Type 2 Diabetes: I have neuropathy in my feet and legs

Would you like to share what you eat and how active you can be? I don't know much about the pills but I can give helpful hints about eating, especially for lowering the blood sugar numbers . When I have back pain, I think it is from fused vertebrae and a cage in my back, not diabetes, but I still study about everything, Sometimes it is difficult to tell what is causing pain. Not being constipated makes a huge difference in my pain levels. Dorisena

@dorisena

Hi Dorisena. I am not diabetic. And I do still eat a number of things that come from packages, like Amy's dinners. But the one thing I did that I have really noticed a major benefit from was reducing my sugar intake. In 2014 my wife cut her sugar intake WAY down as she read sugar feeds cancer (she had been dealing with cancer for about 2-3 years by then). In sympathy to her I decided to cut out a lot of things from my diet to lower my sugar intake as well. For example, I had been having a small bowl of ice cream and 2 store bought cookies every night. I quit that cold turkey and stopped all after dinner snacking as well. I also stopped any random sugar eating that I was doing during the day, i.e. no candy, cookies, pastries, etc. in the diet at all. For about 2 weeks I dealt with bodily cravings for sweets. But I did not cave. After the two weeks the cravings ended and I never looked back. I felt better and was happy to be free of the cravings. Since then I have stopped wanting sweets when I see them in the store. I have not had more than 2 or 3 bowls of ice cream in the past 6 years, mostly just to be polite when I was a guest. I do feel better, healthier. I have always been fairly healthy but this gave me a feeling of well being that was at a different level than before.

I think sugar (or honey or corn syrup, etc.) is not good for the human body and people would be well advised to eliminate it from their diets as much as possible if they want to be healthier. I am not fanatical about it, and although I do read ingredient labels, I don't nix things out of hand if they contain some sugar, just try to keep the sugar content on the low side. I know cutting out most sweets is not an idea welcomed by everyone but I would nudge everyone to at least give it a try.

Best, Hank

Congratulations, Hank. You have listened to your body and learned well how to feed the body and have better health. Yes, I learned that sugar is bad for cancer years ago when I had breast cancer, and I was not surprised when the doctor reported that my thyroid had cancerous nodules on it and had to be removed. That is why it has been easy for me to avoid sugar and enjoy what I eat. I am a crusader for giving up sugar when I get in conversations with others. I wish I had known more when I was younger. Dorisena

Hello, folks. I have diabetes 2, peripheral neuropathy in both hands and feet/lower legs. I take Janumex for diabetes - metforman combo that I can tolerate. Metformin and I do not like each other at all! But, this works. I am cautious what I eat - no preservatives if possible, no or low salt/sodium, low sugar although if I want something sweet, I eat it. I learned a long time ago I will not deprive myself of something I truly want to eat.....no harsh diets, or anything extreme re my health. My father, who lived an extremely active and event ful life until he was 93 - played tennis, although he switched to doubles in his 80's, until he was 87 years old. Then, swam daily, exercising in the pool. Like I do now in the 'therapy' pool, 94degree temp. Walking, marching, etc. 1 hour 2X daily. I haven't done any pool work since early November when I began having serious orthostatic BP issues. Now diagnosed w/autonomic neuropathy--not a good diagnosis. We'll see what that brings....BUT, as I've mentioned before, I took gabapantin and Lyrica both for years. For fibromyalgia, RLS, neuropathy, burning, itching, pain, etc. They helped, but I had some side effects I wanted to get rid of. So, I'm off both and use THC:CBD, 1:1, tincture an hour before bed, a small spray of THC as needed a couple times daily for pain, a dropper of CBD mid-day for anxiety/pain. This combo works for me better than anything I've ever tried, with no side effects at all other than relief from all the issues involved....unless I overdo the tincture. I don't! I'm taking Requip for RLS. It's a dopamine antagonist. It's wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently, my brain needed it as I can walk better, lift legs and feet better, balance is improved, etc. So, that's what I'm doing now and it's all working together for my benefit. Blessings on your journey. Elizabeth

Overlooked what I wanted to tell you about my father....so dadblasted healthy! I grew up hearing until his death...."Everything in moderation, honey. Everything in moderation!" Well, he's right. Not my nature, but I've been and am still working on it. A good life goal. Blessings. Elizabeth

Quite some time ago, I read a post on this website that has helped me a lot with neuropathy pain. I am pre-diabetic and I read on the aforementioned post that Mayo Clinic had done a study with diabetics and pre-diabetics suffering with neuropathy pain. They were treated with Alpha Lipoic Acid supplements, and had good results. So I have been taking ALA for the past year at night before bedtime, and this has helped me tremendously.

Hi Sandi (@sandiwantstofeelbetter), I’m sorry to hear about your problems. You (and any other type 2 diabetic) may want to talk to your doctor(s) about a drug classified as a “medical food” brand name Metanx, also available generically as L-Methyl-B6-B12 (and others). I really believe that has helped me over the course of my diabetic “walk” to avoid neuropathy issues. It’s a combination of potent vitamins used for years for that purpose, well worth asking about.

I will remember you in my prayers.
Howard

Hello Irh Peggy A. Lindgren, I am Sunnyflower. May I ask what dose of ALA you are taking and which type, RLA or SLA or both? I'm taking 6mg. once daily. Not sure yet if it's working. How long did it take for you to notice yours is working and would you say it's a pretty significant relief? My neurologist wants me to take the RLA/SLA combo so that is what I'm doing. I wish all the best for you and much, much relief!! Many blessings, Sunnyflower

What brand are you taking and is it helping for you?

What is the brand and how much are you taking?