Disclaimer
Some of the treatments have research to back them and others do not, it is up to you to do your own due diligence. There is a certain psychological element to any treatment. If people put doubts into your mind as to the effectiveness of any given treatment, it can negatively impact the effect of said treatment. I'm not going to spend hours Googling to line up a list of studies to prove this common sense statement. Your window of opportunity to help yourself heal is not open for very long so I'd advise that you act sooner than later.
In hindsight I would have started all of the supplements sooner (not the meds).
Week #1
Advil
maximum daily dosage
The Advil helped reduce swelling to the injury site so it should help reduce the damage. I took it throughout the day, saving a big dose for bed time. I tried Tylenol but it didn't work nearly as well. Only used for 3 weeks.
B-12 Methylcobalamin (1000mcg) with Folic Acid (500mcg)
I got started on this right away and have been told that it would help with the numbness. The pills are sublingual so they dissolve under the tongue. I think I increased the dose to 2000mcg daily. Again feel free to research this to find out the best dosage for you.
Week #2
Fish Oil
Fish Oil contains high quality long chain Omega 3 's which are very important to proper nerve function and development. I had just purchased my Sockeye Salmon order when the injury happened so I ate fresh salmon every day for the first 6 weeks, then moved on to canned salmon, then to Fish Oil pills.
Week #3
Gabapentin
was prescribed by my GP to help with the burn and sleep. I didn't like it much and seemed to have every side effect on the label I was on it for about a month. It did help with sleep, maybe a little too well.
B Complex
I have learned that not all B complexes are created equal. Try to find one that is designed to be taken 3 times a day as this will help with absorption. Also try and find one with Benfotiamine which is a synthetic fat soluble version of B1 I like this one the best: Advanced B Complex
Lecithin
A good Idea especially if you've been taking lots of pain killers is it will help protect your liver.
Week# 6
Acupuncture
I got 9 - 12 needles in ear points on the side with damage, 2 on the other side as well as several in the lower leg and foot on the injured side. I went 6 times over a 2 month period and would generally go when I felt I was sort of stuck in the healing process. On 2 occasions I will say with out a doubt it helped wake up a nerve as within 24 hours the tingles returned and feeling returned to sections. It also helped with the pain for a couple of days after each treatment. I would have gone more often but my medical only covers a small portion for this treatment.
I started taking Lyrica at about this time as well. Nasty nasty stuff. Do some research on this if your doctor prescribes it. Just Google class action and Lyrica or suicide and Lyrica. Only stayed on it for a few weeks.
Week #8
Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang (don't even ask)
Research has shown it to help Bell's Palsey and to be an excellent way to restore your Yang. I gave it a shot. It contains real earthworms yum!! Pretty much gave me insomnia like I needed any help staying awake.
Week #12
Custom Bite Guard This little gadget saved my life. I had a very sensitive tongue at the time and the smoothness of the guard was like a little piece of heaven. I wear it every night but for a while I wore it during the day too.
Week #18
Massage Therapy To relieve the tension in the face and neck only a few sessions.
Soft Laser Some doubters tried to rain on my parade with this one but really felt that the 10 session that I had made a difference. It seemed to help take some of the stiffness out. I only wish I had gone sooner, like in the first couple of weeks.
Lipoic Acid It is found in spinach and it is supposed to help with the pain and numbness. I think this one is the real deal.
Ribogen is supposed to alleviate fatigue associated with fibromyalgia. I found that it helped me get my sleep rhythm back in synch. Only used for about a month as it is pretty expensive.
Week #25
Acetyl-L-Carnitine This is supposed to help with the nerve pain so I added it to the daily routine.
Vitamin C 1000 mgs daily over 2 doses also been shown to help with nerve pain.
Well at 7 months or 28 weeks this is where I'm at.... I have no numbness, I have normal taste response to food, most of the nasty burning is gone though it has been replaced with a weird metallic sensation and an oversensitivity that cannot be ignored. Yet....
Please add to the list or elaborate!
