How can a person be diagnosed with Neuropathy if they are not Diabetic

@newtoni48 i agree completely with the coQ10 suggestion. I believe that everyone who takes a statin should take coQ10.p, especially those with muscle complaints (which can be 20% of statin users). statins interfere with the body’s natural CoQ10 production. CoQ10 is vital for mitochondrial (the mitochondria is the energy producing area in a cell) function, especially in muscle. CoQ10 supplementation aims to restore these levels.

To my knowledge, there are no published data re benefits of all statin users taking CoQ10 but the published data re: use in patients with muscle symptoms is generally supported by the evidence.

I do not have diabetes. I do have neuropathy. I do have balance issues but not quite like yours. It is hard adjusting your life to the seriousness of this awful malady.
I believe mine started with taking several rounds of Cipro and round od leviquine
I do not have the same symptoms as you. You might try posting again and asking the question about your balance in the question. Also if you search in this forum I believe you will find others that describe the same symptoms you have.
Read read read. You might find something that helps and some encouragement. This is a good forum.

@laura1970

TBH I don't really know as it's been just the last couple years that I have had A1c testing. My blood sugar was mostly under 100 here, which is their cut-off value. Mayo is 150. I also get severe bouts of hypoglycemia so I never worried about insulin production. A neurologist told me that the nerve damage in my legs was from being pre-diabetic, IIRC nobody else ever told me that I was pre-diabetic.

Has anyone tried cranio-sacral manipulation for symptom relief or PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)?

Amy

@bajjerfan I've always thought that my pre-diabetic condition was related to my neuropathy also and none of my doctors over the years even mentioned the possibility of neuropathy. It wasn't until I learned about the metabolic syndrome which pretty includes all of us categorized as having pre-diabetes. Here are a couple of research papers with more information. I wished my doctors would have mentioned it when they first started warning me about diabetes. I just didn't want to believe pre-diabetic was a warning sign.

-- A comprehensive definition for metabolic syndrome
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675814/
-- The Metabolic Syndrome and Neuropathy: Therapeutic Challenges and Opportunities: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881591/

@bajjerfan huh. What have you HA1c values been?

Well, for one thing, unexplained hypoglycemia in someone not taking sugar lowering medication is often a harbinger for overt diabetes. So regardless of whether or not you had pre-diabetes in the past, you are at risk for diabetes (one could argue you have pre-diabetes with this alone, though it not the typical way of making the diagnosis).

So be alert and aware of the symptoms of high and low blood sugar and see your doc frequently. I think with your history of hypoglycemia it would be appropriate to start checking blood sugars. Some diabetics check their sugars before every meal and at bedtime. One approach would be to check you sugar once each day, alternating the time you check them so that over time you will develop a clear picture of your overall daily blood sugar. Ask your doc about this. In your case, I would recommend an MD or even an endocrinologist unless you’re certain a specific nurse practitioner or PA has the necessary knowledge and skill level. It’s more of an art than a science sometimes.

@debbieod I also have nueropathy w/o diabetes. It is very possible to get it from chemical exposure as well as from other diseases. A Neurologist got mine figured out and the med I am on helps a lot. Again, find a good neurologist.

@laura1970

First off it seems that HA1c is not checked during normal physical exams where bloodwork is done. Right now I get them at no cost as part of my research participation at Mayo. WalMart offers them for IIRC about $35.
My last 3 were 03/05/25 6.8 06/05/25 2.7 11/25/25 6.0

As far as HG I can pretty much get it to happen at will. For lunch if I have oatmeal wtih milk and maybe some fruit and wait 2-3 hours to excercise like walking around shopping at WalMart I can feel it start to come on. I'll pop 4-5 4 gram glucose tabs and that usually tames it. Sometimes my eyes will start to flash. If I exercise after I eat it generally doesn't happen. I remember a 5 hour GTT from 40 some years ago. About 2 hours into it they told me to lie down as they were afraid that I would pass out. Nothing ever happened tho. Back then the doc called it reactive hypoglycemia.
I've never been advised to monitor glucose. FWIW I do see an endocrinologist, but she doesn't seem to be concerned about the HG. The couple times I mentioned it, it seems like she didn't hear it. I'm not THAT concerned myself tho I would like to know what could be causing it. Seems like once I get a certain demand for insulin the pancreas overproduces.

@laura1970

Forgot to add that way back when I had the GTT the doc said that I would likely get diabetes if I got heavy. Now I'm around 220 regularly.

Also what are the symptoms of high blood sugar?

@bajjerfan early symptoms of high blood sugar are increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision, sometimes with a headache. I the frequent urination is in part, from sugar “spilling out “ of the kidneys into the urine. I believe there are at home test strips that you can buy without a prescription to check your urine. I don’t think you are at the point where you need them.

Very high levels can cause serious symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain, confusion, and fruity-smelling breath, which require emergency care. The fruity smelling breath, usually accompanied by heavy breathing is a sign of ketosis caused by insufficient insulin, leading to high blood sugar and dangerous ketone buildup. It primarily affects those with type 1 diabetes but can occur in type 2 under stress like illness or medication issues. Prompt medical treatment is essential to prevent life-threatening outcomes.

In essence, ketosis in diabetes results from insulin deficiency, prompting the body to break down fat for energy and produce acidic ketones. The blood becomes overly acidic which rapidly causes cascading symptoms until death or emergency treatment occurs.

I do not mean to scare you, just thought a little physiology lesson was in order. You most certainly will have type 2 diabetes, if you ever develop overt diabetes at all, and ketosis is much less common.

I hope that helps.

I would recommend starting a diabetes diet now and a consult with a good nutrionist the specialises or at least has a special interest in diabetes will make that easier.

Start educating yourself. I trust this website https://diabetes.org/