MILK THISTLE, a NATURAL possible cure for diabetic nerve pain

Hello Jessie,

You are welcome and all I want to do is spread the word so it can have a chance to help others.

Please remember that everyone's situations can be very different.  "Nerve pain" in general can have dozens, if not hundreds of causes.  From the diabetic nerve pain I have described, to many other causes, like pinched or damaged nerves from accidents to simple old age.  So a person must make themselves their own first advocate for their own body and care.

I have been a type 1 diabetic for almost 39 years now and one of the absolute best recommendations I can give anyone, diabetic or not, is to get very familiar with your own body and know it completely.  In many cases, your body will let you know what is going on or at least give you signals that something is different.

I have been to several doctors over the decades from time to time over the decades and have been blessed with reasonably good health given my condition.  However, I have found that the majority of "doctors" these days (especially the younger ones) have become "doctors" for the wrong reasons ... mostly the "money" factor.  They do not have the aptitude, nor the skills to be any good.  The same is true in any high paid profession, attorneys as another clear example.  These once very honorable and noble professions are being filled with people looking for the "money", nothing more.  Sad, but true.

Luckily, we have have the internet now and can do an amazing amount of research for ourselves.  Doctors, even good ones, are over-loaded and many can not keep up with all the changes.  And with such work-loads, it is very difficult for them to give a lot of personal one-on-one attention to patients.  So we must learn to do what we can in our own specific situations.

In my own research, I knew certain generals and specifics regarding diabetes, especially type 1, since I must live with the disease.  Neuropathy in general can come in many, many different forms.  I knew I had it, but after doing some research, I found many different forms, in which I can confirm I have 4 types that are fairly common for long term type 1 diabetes.  Not only the foot pain and hand tremors, but a form that affects my stomach.  For the last couple of decades, I noticed that I could only eat very little at a meal and get full very fast.  Even such things as two slices of pizza would fill me up for about 24 hours.  I found this very strange from my young years, where I could eat a large and a medium pizza by myself in a single sitting and not gain an ounce (back in my early to mid teens).  And I am not over-weight, nor am I thin as well.  But I found there is a type of neuropathy from my diabetes that is and has been causing this effect.  There is nothing I can do about it and it is not critical, however, at least now I have a true ANSWER to a situation that has perplexed me for decades.

For me, finding true answers is my main goal.  Good, bad or indifferent, I at least can know and understand what is going on in my own body and then search for any possible solution.

Again, only you (and hopefully you have a good doctor to work with you) can determine the possible cause of your nerve pain.  I have ran across dozens in my own search.  I am focused on attempting to find as many natural remedies as possible, because many of these drugs the pharmaceutical companies are pushing are pure POISON!

Just as with the Milk Thistle, it may or may not help specific situations as dramatic as mine.  HOWEVER, the good news about it is that it is a very good OVER-ALL supplement that almost anyone can benefit from (only exception is if a person has an allergy to the weed itself).  It is highly proven to cleanse the liver in general, being commonly used for Hep-C patients and other liver disorders.  And even without dramatic nerve pain relief as I have experienced, there is still a very reasonable chance it can at least help to slow or prevent any further progression of this kind of nerve pain or other conditions in the liver.

So I see this as a very good added supplement for a lot of people out there and all for about $9/month in cost from any place that sells vitamins/supplements (including places like Wal-Mart).

I wish you the very best in your search for your pain relief!  I fully understand how extreme pain like this can literally take over your life .. and that is no way to live.

And when we find things that can actually help, let's all make it a point to use the internet as our resources to share these things with each other and pass them along to all we meet.

Best Wishes!

Hello Margaret,

I immediately stopped the Lyrica totally.  The side effects hit me lie a ton of bricks after only the first dose (again, I have a more rare style body chemestry and my boy can react very quicly to certain things).  I woe up in the middle of the night with motion sickness and vometting and was still feeling the side effects well into the next day. That is why I immediately started flushing my body out, drinking about 2 gallons of water per day and eating crackers for the next couple of days and talked with my "big sis" and immediately got the milk thistle and was taing 3 caps 3 times per day for the first couple of days until I looked up proper dosage on the Mayo Clinic site.  Then I went to either 3-4 capsules per day, taking one 175 mg capsule in each dose (morning, lunch, dinner, bedtime).

