PDA

View Full Version : Complications--Foot/leg problems


yu qinghua
05-05-2006, 01:23 AM
Hallo everyone,

I want to open a new Thread of "Complications--Foot/leg problems" because so many people suffered from it. Not all those sufferers knew its real reason yet. Of cause, Diabetes complications developed to the stage of foot/leg problems, may be very complicated, oftenly with the Neuropathy problems, the arteries and vein problems.I happened lived in hospital for nine times since 2002 because I suffered all of these. It was so touched to my soul by the sight of unawareness patients,who suffered from it. Most of them just lost its most suitable period to have its cure. The only reason was that they didn't knew what was ABI.
Talking about ABI, I can firstly tell you a story that I experienced recently.
Seldom ever have a doc told you to check and try to control your ABI(ankle-brachial index) by yourself. ABIs, the blood pressure in pedal artery divided by the higher of the systolic pressures in the brachial arteries of the two arms, are the golden index of Diabetes Complications.
This time I lived in hospital, so many Diabetes beside me, I happened living between two patients. One of them only having bited by a mosquito, the other only took a bath wiped his legs by a towel and broke his leg, and the ulcer’s occurred, tortured for half an year in hospital, each night took marijuana to kill its pain and without recovery. Why? Because the ABI<0.8, the circulations of blood amplitude were too small, the muscle hadn't had enough nutrition to supply. They have just too late to notice the ABI. Of cause, at these stages, even no obvious symptoms could have to be feeling. Vast amount of Diabetes complication’s sufferer made the mistakes.
Accompanying by arteries atherosclerotic and aging of age, in terms of the seriousness of the diseases, roughly speaking, the Diabetes Vascular Complications can be divided to 4 stages.
1,The primary stage, suffering from light Diabetes neuropathy, ABI>1,=1.0-1.4,No risks existed. You can still keep fit, but you have to pay particular attention to your ABI, and insisting on exercise everyday.
2,The Claudicating stage, you can’t walk long ,as long as two Km, because the walking requires blood to supply to the muscle. You have to take painkiller each day. The ABI<1,=0.8-1, this is me. But I can walk more than 3Km,by now.
3,The ulcers stage, The ABI<0.8,=0.5-0.8.Your blood in your legs was too small. You will lost the ability to deal with routine of daily life, and have to take marijuana each night.
4, The amputations stage, your ulcers were so bad that no way to keep your toes or legs for your survive of life The ABI<0.5,=0.3-0.5. Almost no blood flowed in you legs.
This is what I experienced, through 5 years of complications suffering.
Unfortunately,seldom have ever a doctor would tell you about that, just because it's too complicated to say it clearly, some times It could ensue misunderstanding.
In my view, the ABI can be adjusted by the human interventions.
Checking your own ABI at home is really easy. It is only the ratio of ankle blood pressure divided by the blood pressure in the arm, by using a home blood pressure meter.Or you can look at the site of http://www.strokescaninc.com/abi.htm
I often check ABI every month, but not everyone have to do it. Only when you find your feet becoming cold, turning pale and diminishing of your upper feet pulse, then there's a need to do it.
I always noticed the changes of routes of veins above my feet, after a few year, some of the veins diminished, but the new routes appeared. Why? I consulted the specialists of Diabetes and they told me: inside our muscle of any parts of body, there are an "arsenal" of potential veins or arteries. When it works is decided by the external environments. So, if you strengthen those part's movements, there is a possibility to forming new arteries. It's true. I tried and saw it happened.
Still, self bone marrow stem cell transplant and Endothelial progenitor stem cell angiogenesis is available by now. It's really a marvelous method to controlling ABI.
If most of us had already had the awareness about it, the mortality rate could have been drastically decreased.
We, the initial stage sufferers of Diabetes complications, have no ways to survive, unless always paying attentions to your feet, checking its ABI by a family used blood pressure meter. Once it goes worse, you know it from the ABI, the temp of feet and the color, you have to strengthening your exercise to the utmost, or getting a angioplasty or surgery. Also, stem cell transplant is one of its treatments I always highly recommended.
This is my private views. But a bit of overloaded with details. I hope can cause the attentions of the same patients, and ensue a helpful talk.
Thanks.

