before the gastrointestinal symptoms of celiac disease appeared. The results of this study, and the fact that 10 percent of people with celiac disease suffer from an associated neurological condition (usually peripheral neuropathy or ataxia - a condition characterized by jerky, uncoordinated movements and gait), indicates that patients with neuropathy of an unknown cause should be tested for celiac disease.>

Also, I have found that alpha lipoic acid (ALA), is terrific for treating neuropathy - the Mayo Clinic even agrees!:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetic-neuropathy/DS01045/DSECTION=8

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). One of the most interesting developments in pain research is the discovery that alpha-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant found in food, may be effective at relieving the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. Studies used an intravenous form of ALA, which isn't yet available, however, and researchers caution that it's not known whether over-the-counter supplements have the same effect.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2003-rst/1733.html

Good luck to all who suffer from this painful condition - on top of hep c!!!! I've been using ALA as part of my modified "Berkson protocol" in the holistic treatment regimen.

M

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