My main goal was to flush the Lyrica out of my system and get it out of my liver.  Again, I did notice a reference on the Mayo site regarding milk thistle and diabetic neuropathy (you can find it there as well), but I simply did not pay much attention to that portion at the time.

But within only about 6 days I noticed I literally had no neuropathy pain in my feet when taing a morning walk.  The "1,000 needles" in my feet had been there for decades and only growing worse over the years.  It was lie a miracle, literally, because the pain was totally gone as if over-night.  Then through the day, I also noticed no "lightning stries", "bone crushes" in the toes, things that were hitting me 50+ times in a day (only lasting 5-10 seconds, but still hurt like hell and would make me wince in pain).

Needless to say even I was very sceptical at first and at the time never connected the milk thistle with this huge change until a couple of days later and the pains were still totally gone.  Then I simply thought..."what changed!?"  And it was only the milk thistle, so that is when I went bac to the Mayo site and paid attention to the section regarding milk thistle and dibateic neuropathy (kidneys) and it does list it as a treatment that can help with this pain.

I did not tell anyone for many months (about 8-9 months) in case it was some sort of fluke and did more research for myself.  Then I started telling everyone.  My doctors, nurses, medical staff, etc. and found not a single person had heard of this (even though it is actually published at many research facilities, such as the Mayo Clinic).  As I posted, my primary is now recommending it to her patients, my pain management specialist's husband is on it with great results and she is recommending it to her patients, my mother is doing very well with it and even a couple of strangers have given bac great reports of this helping.  So it is no "fluke" and it can definitely help (although again, I simply can't mae an absolute promise in every case, since there can be other factors and everyone is different).

But I can say it is easily worth a good try!  I lived with horrible pain for decades!  And here, my answer was sitting there all this time, but no one knew about it, even the doctors!

I can also say for FACT, this garbage the doctors are prescribing, like Lyrica can be POISON!!!  Simply watch the commercials, look at the huge serious side-effects!

The great thing with milk thistle is it is ALL NATURAL!  With the only small possibility of an allergy to the weed, you can't take too much (within reason..you don't want to swallow an entire bottle at one time of anything).

I can truly relate and understand the pain your husband is in.  I lived it for decades and it only got worse.  That's no way to live.  Milk thistle is natural and at the very least, it is proven to cleanse the liver (this found all over the internet by respected research facilities world wide).  And in mine and other cases I now of now first hand, it has had dramatic changes in helping releave diabetic neuropathy pain.  I have been TOTTALY PAIN FREE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW!  I have one simple agenda, letting other people know there is HOPE and a POSSIBLE natural thing that might help take away that pain.  The pharmacutical companies are interested in one thing...PROFIT!  Just like the common cold, they don;t want a CURE, because if they cure anything, it does not make them money.  Sad, but a very true fact.

Your hubby has lived with this pain a very long time now and as typical, it is only going to get worse.  And the garbage (like Lyrica) can easily poison his system.  So I'm going to make a simple suggestion in your specific case and as your hubby if he would be willing to try a natural course for only 2 weeks to see if it can help him and this will be in more ways than just the neuropathy pain, because he is type 2 diabetic as well.

It is extremely simple and will only consist of two things ... water and milk thistle.  But also, do check with his doctor before trying this.  I say this, because I do not know of all of your hubby's current conditions, such as, is your hubby's kidneys in good shape and filtering properly and not retaining excess water?  Kidney problems are one of the most common complications with both forms of diabetes.  I ask this because in this trial, he will be drining a lot of water, which in most cases is a very good thing for anyone, BUT we must make sure.  And the other would be a simple question of would your hubby have allergies to such a weed like milk thistle.  This would be rare, but we still want to double check.  If water and milk thistle are not factors, then all this can do is help, even if it does not totally tae away the neuropathy pain.  The water cleanses the body..just pure common knowledge everyone should know.  And the milk thistle will help cleanse the liver .. proven medical fact.