Yu qinghua

Cinnabon
05-05-2006, 05:58 AM
Hello and thank you for that information.
I was given a DX, recently, that I have MS. I was shocked tat this news. The only thing I have felt has been numb legs and I loose my balance having my legs, not feet, numb. I refuse to settle for this diagnosis and truly believe it can be Neuropathy, which I will accept MUCH better than MS. I had this occur to me 2 yrs ago and w/ therapy I was better within a week. This last time, I got better in 1 week, no meds and no therapy. If you have any information regarding any of this, I would greatly appreciate it. I am ready to get a 2nd opinion, but I feel as Ishould know what test I can have run on me to eliminate my huge doubt, that it is NOT MS and is Neuropathy.

Lynne1
05-05-2006, 06:13 AM
I'm going to start walking tonight. Wow, I knew walking could help w/diabetes management, but I didn't know it would have such a direct effect on the circulation to the feet. Thanks for the info!

seacomp
05-05-2006, 09:50 AM
the Diabetes Vascular Complications can be divided to 4 stages.
1,The primary stage, suffering from light Diabetes neuropathy, ABI>1,=1.0-1.4,No risks existed. You can still keep fit, but you have to pay particular attention to your ABI, and insisting on exercise everyday.
2,The Claudicating stage, you can’t walk long ,as long as two Km, because the walking requires blood to supply to the muscle. You have to take painkiller each day. The ABI<1,=0.8-1, this is me. But I can walk more than 3Km,by now.
3,The ulcers stage, The ABI<0.8,=0.5-0.8.Your blood in your legs was too small. You will lost the ability to deal with routine of daily life, and have to take marijuana each night.
4, The amputations stage, your ulcers were so bad that no way to keep your toes or legs for your survive of life The ABI<0.5,=0.3-0.5. Almost no blood flowed in you legs.
How exact are these stages? According to the symptoms you list, I have a mild case of stage 2. Calf pain after about 5 minutes of walking but I can go for over 3 km with effort. But my ABI is under .8, which is not good at all!

July2005
05-05-2006, 12:36 PM
God bless you for the information, this surely will help many people who read it. I will take your advice to heart and will do your recommendations.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

yu qinghua
05-05-2006, 05:55 PM
Hi cinnabon,
Hi everyone,

Thanks for your quickly response.
From a patients point of view, I'd like to say that you aren't old enough to produce vascular diseases, or neuropathy problems, it has to be accumulated through long years aging. And the neuropathy problems oftenly happened from the terminal ending of your limbs, seldom could it firstly appeared from legs. But strictly tests is a MUST,to judge whether or not you are suffered from any kinds of diseases.
Good luck.

yu qinghua

yu qinghua
05-05-2006, 07:01 PM
Hallo seacomp,

So glad hearing you again!
If you can walk for 3 km with effort and a little bit pain in your calf, you may be in the stage of 2. If your Duplex ultrasound (or Doppler) test showed ABI was under 0.8, you are in a urgent stage of occuring ulcers, you have to pay particular attention to your feet and legs everyday, testing its temps, feeling its warmth, touching your upper feet pulse and looking its color. Any tiny wound may cause you serious results of ulcer, and once it had occured you may have lost the chances to doing exercises- the vitally important treating of maintaining your blood circulation.
In your case, I'd like to suggest you to see your Doctor, at least you have to take more medicines such as Pletal (cilostazol) or some thing else keeping the large, middle and micro vascular flowing.
You are really in the risks of danger.hoping you can rush out of this difficulty.
yours sincerely.

yu qinghua

Harold
05-05-2006, 07:36 PM
Checking your own ABI at home is really easy. It is only the ratio of ankle blood pressure divided by the blood pressure in the arm, by using a home blood pressure meter.Have a question that the web link did not answer. Should the arm and ankle be at the same level as the heart when checking the blood pressure in each?

Cinnabon
05-05-2006, 09:44 PM
Hi cinnabon,
Hi everyone,

Thanks for your quickly response.
From a patients point of view, I'd like to say that you aren't old enough to produce vascular diseases, or neuropathy problems, it has to be accumulated through long years aging. And the neuropathy problems oftenly happened from the terminal ending of your limbs, seldom could it firstly appeared from legs. But strictly tests is a MUST,to judge whether or not you are suffered from any kinds of diseases.
Good luck.

yu qinghua

I have done 5 MRIs and a Spinal Tap.

yu qinghua
05-05-2006, 10:32 PM
Have a question that the web link did not answer. Should the arm and ankle be at the same level as the heart when checking the blood pressure in each?

