In the Mar./Apr. "Medical Mailbox," reader Byron King of Sonoma, California, requested information on using IV chelation for nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy (PN), adding that nearly every source of information he could locate is related to diabetics with the condition.We asked Dr. Dale Guyer, a physician who utilizes complementary therapies in his clinical practice, to share his experiences with treating nondiabetic PN. His reply:

"I have observed good results with chelation therapy for nondiabetic peripheral neuropathy. In general, standard courses of chelation include 20 to 30 treatments. Improvement is often noted following 10 to 12 treatments, after which a maintenance program is advised.

"Optimum improvement is achieved when chelation is used synergistically, with additional therapies. For example, I have seen excellent results with high-dose (about 10 mg daily) biotin supplementation. Acetyl l-carnitine and good old-fashioned B12 shots may also be beneficial.

"A good option for pain control--especially in light of the recent problems with systemic pain medicines--is pleuronic lecithin organogel (PLO gel). This is a prescription product that is manufactured by a compounding pharmacy. Anti-inflammatory agents can be mixed into the gel and rubbed on painful sites. The gel creates high levels of pain relief without being absorbed appreciably into the bloodstream. As a result, the compounded gel has no side effects for the most part. I have prescribed it for many patients, and they refer to it as 'wonder' gel."

Dr. Guyer is currently participating in the NIH-funded study to test the effectiveness of chelation for coronary heart disease. See page 74 for more on the ongoing research.