If all is good, then here is the simple plan.  First, stop the Lyrica totally.  Then have hubby drink 12 oz of water as soon as he wakes up, then 12 oz of water every hour on the hour (he may not be thirsty, but tell him to force it), this will help flush the body.  I personally ate a few crackers with the water to help absorb the chemicals in the body..a type of flushing out.  Take three 175 mg milk thistle capsules 3 times per day (morining, mid-day, and about an hour before bedtime) for the first 2 days.

On the 3rd day continue with the water, but you can cut back on the amouint.  Start with 12 oz when he first wakes up to get the water going, but then he can cut back (if he wishes to) to 8-12 oz every couple of hours.  Take one 175 mg milk thistle capsule 4 times per day (morning, lunch, dinner, bed-time).  Make sure the scheduling is within reason.  It does not need to be exact on the hour, but do not vary by several hours. This will help maintain a constant level in his system, which has helped me greatly in every aspect of my health.

Also, make sure there are no dramatic changes in meds or other things (even eating habits), because this will help determine what is helping and what is not.  Any dramatic changes during this time may greatly effect the results.  Keeping everything as constant and even as possible is key to knowing to what extent things are being effected.

This is basically my outline of what I did for myself and how and why I know my results are factual.

Now it will be left up for you and your hubby to discuss and decide if he wants to try this method.  Again, just to be extra safe, discuss this with his doctor (hopefully he has a decent one) and double check regarding his kidney health and a possible allergy to milk thistle (again, very rare). 

Then if you both decide, try this for only 2 weeks (I still recommend 4, but he should notice some changes within 2 weeks).  If nothing else, he will have helped hydrate his body, flushing out toxins with the water and helped to clean out his liver with the milk thistle.  But it also has a reasonable chance of helping get rid of the neuropathy pain from slight help to a total reversal as in my case, without using poisons like Lyrica.

I do hope this helps and please let me know if it really helps in his case.  And if it does, tell EVERYONE, including your doctor(s) and help get the word out to help others as well.

Best Wishes!

Hello Margaret,

Get your husband off ALL those meds IMMEDIATELY (the ones for specifically neuropathy pain).

Again, I must state I am not a doctor.  I am a type 1 diabetic coming up to 39 years now.  I had suffered with diabetic neuropathy for at least 25+ of those years.  In my case, it was a very slow progressor, because I was able to typically keep my blood sugars in some form of decent control.  If not, I would not be here today.  Type 1 and type 2 are very different creatures, with type 1 being much more fatal and is why only approximately 5% of diabetics are type 1's.

With that said, I speak from first hand experience.  I have found few truly good doctors regarding this, but I always encourage to continue searching for "good" doctors and if and when you find one, KEEP THEM at all costs.

Even the few good doctors I have found do not now "everything" and we can not expect them to.  We MUST become our own "doctor" with such a disease as diabetes, because everyone is different and we all have very different body chemestries.  Some things that might work for some, will not always work for everyone.  I have a very unique body chemestry in many ways that I have found over the decades and my body can react very different, even from the doctor's standpoint and what medical knowledge they have.  In many cases, their knowledge is good and useful, but again, I have found it is on a case by case basis in some areas (which may even be very rare, but it can happen).

So, first and foremost, to EVERYONE, the absolute best recomendation I can tell a person is LEARN ABOUT YOUR OWN BODY AND LISTEN CAREFULLY TO IT.  In most cases (not all) your body will tell you when something is not right.

My doctors had tried me on many of the meds which you have mentioned and NONE worked!  Cymbalta did nothing. Gabapentin, I could take ONE pill and my mind would go "loopy" for two + days, so I stopped it immediately, because I can not stand anything that messes with my mind/thought process.  The last was Lyrica, which sent me on an immediate side-effects nightmare from hell!  I would wake up in the middle of the night with motion sickness and throwing up and this was after only ONE dose.  I immediately stopped it and began drinking about 2 gallons of water a day and eating crackers to flush and absorb the Lyrica to get it out of my body as fast as possible.  I had talked to my "big sis" and told her what was happening and she told me to go to Walmart and get milk thistle and start that immediately to help clear the Lyrica from my liver.

