If you took GLP-1s for weight loss, did it help your Neuropathy?

Hello @rick1959, I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled:

GLP-1s, weight loss, and Neuropathy
- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/glp-1s-weight-loss-and-neuropathy/

Here you can meet @cleveland26 and others who have asked the same question and who may come back to share their experiences.

@rick1959, have you had a chance to discuss this potential treatment route with your current provider?

Hi,
My experience with GLP-1 drugs has been a total disaster. It locks up my already sluggish digestion and bowel. Yes it did wonders for T2D but over the last 5 months I have been through hell on it. Everytime I managed to eat the body paniced forcing the liver to dump huge amounts of glucose into the body to fight the perceived threat, resulting in massive glucose highs and trips to ED. If you have any digestive problems these drugs are not for you. The one I have been trialing was dulaglutide which works by slowing the digestion to ease the glucose load.
Tread cautiously.
Cheers

@rick1959 I have been on GLP 1 since mid June. I have lost about 13 lbs. I have not notice any real change in neuropathy symptoms. My symptoms varied to some extent every day before I started GLP 1.

GLP-1 and neuropathy: Any experience? From what I read, there may be some benefits.

Hi @wburgb1ll, You will notice that we merged your discussion with an existing discussion on the same topic so that you can connect with other members who have shared their neuropathy and GLP-1 related experience. If you click the link below it will take you to the beginning of the discussion:
-- If you took GLP-1s for weight loss, did it help your Neuropathy?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/glp-1s-weight-loss-and-neuropathy/

You might also find this related discussion helpful - Neuropathy, vestibular issues and chronic falls after GLP-1 use: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-vestibular-issues-and-chronic-falls-after-glp-1-use/.

I have been taking Mounjaro for almost a year and have lost about 40 pounds. I have been able to eliminate 2 blood pressure medications and have cut the third one in half. However, taking Mounjaro has had NO impact on my peripheral neuropathy. I still take 900mg of Gabapentin 3 ties per day and 60mg of Duloxetine to tamp down the pain and tingling. I am bothered by frequent leg cramps at night.

I've been taking the GLP tirzepatide for 18 months. It has helped with osteoarthritis stiffness and pain--about a 30% reduction in those symptoms. I went off tirzepatide at one point due to severe constipation, and the stiffness and pain came back in full force. I went back on it specifically for pain relief, but this time with a better plan for preventing constipation, and the pain was again reduced.
But tirzepatide didn't do anything for my severe neuropathy from damaged spinal nerves from severe scoliosis. My spine is crazily twisted and there's no space for the nerves to my limbs.
However...the chronic pain team at Kaiser put me on memantine, an old Alzheimer's drug, and it has been absolutely wonderful for neuropathy--with zero side effects! You have to ramp up the dose over a month so I wasn't sure at first, but by the 4th and 5th week there was no doubt about it--the neuropathy in my legs and arms has decreased by 80%. It's fantastic!
Sadly memantine doesn't work for everyone--in my chronic pain support group one other person got very good results but another person got no relief.

Nope ..not for me... I'm not a diabetic
Mine most likely came from either Covid or the alcohol during covid..
Now alcohol and sugar/gluclose starts it up..

Glp-1 for 2 years, not diabetic
It did not help my CIAP, chronic idiopathic axonal neuropathy

GLP-1 for 18 months, no impact on my Neuropathy.