I'm afraid to say it but I'm afraid that I'm getting the start of neuropathy in feet. There is a slight tingling in the in the mornings now for the past 2 weeks.
I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to reverse this and what I should ask my doctor.
I've been working hard at getting my sugars down since i got here on juvenation 2 years ago and have finally gotten my a1c below 7, i'm afraid it is too late.
I'm also fighting off the tip of depression right now, I'm really unsure of where things are going and it is just nerve racking. My mom is 50 and just found out she has ovarian cancer, which is looking to be of a rare hereditary type and she may have some other problems that need to be addressed. I've been working hard at getting to the gym and keeping tight to my allergen free diet and it is looking like I'll also be cutting out gluten for my intestine's sake, I can't handle the sugar from and the constipation is awful. Even with cutting the calories I'm been gaining weight, about 5 lbs in 2 weeks since this has been going down. I feel awful, nerves, sad, slow, depressed, crying and just plain unsure as our health status is in question.
What should I do? Can I reverse the damage I did as a teen? My a1c never went above 8.6, but my a1c was about 7-8 for years. What should I ask my doctor? Ultimately I'm very fearful of what my near future holds and not to confident of what is ahead. I'm not sure I can do it.
Always check with your Dr.! Now on to the other. They say I have neuropathy, burning, pins and needle feeling. I was dx'ed 08/2008 so I asked how could it be so quick and they told me because it took some years to go full blown. That caused the damage. I take a medication for it and works pretty good. The Dr. said it was a child anti-seizure that they found helps with the pain(burning, pins and needles) called Gabapentin.
Sorry to hear of your problems!! Hope it gets better.
What should I do? Can I reverse the damage I did as a teen? My a1c never went above 8.6, but my a1c was about 7-8 for years. What should I ask my doctor? Ultimately I'm very fearful of what my near future holds and not to confident of what is ahead. I'm not sure I can do it.
[/quote]
i don't have any answers for you, just wanted to say I am sorry you are going through a tough time and I have my fingers (even the trigger finger ones) crossed for you. your last sentence put me into a kind of shock because, ultimately I dont' know either, and I don't know anybody who knows either. if it makes you feel any better I feel this way often. I wish you good luck and I hope your doctor has some satisfactory answers for you in the short and longer term, if not, fire their ass and get a new doctor, and know that there are a lot of us pulling for you all the time.
OMG, I replied to you a few days ago, and I just noticed it didn't post. ):
Sorry it's such a stressful time, that sounds very normal to be feeling depressed. Do you have anyone to talk with or even just a friend to vent to?
I don't think your past control means that the hard work you're doing now isn't worth it. Per what my endos have said, improving your a1c can stop the progress or even reverse some complications. I had extreme itching in my legs a while back (2004?) (thought to be nerve / D related). My a1c was low 7's. When I finally got down to low 6's, it stopped and (knock on wood) hasn't come back.
Anyways, even if we do everything right, complications from D can still occur. It's not a reflection of you or your hard work!
I'm sorry your going through so much, that sounds extremely difficult. If it's any comfort in terms of your control, my endo has informed me that complication risk really starts to drop once A1C is below 8, and the target is set at 7 for good measure (this guy knows his stuff, he's a T1 too). I've done a bit of reading on complications reversal and there seems to be very little research, although anecdotally I know people have told me they have reversed retinopathy and nerve damage to the gut by improving their control. I also know for a fact that atherosclerosis of the larger arteries can be halted and even reversed by exercising and eating healthy as well. I don't think you should give up hope, as maintaining the good control you have now can definitely stop any damage that has been done (or possible even reverse it). I hope that provides a bit of relief,
I had some mild neuropathy and retinopathy several years ago. My feet had the tingling which eventually became burning and pain that kept me awake some nights. I really worked hard on my highs and lows and was having fewer of them, and narrowed my range. My problems began reversing themselves. Later on I started using an insulin pump and had even fewer highs and lows. A few months after starting my pump all the symptoms disappeared. I have not had any signs of neuropathy or retinopathy for more than three years now. Do whatever you can to improve your control. A neurologist can give you a test to diagnose neuropathy. It is up to you to improve your control. Maybe your endo can make suggestions. Good luck in the months ahead!
Thank you everyone. Wow, nerves and anxiety can really get the best of you sometimes but i am so glad to hear of so much success in everyones lives here. I'll certainly keep cracking at it and pushing. I'll keep pushing at the fear and going forward. I've been talking with different people and have a doctor appointment lined up this month for good measure.
Stilled, I'm sorry to hear that you are going thru a rough time. Take good care of yourself emotionally too, just as you are doing physically. I would not jump to conclusions on about the neuropathy, talk with your doctor first. One thought I had is to consider the shoes you have been wearing (or wore) in the last few weeks. As you know, I don't have D, but I did give myself numbness in 3 toes a few weeks ago because of the heels I wore to a wedding and did WAY too much dancing in. (They were so cute though!) It took a week for it to go away but it has come and gone depending on my shoe choice for work and how much I walk that day. Just thought I'd mention it, sometimes it helps to consider other causes too - not just the ones you fear the most.
I can totally relate to your story- I went through years of terrible a1cs as a teen and I still struggle a lot at times. I have had neuropathy in my toes and feet for years now and my doctor just keeps saying to work hard to keep sugars down. I don't eat any bread and really limit carbs and sugars but it is hard. I also struggle with depression and I hate the weight gain that comes with good control. It can all be so scary and awful! It was nice to read this (even though it's a couple of months old) to see that someone else is dealing with this too.
I was a teenage rebel and thought that diabetes would never bother me well now that im older I realize how stupid I was. I have had problems with my feet and my eyes the Docs have my eyes under control but I had 13 surgries to get there but thanks to amazing doctors and technology they saved my eyes from my stupidity. Now with my feet I had some neuropothy issues but that kinda went away with control and I wear diabetic compresion socks now to help but I will say be very careful I broke my foot and now have some goofy thing where the bones in my foot break and dont heal but I still have me feet so I guess thats good. All I can say is dont go back on the things you have done but move forward in life and try to make the changes you need to and make the best of what you have left.
Well the tingling and pinned pricking can go away. I had it in my legs and feet for many years. Your best bet is to just keep trying to control your sugars as best you can. My tingling, pinned pricking, and burning went away when my sugars were in controland in the range they are suppose to be in. However I was blessed with a transplant that did all of this for me. i even got most of my feeling back in my legs and feet. So your controling of your sugars is key to everything. Keep your thoughts positive, you can do this.
I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time right now. I can definitely relate since I've had periferal neuropathy for years.
I began taking medication for depression when I went through my divorce 10 years ago. After I started the anti-depressants, I noticed that my neuropathy improved, so I did some research. I found out that anti-depressants have the added benefit of relieving nerve related pain and discomfort. Now my neuropathy only flares up if my blood sugar goes out of control.
Do all that you can to improve your diabete control, this has a significant effect on neuropathy. I would also suggest that you ask your doctor about anti-depressants. They will help you get through the bad feelings and hopefully help with the tingling in you feet.