Milk thistle is well documented and proven to cleanse the liver and many people with liver problems (her husband has this problem) with such things as Hep-C.  You can find this information on any true research site (I use the Mayo Clinic site often).  I immediately went to Walmart and got a bottle and began taking three 175 mg capsules 3 times per day for the first couple of days.  Then I thought I had better look up proper dosage (again, the Mayo Clinic site).  I happened to run across a section in which they listed milk thistle as a treatement for diabetic neuropathy (kidneys), but honestly did not pay much attention at that portion at the time.  My main goal was to get the Lyrica out of my system due to the hellish side effects it had caused.

Then I began the recommended dosage which was 3 capsules per day, so I went with that.

NOTE: One thing I have found to be extremely useful in my own regiment is to keep all meds/vitamins/suppliments on an even balanced dosage throughout the day.  I have a pill box that is 4 times per day (morning, lunch, dinner, bedtime).  I found this to work very well for me, because it does not cause "spikes" of any certain med/vitamin/suppliment and keeps a much more moderate level throughout the day.  I only take 4 actual meds, the rest are viatamins and suppliments, but this has worked very well for me and keeps my body on a much more even balance throughout the entire day and I feel much better.  Also, make sure this is done religiously!  When your body gets in balance, you'll feel a noticable difference. I have heard many people complain "I don't want to take pills all the time" .. well, to them I say "GET OVER IT! I'll trade you any day and I feel blessed and fortunate it's a condition I can actually have control over, while I see children who die of things such as cancer before they reach their 12th birthday!" (I don't mean to be harsh, but some people need to get some true perspective in how lucky they really are).

After only about 6 days into taking the milk thistle, I noticed something literally amazing.  I went for a walk, stopped and noticed "where's the 1,000 needles in the bottom of my feet!?"  I had this condition for at least 20+ years.  Anytime I would walk, even very short distances (50 feet and less), stop an here comes the 1,000 needles.  Again, this was a condition that was a very slow progressor for me over decades, but was to the point of dibilitating.  1,000 needles in the bottom of my feet, "lightning strikes" in my feet, "bone crushes" in toes, etc. and happening a good 50+ times a day with a duration of only about 5-10 seconds...but still hurt like hell.  But it was a huge part of my daily life and NOTHING helped and I lived with it for decades.  Now, all of a sudden, it was ALL GONE!!!

I did not tell anyone about it for many, many months.  I was afraid it was some fluke or simply did not want to jinx it.  But I was able to specifically attribute it to the milk thistle, because that was the only thing in my entire regiment that had changed.  Being type 1, I have always kept very close tabs on ANY changes in my regiment, to be able to quicly identify any problems, but in this case, my actual cure.

One of the things that stunned me the most is why there were no doctors, nurses, medical personal that had ever even heard of this!  After about 8 months being totally PAIN FREE of ALL neuropathy pain is when I began sharing this with my doctors and basically everyone.  This was no accident!

Of course my doctors were astonished, because they had never heard of such a thing.  My primary was very curious (she is only a PA, but a great doctor, because we actually discuss things in detail and we learn from each other).  Then my pain management doctor (she is also fantastic) actually began her own husband on this and within a couple of weeks, he noticed an amazing difference in his own condition and now she recommends this to all her patients with neuropathy issues and getting very good feedback.  A receptionist I told about it at the hospital I went for my cataract, her husband was in the hospital with type 2 and had neuropathy in the feet as well, made him go on this.  I went back a month later to have my other cataract done and she walked across the hall, gave me a hug and said "thank you!".  I did not even recognise her and she could see I did not and she reminded me who she was and told me her husband is now doing much better with the pain.  Even my elderly mother (who is 78) was getting the tingling in her feet, simply from old age and started using it and no more tingling.  So I know without any doubt, it can work!

I am now OVER ONE YEAR PLUS AND NO PAIN IN ANY FORM from the neuropathy!

I stay on the milk thistle, I take one 175 mg capsule 4 times per day.  It is all natural and the only possible side effect would be if the person might have an allergy to it, since it is a "weed" (it comes from the big weed, when you pull it, it has the milky extract).

