I was diagnosed with "Neuropathy from unknown causes" back in 2002. It started in my feet (coldness, loss of feeling, cramps, stiffness) then over the years worked up to my calves, with severe cramps, then thighs and even my biceps got involved (squeeze the bicep, get a cramp). I started having a gait issue occasionally with a foot drop. Overall my legs got extremely stiff. Muscles felt like piano wires and no amount of stretching helped. I also had acid reflux issues on and off. I used to love lifting weights but stopped as instead of soreness then recovery with more strength, lifting seem to cause soreness that just increased no matter how long I spaced out between sessions.
In the last couple of years I started to have frequent stumbles which progressed to several serious falls last year. Luckily I avoided serious injury. My diagnosis hasn't been changed nor looked at since 2002, but to be fair, when rushing through the last appointment with my Dr. I forget to mention the stumbling and falling as a new symptom. There seems to be a genetic factor at play as my father suffered from stiff legs and walking issue and neuropathy and both brothers are having similar issues as well and an Aunt had PD.
I ran across the work of Dr. Lansdale with thiamine and have started high dose of the TTFD form of thiamine (allithiamine and lipothiamine) about 100mg 3x a day. I saw a quick resolution of the stumbling and falling issue, my balance has been fantastic, a reduction in muscle pain throughout my body, acid reflux vanished, and a big improvement in cramping in thighs and calves. I also have tinnitus and haven't seem much change there, it comes and goes.
My question is that there seems to be a preference to using very high doses of Thiamine HCL in the posts here vs the TTFD forms (subthiamine, lipothiamine, allithiamine) and I was wondering if there is any reasons or experience as to why that is the better form?