Neuropathy

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on July 1, 2009 at 1:30am

The best way to slow down neuropathy (& sometimes reverse it) is to get better control of your BG. Do what you can to lower your A1c. More exercise, lower carb intake & fine tuning your insulin doses are ways to help get there.

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Permalink Reply by Nina Bailey on July 1, 2009 at 8:28am

I often give workshops to diabetes support groups on this subject. One specific piece of advice that I can offer is to try a product called OmegaForce which has been formulated to benefit the major areas of issue with diabetics (these being increased risk of cardiovascular problems and nerve damage).
Fatty acid supplements can reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, both of which are often elevated in diabetes. But with reference to your query, there is increasing evidence that taking EPA, the fatty acid found in fish oils has specific benefits for those who suffer from neuropathy, by helping to repair and stabilise the fatty sheath that covers and insulates the nerve. You might be interested in reading this article to find out more info on how and why certain fats can help.

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Permalink Reply by Ahmad ( Al ) on July 1, 2009 at 8:34am

Ashley,

No fear, am in the same boat. My endo told me the same thing before like 2 years or so. What I did is try to control my BG the best and did more exercise that uses my arms and legs more, it helps [I believe]!

Hope this was beneficial to you

Al

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Permalink Reply by Suzanne on July 1, 2009 at 8:43am

I'm in the same boat as Al with this. I was diagnosed with the beginnings of neuropathy after years of very poor control. I have had no progression in symptoms or severity because I work hard to maintain a good a1c now. I have also started exercising. Talk to your nutritionist about food choices and supplements too, this is a part of care that we sometimes forget about. I get better control with eating less carbs than I did in the past but I do not eat low carb, I just make smarter food choices.

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Permalink Reply by Kelly Rawlings on July 1, 2009 at 8:45am

Ummm, what exactly was your doc trying to convey if she didn't provide answers to your questions?! Your A1C looks pretty good, so it seems your blood glucose control is on target.

Don't freak out! People can have the "beginning stages of diabetic neuropathy" and live happily for decades without pain. The advice about controlling blood glucose levels is right on. As is frequent exercise to keep circulation pumping.

Also, make sure that your doc uses monofilaments or other method to test sensation in your feet at every office visit (take off your shoes and socks as a reminder). This will help you track any progression in the condition.

Unfortunately, often when one diabetes complication starts to become visible, there is other microvascular damage going on. Do you have a dilated eye exam once a year? If your nerves are being affected by high blood sugars, it's likely the small vessels in your eyes are also showing some damage (in fact, this is the only place in the body where a doc can SEE damage). Again, you can halt and delay progression of eye damage by controlling blood sugars. And laser surgery is very effective should problems need to be fixed that way. Finally, your urine should be tested annually for microalbumin, an early sign of kidney disease.

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Permalink Reply by Marps on July 7, 2009 at 8:58am

wow. This is some great information. Thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Christina on July 1, 2009 at 8:49am

I can't give you the scientific evidence to support this, but someone else on this site mentioned that she takes B-12 and it helps her tremendously. I've just started taking it and it does seem to make a difference. I've only got the tingling and numbness at this point.

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Permalink Reply by Danny on July 1, 2009 at 9:04am

Remove what ever is causing the nerve damage to begin with....If alcohol is the cause, quit drinking. If too much vitamin b6 is the cause, quit taking vitamin b6....if high blood sugars are the cause, lower your a1c to a semi normal range (high and low blood sugars "swings" can irritate the nerves).

A neurologist can do a emg/ncs test on large nerve fibers.... I do not believe this test can detect small nerve fiber damage though.

A lot of stretching and warm jacuzzi's help me deal ;)

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Permalink Reply by Jim Huck on July 1, 2009 at 2:15pm

Ashley - There's a lot of research that indicates neuropathy can be reversed. Most of the advice here is good: tight BG control, exercise, stretching, fatty acids.

Be sure not to rely entirely on your A1C to determine if you're in control. Examine your blood sugar logs. Ideally, your BG should be REALLY stable, too. You want to try to avoid wild swings from high to low...try to keep constantly between 80 and 120, with post prandial BG not getting much higher than 150.

I know that sounds extreme, but it's doable.

Dr. Bernstein had severe neuropathy as a young man and was able to reverse it through extremely tight control.

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Permalink Reply by Ashley on July 1, 2009 at 2:20pm

Thanks everyone! It's just frustrating because my A1c is 6.5, I work out regularly, and I was only diagnosed 5 years ago. But, I'll try to be better about taking my fish oil and vitamin b supplements and eating less carbs...hopefully that will help. :)

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Permalink Reply by Gerri on July 1, 2009 at 3:03pm

You can do it!

An A1c of 6.5 is an average BG of 140--too high. Most doctors say that's ok, but the closer to normal BG the better for all your parts.

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Permalink Reply by Marps on July 7, 2009 at 9:00am

wow. That's scary. My doc said 7.0 A1c was ok for me.

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