And why don't the doctors and other medical people now about it?  The very sad, but true, reason, the pharmacutical companies can not make BILLIONS in profits each year from a $9/month NATURAL suppliment!  I have no doubt they know all about it!  And if a person does some research (like the Mayo site) you will see it listed.

I am still doing my own research, because my personal goal is getting off as many meds as possible and going NATURAL.  Don't get me wrong, some meds are good and very much needed, like my insulin.  Without my insulin I would have been dead decades ago.  But a LOT of this GARBAGE these big companies are putting out there are for PROFIT, NOT GOOD HEALTH!

The best advise I can give in your hubby's situaion is for him to stop ALL neuropathy meds (DO NOT STOP ANY OTHER MEDS HE MAY BE ON, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY FOR THOSE SPECIFICALLY AS TREATMENT FOR DIABETIC NEUROPTHY PAIN), then place him on milk thistle 4 times per day at 175 mg capsules (ONE capsule at a dose) and try it for 4 weeks.  I noticed results much faster, but again, everyone is different.  You may vary dosage a little, depending on his size (if he is a big man, say over 200lbs you may want to increase slightly) and MAKE SURE HE DOES THIS EVERY DAY AT THE SPECIFIC TIMES. (the receptionist at the hospital had to force her hubby to do this at first until he found out it actually worked)  This will be the best way to see if this will help his condition.  

I simply can not make any promises, because we are all different and can have many variations in conditions, but it is certainly worth a try, given the POISONS they are using on people now, just like the ones you have listed and I have also tried myself.

I hope this helps and my best wishes to you, your hubby and family.

Hello diana,

On the Mayo Clinic site, it is not an "article", but lists the uses for milk thistle in details.  Milk thistle has been used in many ways for a very, very long time.  One of the most common is for cleasing the liver, used by many Hep C patients. I know this from speaking with a registered nurse at a hospital who has been using it for decades now to treat their Hep C.  It is also listed on the Mayo site.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-milk-thistle/art-20362885

I have now been TOTALLY pain free in my feet from the neuropathy for well over a YEAR now and continue to take it 3-4 times per day without any type of side effects what so ever.

The only possible side effect I could possibly see is if a person had an allergy to it, since it is a weed extract.  But certainly check with her doctor to be double sure.

Hope this helps.

Hello Burtpies,

I am certainly not angry with your post in the least.  As I specifically point out in this thread, people do/should run things by their doctors first and double/triple check things, even with something as simple as milk thistle.

It sounds like we are very similar in length of time.  My 39th aniversaary is right around the corner, March 29, 1979 was my diagnosis date.

Yes, I clearly state I am not a doctor.  However, you should be able to relate and understand, that we (you and I living this stuff on a daily basis for nearly 4 decades) are true "experts" in this subject matter.  And in my experience, I know much,much more than any general MD and even soeso-called specialists, especially the very young ones (in their late 20's early 30 ish areas).  Like in alomst anything, actual experience easily trumps book knowledge.  My eye specialist, who specializes in diabtic eye issues (retinopathy, etc.) is a good young doctor, but he did not even know about ixing insulins (which I still mix "R" & "N".

As I also clearly state, everyone is different, so each must research and do things accordingly.

As to Lyrica and otherslike it, it is clear POISON to most.  Simply watch the commercials for it on TV.  My God!  The side effects listed there should clearly tell people this ed has HIGH RISK of serious/fatal side effects.  And not being able to come off of ANY med right awayshows clearly the medembeds itself in the body, doing God nows what to organs such as your liver.

For me, milk thistle has been a God send!  About 1 1/2 years already and absolutely NO NUEROPTHY PAIN in my feet..period.  I also understand you have it in your hands, which I do as well.  I do not have the pain, as like was in my feet, but my muscles in my hands are quicly atrophying.

