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Biotin is just vitamin B7: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biotin

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5098693/

Conclusion:

MD1003 achieves sustained reversal of MS-related disability in a subset of patients with progressive MS and is well tolerated.

This is old news, but still good news. Biotin is no magic bullet, but can help some people.

Although something is better than nothing, only 12% of patients in the trial showed improvement.

I've been on it for 2 years, and my neurologist has gotten around to prescribing it. The insurance company won't pay for it, though. I'll just keep making my own. I do believe I have had some muscle strengthening. I think my heat tolerance has improved, which is good given global warming and all.

I had trouble getting cellulose filler from the pharmacy, so I started using rice bran. It is the stuff that makes white rice brown, so it is often thrown away, but it contains a lot of vitamin B (is that what the B is for? bran?).

I did have to go off biotin for four days to recheck the high thyroid numbers.

12% is 100% better than 0. Lewis Carrol might have agreed.

1eye wrote:I had trouble getting cellulose filler from the pharmacy, so I started using rice bran. It is the stuff that makes white rice brown, so it is often thrown away, but it contains a lot of vitamin B (is that what the B is for? bran?).

Why do you need rice bran?

Why do you need rice bran?

I don't specifically need rice bran. What I need is filler. My capsule machine can handle smaller caps,but the easiest is the 00 size. I buy those. 300mg of biotin leaves the capsule not very full. You can use cellulose filler. Most pharma products use lactose filler, but some think the lactose causes trouble, and I already get lots in the pills I take. So I use 300 mg of rice bran purely as filler. Just has the B vitamin as a bonus.

I got my thyroid blood test. A strange thing happened. I have left side problems (drop foot, double vision, circulation bad in left leg, low grip strength in left hand, etc.).

While I was off biotin for my thyroid retest, my left arm started having an ache, throughout the arm and even I thought, down to the arm bones and joints. I went back on biotin today after the blood test. Now the arm feels much better, and the ache is gone! Go figure.

Pain in arm came back last night, went away after I had my biotin this morning. Hopefully it will be gone for good after I've been back on biotin a while. Maybe I should divide the dose into 3 100mg caps...

Hi,

Those symptoms sound like the ones I had in the early 90's. Turned out to be a right sided pontial lesion. (Where the brain stem crosses over).

Maybe get an MRI to check and a short course of IV prednisolone to knock out the inflammation. It's easier to stop an attack than treat the consequences.

Regards,

1eye
May I ask how much Biotin you take per day? And why do you make your own rather than buy ready made capsules?
Also has it helped drop foot or any of your other symptoms?
Thx

David

David1949 wrote:1eye
May I ask how much Biotin you take per day? And why do you make your own rather than buy ready made capsules?
Also has it helped drop foot or any of your other symptoms?
Thx

David

Not lately. I have stopped using my AFO because it has sharp edges that irritate a foot skin lesion I am trying to get rid of. I was feeling much stronger before I had to go off biotin because of my thyroid. I expect to recover in the next while, but right now I feel lousy.

Has helped me recover some strength, heat sensitivity has improved, stamina improved, left arm having trouble I hope is temporary. Still have drop foot. AFO is kind of making that permanent. I am takin my own but may fill the neurologist's prescription which is essentially the same, except compounded by a pharmacy, and costs somewhat more. I take 300 mg per day with 300 mg rice bran filler.

I started daily 1000 mcg biotin for my hair loss 2 months ago. Then increased it to 3000 mcg. My hair loss is improved. 1 week ago I increased it to 5000 mcg. I feel like it does something good neurologically. I have less days with feet numbness.