Benfotiamine
About
Benfotiamine is a vitamin and dietary supplement primarily used to treat and prevent vitamin B1 deficiency. Benfotiamine is also useful in improving mental health symptoms in people addicted to alcoholism and pain caused by diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage due to diabetes). It is also used to treat beriberi disease, a condition caused due to prolonged vitamin B1 deficiency.
Benfotiamine contains 'Benfotiamine', a synthetic form of Vitamin B1 or Thiamine. Some people do not get adequate levels of Vitamin B1 from food sources. Benfotiamine helps in treating such nutritional deficiencies through Vitamin B1 supplements. The body turns benfotiamine into thiamine. Thiamine helps in delivering essential nutrients to the nerves.
Your doctor will decide the dose and duration based on your medical condition. Common side effects of Benfotiamine include nausea, diarrhoea, skin rash and stomach discomfort. These side effects are not familiar to everyone and vary individually. If you notice any side effects that are not manageable, please consult your doctor.
Let your doctor know if you use any other medications, including other vitamins, before starting Benfotiamine. Please tell your doctor if you are allergic to Benfotiamine or its components. It is essential to let your doctor know if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or a breastfeeding mother. Benfotiamine is not known to affect driving; however, if you notice any symptoms, please seek medical advice. Avoiding alcohol is recommended to rule out any possibility of side effects. Benfotiamine is not recommended in children below 12 years of age.
Uses of Benfotiamine
Medicinal Benefits
Benfotiamine contains 'Benfotiamine', which is used to treat and prevent vitamin B1 deficiency. It is a lab-made version of vitamin B1 also called thiamine. Benfotiamine is a dietary supplement and improves mental health symptoms in people addicted to alcoholism and pain caused by diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage due to diabetes). Thiamine is used to treat beriberi disease, a condition caused due to prolonged vitamin B1 deficiency. The body turns benfotiamine into thiamine. Thiamine helps in delivering essential nutrients to the nerves. Benfotiamine may also improve symptoms of Alzheimer disease and arthritis. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these uses.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Benfotiamine
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Skin rash
- Stomach discomfort
- Hair loss
- Weight gain
- Body odor
- Decrease in blood pressure
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Let your doctor know if you use any other medications, including vitamins, before starting Benfotiamine. Let your doctor know if you have any liver or kidney diseases before starting Benfotiamine. Please consult your doctor know if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or are a breastfeeding mother. Benfotiamine is not known to affect driving; however, if you notice any symptoms, please seek medical advice. Benfotiamine is not recommended in children below 12 years of age.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interaction: Benfotiamine may interact with anti-cancer drugs (fluorouracil).
Drug-Food Interaction: Avoiding alcohol may improve the side effects of Benfotiamine.
Drug-Disease Interaction: Before using Benfotiamine, let your doctor know if have any liver, kidney or heart diseases.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
cautionAvoid or limit taking alcohol while using Benfotiamine to prevent any adverse reactions.
Pregnancy
cautionBenfotiamine is only recommended for use during pregnancy by your doctor when benefit outweighs the risk.
Breast Feeding
cautionPlease consult your doctor before taking Benfotiamine; your doctor will decide whether Benfotiamine can be taken by breastfeeding mothers or not.
Driving
cautionIt is unknown whether Benfotiamine affects driving, however, if you notice any symptoms, please consult your doctor.
Liver
cautionLet your doctor know if you have any history of liver diseases before using Benfotiamine.
Kidney
cautionLet your doctor know if you have any history of kidney diseases before using Benfotiamine.
Children
unsafeBenfotiamine is not recommended in children below 12 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Include Vitamin B1-rich foods like beans, legumes, dairy products (such as yoghurt), eggs, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, thiamine-enriched breakfast cereals and whole grains in your diet
- Taking vegetables like acorn squash, asparagus, beet greens, brussels sprouts and spinach can help you cope with Vitamin B1 deficiency.
- Manage stress, eat healthily, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid or limit the intake of alcohol and caffeine.
Special Advise
- Let your doctor know that you are taking Benfotiamine if you are undergoing any medical tests.
- Monitor your Vitamin B1 levels with timely blood examinations to rule out its nutritional deficiency.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Vitamin B1 Deficiency: A disease condition in which the body doesn't have enough vitamin B1 (thiamine). Symptoms include loss of appetite, weakness, pain in the limbs, shortness of breath and swollen feet or legs.
Beriberi disease: Prolonged Vitamin B1 deficiency leads to beriberi disease. There are two types of beriberi: wet beriberi that affects the cardiovascular system and dry beriberi that affects the nervous system. Dry beriberi injures the nerves and causes muscle strength loss and may lead to paralysis. Wet beriberi may cause injury to the heart muscle tissue.
Neuropathy: It is a nervous disorder that occurs due to nerve damage caused by chronic progressive nerve disease, limb amputation, diabetes or due to infection or injury. The pain could be intermittent or continuous, felt as a prickling, stabbing, tingling or burning sensation. A feeling of numbness and loss of senses is also common with neuropathic pain.
FAQs
Benfotiamine is a dietary supplement and contains 'Benfotiamine'. It is a lab-made version of vitamin B1, also called thiamine. The body turns benfotiamine into thiamine. Thiamine helps in delivering essential nutrients to the nerves and treats vitamin B1 deficiency and beriberi disease.
Vitamin B1 deficiency is caused when your body does not have adequate levels of Vitamin B1 or Thiamine. This deficiency is commonly found in alcoholics, people with poor diet and malabsorption condition. It is also common in children with congenital heart diseases. People who undergo dialysis treatment may also develop vitamin B1 deficiency.
Benfotiamine is safe to use during diabetic conditions since it shows positive effects on conditions caused by low blood sugar levels. Your doctor will advise on how you should use Benfotiamine if you have diabetes.
Benfotiamine does not usually cause any allergies. However, if you notice any side effects like skin rash, please consult your doctor. Also, some Vitamin B1 tablets may contain components like lactose monohydrate. If you are lactose intolerant, let your doctor know about it.