You also refer to "frozen shoulder"(aheasive capulitis).  I learned and studied this yself as well, because I alsosuffer from the same type throughout my body.  At first I was thinking soething like RA, since my mother has that, but those results came back negative.  I also have Dupytrends in my hands.  I totally understand the pain you refertowith the adheasive capulitis.  I could bumpo into a wall and the pain would put me to my knees.  It is dibilitating and extremely painful as well.  The only thing I have found thus far for this condition is Prednisone. I had to beg my primary to allow e to even try it and she hates e being on it.  But the pain wasso bad, I had no quality of life in the least and could not function at all, strictly due to constant severe pain 24/7and only getting worse.  She finally allowed me to try it prescribing 40 mg perday for one week. She said we should easily know if that was going to help. I knew 40 mg was a lot, because my mother only takes 5 mg per day for her RA. I will never forget when I started on Prednisone.I took 20 mg that eveningand woke up that next morning feeling lie a brand new man!  After YEARS of extreme pain, it was GONE!  I still take Prenisone to this day .. about 2-3 years now.  I have triedalternates, like Methatrexate,but the Prednisonehas beentheonly thing that works for me.

I do NOT go out recommend Prednisone to anyone, since it is both a med and sterioid, where milk thistle is all natural and basically no danger to anyone (with only exception aof a possible very rare allergy condition and I recommend a person still check with their doctor first, even in this).  But for me, I will stay on Prednisone until I die, unless I can find something else.  It is a no brainer in my situation, it allows me to be functional and that is my goal.  y doctor tells e there is a risk being on steriods lie this and 5-10-15 years down the road it MAY cause problems (mostly about bone desity).  So my choice?  Tae the Predisone that taes away all that pain and I am alomost fully functional now..OR..not take it and spend each and every day in dibilitating pain and being totally non-functional.  Well, I will take my chances of 5-10-15 years down the road and MIGHT have some complications, rather than spend all that time is pure pain just to exist on this earth.  So far, I thin I have been on it now 2-3 years and they check me every 3-4 months and everything is still fine as to bone issues, all organs fine, etc.

Maybe you have been extremely fortunate and have found some really good doctors.  That is great!  But in my experience, I have found very few, with most not knowing "jack" and clearly just to run things through to get "the money".  Luckily I have found two great doctors finally and I will follow the wherever they might go, because finding a true good doctor is very hard these days.

But going bac to the main thing here, meds lie Lyrica are POISON and even though I am not a "doctor" I can speak from almost 4 decades of first hand experience and a ton more specific research than most of these doctors have done, with expeception of true dedicated specialist in this specific field.  And even then, I have been able to teach them new things, as with the milk thistle issue, because even they do not know of this effect on people and it can be an actual CURE for some like myself, with the best part is that is is all NATURAL and has NO SIDE EFFECTS. In worst case senerios, it may not help a person's neuropthy pain, but will still help cleanse the liver (proven fact and main use of mil thistle), so basically no harm either way.

Again, not angry in the least here and you bring up a valid point regarding immediate stopping of such things as Lyrica (if the person has been on it a long time).  But this should also give clear indication to the person that this style med embeds itself in the body .. and check the list of side effects. Lyrica specifically states in their own commercials the horrid side effects that are possible...AND.. I have yet to find a single person who has benefitted from Lyrica, with most telling me they had to stop it immediately as well due to the harsh side effects.

So I will continue to stand by my statements, because I do include that a person should speak with their doctor BEFORE even going on the mil thistle to double check for a possible allergy issue, since it is a weed.  Other than that, the worst it will do is cleanse the liver.  The best?  Like with me, absolutely no neuropathy pain in the feet for about 1 1/2 years now, when I suffered decades of extreme pain that was only getting worse.

Best Wishes.  :-)

Hello Howard,

Sorry to hear of all your problems.  I certainy can relate.  Come this March, wil be my 40th anniversary with type 1 diabeties, which is a daily battle trying to maintain some qulaity of life, especially the neuropathy issues, which are severe in my case.

I still have all the numbness and such in my feet, however, it's now been more than a year and a half without the actual meuropathy pain in my feet (1,000 needles, lightning strikes, bone crunches, etc.) and I continue my regiment of milk thistle, without any other med for "diabetic nerve pain" (such as poisons they are pushing like Lyrica)

As I stated in older posts here, I can't promise it will work for everyone, but have had many great reports of people getting relief.  And because it is all natural, at the very least is can help cleanse the iver and keep it in good shape (mil thiste is widely used for people with liver issues, such as Hep-C I found out.

So it is definitely worth they try.  Hope it helps!  :-)