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- What is beri beri?
- Symptoms of beri beri
- Causes of beri beri
- Prevention of beri beri
- Risk factors for beri beri
- Complications of beri beri
- When to see a doctor about beri beri
- Diagnosis of beri beri
- Conventional treatment of beri beri
- Alternative/complementary treatment of beri beri
- Living with beri beri
- Caring for someone with beri beri
Conventional treatment of beri beri
Conventional treatment of beri beri consists of the following:
Medication
This is the main way to reverse any potential adverse health symptoms of beri beri:
- Heart medication - if the beri beri diagnosed is wet beri beri and the condition has been undiagnosed for a long time, the heart function may be compromised, which may require not just vitamin B1 (thiamin), but heart medications such as digoxin,
- Pain relief - depending on the severity of any neurological symptoms, pain relief medications may be given to relieve pain in the extremities, due to peripheral neuropathy
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin) - depending on the severity of the beri beri, vitamin B1 (thiamin) will be given either intravenously (injected into a vein) or provided in tablets to take orally or a combination of both. If the deficiency is mild (or borderline), then the doctor will recommend vitamin B1 (thiamin) supplements to be taken for a specific period at a specific dosage. If the deficiency is rather severe, vitamin B1 (thiamin) will be provided intravenously at a specific dosage for a specified amount of time
- B vitamins - depending on the results of the blood tests, the other B vitamins may also be recommended to be taken in supplement (tablet) form as well
- Other vitamins - depending on the results of the blood tests, other vitamins may also be recommended to be taken in supplement (tablet) form as well. This is most often the treatment for people whose diet is very deficient in many of the nutrients and who may need supplementation
Dietary modifications
In addition to the vitamin B1 (thiamin) supplementation either intravenously or in tablet form, the doctor may also recommend the diet to be supplemented with increased intake of foods rich in vitamin B1 (thiamin) to help with absorption, further decrease the deficiency in this nutrient and reverse the symptoms.
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< 8: diagnosis 10: alternative treatment > Last reviewed: 3 January 2009 || Last updated: 21 January 2010
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
