Neuropathy due to long untreated diabetes

Posted by chromebottle50 @chromebottle50, Sep 5, 2017

Hello, I have been diagnosed with neuropathy since 2010 due to long untreated diabetes. It's a big challenge for me to manage the pains, cramps, and discomfort that I'm having to the point I don't know what to do?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.

@johnbishop

Hello @chromebottle50, welcome to Mayo Connect. We are glad you found us - Connect is a great place to share your health concerns, ask questions and find out what other Connect members with similar health concerns are doing for treatments. Has your doctor prescribed any medications to help with the pain or is it something you have just been living with until it became worse?

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (SFPN) but only have the numbness and no pain. Mayo Clinic does have some information on diabetic neuropathy here that may help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-neuropathy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20033336.

There is also a discussion on Type 2 Diabetes that you may want to read through to see if you can pick up any information that will help:
Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-in-my-feet-and-legs/

Hoping some others will join in and share their story. There are a lot of different causes and types of neuropathy and it can be a challenge to find something that will help you. This is a good place to start. Keep asking questions, you are your best advocate.

John

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Hi John—-  

I’m an Iowa member of the Minnesota Neuropathy Association who wishes he could attend more of your meetings. And I would if it were not for the 

distance involved and the hindrance the neuropathy causes to any extensive driving.  Your experience with this problem resembles mine—only

numbness that has reached just below my knees.  I’m interested in what over the counter vitamins and supplements you take daily to achieve 

the success you’ve had.  Would you kindly send me a list of what these are.  Thanks.

Jim McCarl in Des Moines

  

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@johnbishop

Hello @chromebottle50, welcome to Mayo Connect. We are glad you found us - Connect is a great place to share your health concerns, ask questions and find out what other Connect members with similar health concerns are doing for treatments. Has your doctor prescribed any medications to help with the pain or is it something you have just been living with until it became worse?

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (SFPN) but only have the numbness and no pain. Mayo Clinic does have some information on diabetic neuropathy here that may help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-neuropathy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20033336.

There is also a discussion on Type 2 Diabetes that you may want to read through to see if you can pick up any information that will help:
Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-in-my-feet-and-legs/

Hoping some others will join in and share their story. There are a lot of different causes and types of neuropathy and it can be a challenge to find something that will help you. This is a good place to start. Keep asking questions, you are your best advocate.

John

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Hi Jim (@jimmccarl),

I take a specific list of over the counter vitamins and supplements that I found through a closed Facebook group - Solutions to Peripheral Neuropathy Pain & Discomfort. I order through links to the products on Amazon.com on their website - http://solutions2pnpd.com/. Since the group is a 501c3 Amazon does give them a small percentage for each purchase which the group uses for their Help Another Member program setup to help members who can't afford it.

I would recommend checking out the website and the Facebook group where you can read members success stories. I would also recommend printing the list out and discussing it with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure there are no conflicts with any medications you are currently taking.

Jim, do you have a specific diagnosis for your neuropathy?

Hope this helps,

John

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@johnbishop

Hello @chromebottle50, welcome to Mayo Connect. We are glad you found us - Connect is a great place to share your health concerns, ask questions and find out what other Connect members with similar health concerns are doing for treatments. Has your doctor prescribed any medications to help with the pain or is it something you have just been living with until it became worse?

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (SFPN) but only have the numbness and no pain. Mayo Clinic does have some information on diabetic neuropathy here that may help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-neuropathy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20033336.

There is also a discussion on Type 2 Diabetes that you may want to read through to see if you can pick up any information that will help:
Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-in-my-feet-and-legs/

Hoping some others will join in and share their story. There are a lot of different causes and types of neuropathy and it can be a challenge to find something that will help you. This is a good place to start. Keep asking questions, you are your best advocate.

John

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Hi John—-

Thanks for the information

REPLY
@johnbishop

Hello @chromebottle50, welcome to Mayo Connect. We are glad you found us - Connect is a great place to share your health concerns, ask questions and find out what other Connect members with similar health concerns are doing for treatments. Has your doctor prescribed any medications to help with the pain or is it something you have just been living with until it became worse?

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (SFPN) but only have the numbness and no pain. Mayo Clinic does have some information on diabetic neuropathy here that may help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-neuropathy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20033336.

