yes, I'm taking 2000mg per day. That's why I want to see what ALA does
if anything. I will discuss at next visit. She'll probably refer me to a
neurologist right?

Thanks,
Trinity

Have you talked to an MD about your symptoms?  These symptoms can be
from problems other than diabetic neuropathy.

Mary

Over Xmas I've been a bit of a slug, eating too much, eating too many
carbs, and taking too little exercise. I also got rather depressed by
the number of small joint and muscle pains that seemed to be
developing into permanent residents, such as in certain finger joints,
especially thumbs. I was having to be careful how I approached awkward
door knobs and jar tops.

Two days ago in a fit of righteous enthusiasm I cycled for 40 minutes
up a lot of steep hills. Not strenuously, I'm too old for strenuous,
but slowly, at a walking pace, using my newly acquired very low
"granny" gear on my bicycle. It's well established that on that sort
of cycle run it takes me about 25 minutes to get properly warmed up,
and that at least fifteen minutes of exercising once properly warmed
up is needed for me to feel the benefits.

I was delighted to notice a few hours later that most of my minor
aches and pains had disappeared. I was disappointed to discover
several hours later that I'd developed a few extra aches in the parts
that I'd exercised. Two days later, without any further exercise
beyond housework, the minor aches and pain are still absent, and the
exercise aches have gone too. Although the cycling didn't really exert
my hands at all, my hands are now much freer of pain and stiffness,
and seem to be a lot stronger, although that may be simply that I'm
less scared of hurting them.

I've noticed this effect often before, that bouts of reasonably
substantial exercise of more than half an hour's duration often remove
minor aches and pains which were not exercised. Or to put it another
way, if I subside for too long into an armchair, my whole physiology
starts to degenerate in a way that discourages physical effort.

Were I a woman I'd be well past my reproductive age. I sometimes
wonder if in our 60s we have reached an age at which death is
optional. If you have no particular reason to stay alive, no
enthusiasms, you can simply turn your face to the wall, or in these
days the TV, and quietly slide towards the coffin. In other words,
staying alive and capable takes a bit of effort.

From an evolutionary point of view this seems to be quite a sensible
arrangement :-)

There's a book you might want to look for, Jenny,  Judy Alter - Stretch
and Strengthen
It has much good information on various mechanical body problems and
how to alleviate them, including quite a bit about the neck.  I've been
giving this attention since I had a very good chiropractic fix of neck
and back problems caused by the computer crunch and my incorrect
efforts at straightening up.  There are some fine neck stretches, and
warning of what not to do, and some good shoulder work that go along
with the neck.  

Susan Adair