Hallo Harold,

Yes, It should be at the same level as the heart.

yu qinghua

seacomp
05-06-2006, 12:20 AM
Yes, It should be at the same level as the heart.
Then, if that's the case, then an individual can't do the test for his or herself?

yu qinghua
05-06-2006, 06:12 PM
Hallo seacomp,

Self testing ABI at home is easy, just keeping a lying position on your bed, testing the blood pressure of both ankle and arm, calculating its ratio. But, the ordinary stethoscope only has a short pipe, it's not long enough to reach to your ankle. I think you can choice a long pipe stethoscope, or add a pipe to your stethoscope or tested by someone else.
Good luck.

yu qinghua

HelenM
05-07-2006, 12:39 AM
I had a go at this using an electronic blood pressure meter. I'm fairly supple so with a bit of ingenuity was able to have both arm and ankle at heart level. But I don't think the result was or could be accurate because of the cuff. My ankles/calves and arms are completely different in shape and size. The first 2 times on the ankle I got an error message, I got a reading the third time but it recorded my heart rate at 30bmp more than with my arm immediately afterwards.

I have an arterial echograph appointment in 2 weeks so will ask the doctor about it and see if my result was anywhere near accurate.

yu qinghua
05-07-2006, 01:41 AM
Hi,

ABI testing at home are not so accurated as Using doppler ultrasound device. But you can still feel the PAD problems of yours.

KickStart101
05-07-2006, 02:07 AM
Hi Yu: Thank you for this important information. It will come in
handy for many Diabetics.

On a good day(I have Rheumatoid Arthritis)I can walk a fair ways.
Actually I don't get leg pains from walking. I do at a point succumb
to phyical exhaustion however which is annoying. Maybe it is because
I am a fast walker and it sometimes brings my sugars too low.

yu qinghua
05-07-2006, 03:31 AM
Hallo kickstart101,

If you suffered from Type 1 diabetes, you should know insisting on aerobic walking everyday, in a fix time, on the same speed,and the same coverage of distances, is a useful therapy treatment for everyone. You 'd better bear it in mind in your whole life. It 'll drastically postponed the appearance of complications.
Good luck.

yu qinghua

KickStart101
05-07-2006, 05:12 AM
Thank you Yu, I'll certainly keep that in mind. Among other
exercises I also do fast dance for 20 minutes 2x a day,
5x a wk.(which I love). Is that equivalent or close to aerobic
walking?

yu qinghua
05-07-2006, 07:46 AM
Hi kick---,
Yes, if you can keep the same heart rate
yu.

Celia
05-12-2006, 05:24 PM
Thank you for that information. I am suffering with not only weakness and numbness and pain in my legs and arms but also all of my toes are numb. It feels like my toes are nothing but knobs on my feet when I walk. I walk with the assistance of a walker. I was walking with a cane but things have gotten so bad that I was put on a walker for support and balance. Physical therapy did not help at all. It is frustrating for me and I am about at my wits end. I don't know what else to do.

yu qinghua
05-12-2006, 09:16 PM
Thank you for that information. I am suffering with not only weakness and numbness and pain in my legs and arms but also all of my toes are numb. It feels like my toes are nothing but knobs on my feet when I walk. I walk with the assistance of a walker. I was walking with a cane but things have gotten so bad that I was put on a walker for support and balance. Physical therapy did not help at all. It is frustrating for me and I am about at my wits end. I don't know what else to do.
Hallo Celia,

I'm quite sympathetic with your case, because I've essentially had the same agony as you had, but a little bit lighter than you were. I'd like to do my best to help you with all my experiences and knowledge.
Diabetes complications on your stage often are feet/leg and neuropathy syndrome. It's a torturing disease, but on the whole, you are not at the stages of ulcer or amputation, if you can always pay attention to yourself. It means you still have enough time left to deal with it. Don't worry too much.
Can you still walk everyday? How long time and distances it last? Did you have the claudication? What else diseases did you suffer from? Can you keep your BG, ABI and AIC level rightly? How old are you? How long did you suffer from the diseases?
Even you had the symptoms of claudication, still have the room to improve your ability of increasing the claudication distances. So, you have to insist on your aerobic exercises, Do it to utmost, until have a rest, then start a new one. To do that require you have the braveness to do it.
Best regards.

Yu qinghua