There is also a discussion on Type 2 Diabetes that you may want to read through to see if you can pick up any information that will help:
Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-in-my-feet-and-legs/

Hoping some others will join in and share their story. There are a lot of different causes and types of neuropathy and it can be a challenge to find something that will help you. This is a good place to start. Keep asking questions, you are your best advocate.

John

Jump to this post

Hi John—

Thanks for the information.  No, I have not had a specific diagnosis for my neuropathy but this is something I hope to accomplish

in the near future.  Before, the only response I have gotten from the neurologists (and there have been many) is “to attempt to

discover the cause can be very expensive and why do it if there is no means that we know of that can correct the condition.”

I currently have an appointment with one of the speakers at a meeting of the Minnesota Neuropathy Association meetings

that I understand goes a little further than this.  Hope so.

Jim 

REPLY
@johnbishop

Hello @chromebottle50, welcome to Mayo Connect. We are glad you found us - Connect is a great place to share your health concerns, ask questions and find out what other Connect members with similar health concerns are doing for treatments. Has your doctor prescribed any medications to help with the pain or is it something you have just been living with until it became worse?

I have idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy (SFPN) but only have the numbness and no pain. Mayo Clinic does have some information on diabetic neuropathy here that may help: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-neuropathy/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20033336.

There is also a discussion on Type 2 Diabetes that you may want to read through to see if you can pick up any information that will help:
Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/neuropathy-in-my-feet-and-legs/

Hoping some others will join in and share their story. There are a lot of different causes and types of neuropathy and it can be a challenge to find something that will help you. This is a good place to start. Keep asking questions, you are your best advocate.

John

Jump to this post

Hi Jim (@jimmccarl), my diagnosis from a Mayo neurologist was idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy and the neurologist thought it might be hereditary. Here's an easy to understand explanations of small fiber peripheral neuropathy by Matthew B. Jensen. Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Wisconsin:
-- https://youtu.be/8nrv7lRvvwU

Keep asking questions and learn as much as you can about available treatments. Knowledge is power ☺ and it will help you better communicate with the doctors.

John

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gabapentine has got me thru at least 10 years of p.n. - the only thing that brought unbearable tiingling/pain down to livable!. But I have stopped it at various periods when something else was even more urgent & had no difficulty with leaving it off for as long as needed - & resuming when the p.n needed it. Good luck. Various drs/neurologists/internists have told me I could take more gab. if I needed it - w/o any side effects. So when there was a period of severe tingling I felt O.K. doing that - & easing when I wanted to.. I'm really puzzled about some folks negativity about gaba. It certainly saved my sanity when I started it - was so frantic over the severe 24/7 tingling. I know different folks have different reactions so hope it helps you. Superwife

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I am 73 and have been on Gabapentin 600mg 3x day for five years. I am able to stop taking it as needed without any affects except severe increase in pain. Thank you.

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I ran across an interesting video/article on Brewer's Yeast which I have been taking as part of a group of supplements for my peripheral neuropathy for almost 2 years. Turns out it might be beneficial for other health issues related to diabetes. My docs have labeled me as pre-diabetic for as along as I can remember but I've never gotten any worse. My last A1C test was 5.8 and has always been around that and never higher than 6.0.

Benefits of Brewer’s Yeast for Diabetes
-- https://nutritionfacts.org/video/benefits-of-brewers-yeast-for-diabetes/

John

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@johnbishop Thanks for that information, John. I've been pre-diabetic for a long time as well, but never had an A1C over 6.1 and usually it is 6.0 or 5.9. I'll have to give this supplement some thought.

John, how much do you use on a daily basis and how do you take it? Do you mix it in with something else? I can't imagine that it would taste very good.

Teresa

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@hopeful33250

@johnbishop Thanks for that information, John. I've been pre-diabetic for a long time as well, but never had an A1C over 6.1 and usually it is 6.0 or 5.9. I'll have to give this supplement some thought.

John, how much do you use on a daily basis and how do you take it? Do you mix it in with something else? I can't imagine that it would taste very good.

Teresa

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Hi Teresa @hopeful33250. I take 2 tablets every morning of Best Naturals, Brewers Yeast which has 1000 mg of Brewer's Yeast among some other vitamins. They are kind of big and chalky to swallow but you could easily crush them and add them to pretty much anything. I actually swallow them with water that has my collagen hydrolysate mixed in it. I don't think there is much taste to them.
John

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