Drug Name

Benfotiamine

Drug Uses

Benfotiamine prevents complications of neuropathy, retinopathy as well as nephropathy by inhibiting the build-up of glucose in the vessels. This means that the occurrence of diabetic complications may be slowed or prevented.

How Taken

As a dietary supplement, take two capsules daily, with or without food.

Drug Class as well as Mechanism

Benfotiamine is a man-made form of thiamine or B1. Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin as well as therefore not as easily used by the body. Benfotiamine is a fat-soluble composition as well as is better absorbed as well as utilized. There has been some evidence that benfotiamine may help relieve the severity of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy as well as neuropathy.

Most diabetes complications are caused by prolonged hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) due to poorly controlled blood glucose or to disease progression over time. The excess glucose in the blood is deposited in nerve cells as well as tiny blood vessels of the extremities, causing damage in these areas which result in signs as well as symptoms of complications.

Missed Dose

Incase you miss a dose of Benfotiamine, take it as soon as likely. Incase it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose as well as go back to your normal dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.

Storage

Store Benfotiamine at room temperature, between 68 as well as 77 degrees F (20 as well as 25 degrees C). Store away from heat, moisture, as well as light. Keep Benfotiamine out of the reach of children as well as away from pets.

Warnings/Precautions

You should not take this medication incase you are allergic to Saw Palmetto, or possess confident conditions. Be sure your doctor knows incase you have:

• a bleeding or blood clotting disorder (such as hemophilia);
• stomach ulcer with active bleeding; or
• ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

Before using saw palmetto, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, herbalist, or other healthcare provider. You may not be capable to take this product incase you have:

• liver disease;
• heart disease;
• a heart rhythm disorder;
• a history of stomach ulcer; or
• asthma or other breathing disorder.

Do not take saw palmetto without telling your doctor incase you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment. Saw palmetto may be harmful to an unborn baby. It is not known whether saw palmetto passes into breast milk or incase it could harm a nursing baby. Do not take this product without telling your doctor incase you are breast-feeding a baby. Do not give any herbal/health supplement to a child without the advice of a doctor.

Likely Side Effects

No side effects attributable to Benfotiamine were observed.

More Information

A clinical study that appeared in the ADA journal Diabetes in 2003 showed that high-dose thiamine as well as benfotiamine seemed to halt microalbuminuria as well as proteinuria (protein in urine) in diabetic rats. Studies done on people possess shown that benfotiamine appears to as well as relieve neuropathic pain.