Diabetic Nerve Pain

sbuff28@charter · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:24 PM

My feet have been feeling rather weird lately and I'm scared it might be diabetic neuropathy. I get the "pins and needles" effect more often nowadays almost every time i take off my shoes. I have also been getting cramps in the bottom muscle under my feet. It is actually quiet painful.

I am looking for first hand knowledge of the disease. Do my symptoms match compared to your previous experiences? If so in which ways?

All help is mucho appreciated. I'm looking mostly for first hand information because i have small lack of faith in medical professionals.

BlueSky · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:54 PM

I have had similar problems, but it has always turned out to be because of poorly fitting footware. Diabetic neuropathy takes a long time to develop, and you were diagnosed as T1 less than 2 years ago. So it seems unlikely that it is neuropathy to me. But you really should discuss this with your doctor.

Real4 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 01:55 PM

One thing you should try is Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg/day (or 300 if you get the purified form). Over time, it can be quite helpful, and is prescibed, in Germany, I've heard, for this condition.
What has your A1Cs been like?

GrammyByer · #4 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 07:03 PM

Well, I've had PN for about 4 years now. I have had D for 37. I went to a neurologist for diagnosis of PN. He did a series of rests on my feet and legs, He prescribed cymbalta for the pain of the neuropathy and it works quite well. I also take alpha lipoic acid. Because of the nerve damage in my feet, I have some bone structure deterioration - especially in the right foot. I wear orthodics in my sneakers and never go without the sneakers. I had stress fractures in my right foot last winter and was in a cast for 1 month. It is an annoying complication of D, but at least my eyes are fine and my kidney function is great. The neuropathy causes me to be less agile on my feet than I was years ago. It was very painful before the cymbalta. Now there is a dull numbness and as you said, an odd feeling. I suggest that you first find a good podiatrist and get an appointment for an initial diagnosis. Good lock!

Mich · #5 (**permalink**) 10-31-2007, 08:37 PM

My neuropathy started with the little toe and worked inward, which is a common pattern as I understand it. After 48 years, only outer 3 toes are slightly affected on my left foot and one little toe on right foot. It is worse (number) when my sugars have run too high. Getting your overall numbers down will help. So will ALA.

I too take Cymbalta, 30 mg at bedtime. It got rid of my slight neuropathy in my shin area and also helped the ALA get rid of thigh cramps caused by autoimmune neuropathy. It's still undetermined if autoimmune neuropathy is a part of diabetes or a different thing. But remember I've been at this for 48 years and they don't know everything yet, but they're working on it. No complaints! Mich

sbuff28@charter · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 06:15 PM

Real- its not been so good the past year do to my honeymooning dropping out. my A1C has been from 6.5-7. What is Alpha Lipoic Acid supposed to do?

I have discussed this with my doctors but they don't DO or SAY anything. They are just like welp, you need to not wear shoes when possible, have better control, and wear diabetic socks...ect. Then they just say let us know if it gets worst.

It just doesn't help me to talk with them. I get much more help from people in the same situation. Doctors just frustrate me.

BlueSky · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbuff28@charter

... What is Alpha Lipoic Acid supposed to do? ...

Neuropathy is thought to be caused, at least partially, by oxidative stress. Alpha Lipoic Acid is a powerful anti-oxidant and has been found to give relief from neuropathy symptoms (numbness, burning & cutting sensations). Here is an article about it : Mayo Clinic - Antioxidant Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) Significantly Improves Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy

There isn't any point in taking ALA it if you haven't in fact got neuropathy. It sounds like your doctor is not convinced ... If it isn't causing a lot of discomfort, lighten up and stop thinking about it. It will probably go away

Ailsa · #8 (**permalink**) 11-02-2007, 08:48 PM

I agree with the person above who says that nerve damage takes some years to develop.
Especially considering that those of us who have had D long term would have had A1c's higher than 7.0 for many years
There are a number of causes of your symptoms, muscle cramps particularly, other than D so it is worth looking further afield

Erin · #9 (**permalink**) 11-03-2007, 11:52 AM

I would say you probably don't have neuropathy... even 2 years of really BAD control would probably not lead to neuropathy this quickly... complications take time... and your control has been quite good.

I don't have experience with neuropathy myself, but I have experienced the symptoms you describe from... an electrolyte imballance. That's a fancy way of saying dehydration basically.

I complained to my rhumatologist, and she told me that b/c of the medicines I was taking (and being D) my body needed more water. She recommended "Smart Water" because it's got all the electrolytes like gatoraide without the added sugar. You work out, right? I'd bet being athletic could cause this just as much as whatever meds I was taking. Remember that whenever your body is above 180, which, face it, we are sometimes, you are literally pumping water out of your system.

Try drinking 1 bottle of smart water every couple of days, and increase how much regular water you drink... I think you might find that things improve without having to take additional meds....

Also ask your endo to test you for neuopathy. My doc does some exam every couple of times I see her. Basically she touches the bottom of my feet with different things (a wire, a tuning fork thingy etc) and then asks what I feel. Yeah, so it's not very high tech, but so far it's always been normal.

Oi, I just stumbled across another possible explanation.

I just had a flashback to 3rd grade, when I was diagnosed, and I remember having pins and needles drive me CRAZY in school. This might also be a reaction to having close to normal blood sugars... just another thought.

Real4 · #10 (**permalink**) 11-03-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbuff28@charter

my A1C has been from 6.5-7. What is Alpha Lipoic Acid supposed to do?

While that is not a perfect A1C reading, it is far from awful. But one's susceptibility to a complication can be different by person and by particular complication. ALA promotes better nerve functioning, but I am not sure of the exact mechanism. Remember that the nerves in foot start in the nerve noodules in your lower back. Many of the specific nutrients that nerves use (but not oxygen or glucose) are passed through the whole length of the nerve (at a few inches per day) before they get to the 'working end". That's one reason, why ALA takes weeks to work; it's spent the time traveling.

P.S. Doctor's aren't quite that bad, when you realize that they are just people, too. Often, they just don't know themselves why a problem is, or how to approach solving it. We all wish they did know more, but it's not been that long that medicine as a real science has been in existence.

A 100 years ago what do you think your odds were when diagnosed as Diabetic?

sbuff28@charter · #11 (**permalink**) 11-05-2007, 11:13 AM

Quote:

A 100 years ago what do you think your odds were when diagnosed as Diabetic?

That just plain scary to think about....he

Quote:

I don't have experience with neuropathy myself, but I have experienced the symptoms you describe from... an electrolyte imballance. That's a fancy way of saying dehydration basically.

That sounds about right. I do feel Dehydrated and aweful lot, but then again i feel like i drink a lot of water. I think i may have somewhat lost a sense of how much water i should actually be drinking.

Im gonna try and drink a lot more see if that helps