Sore Fingers and Toes

[Sirzy]

Last Saturday my fingers and toes started feeling sore, now the whole length of my fingers are achy and the soles of my feet and my heels ache too. It's not a pins and needles type of pain, more like when you go outside on a cold day then come back inside somewhere warm. It's more achy than anything else, but they're also tender. I'm terrified that this is the beginning of neuropathy, but my blood sugar is generally well controlled and my last HbA1c was 38 (5.6). I'm thinking it could be a circulatory problem, but my fingers and toes aren't cold, my other thought was maybe arthritis, but my joints aren't swollen.

I've had diabetes for 3 years and I'm 39. My next appointment with the diabetic clinic is at the beginning of August, I'm wondering if I should phone and ask if it can be brought forward. What do you think, I'm pretty worried

 

[Deleted member 83869]

Last Saturday my fingers and toes started feeling sore, now the whole length of my fingers are achy and the soles of my feet and my heels ache too. It's not a pins and needles type of pain, more like when you go outside on a cold day then come back inside somewhere warm. It's more achy than anything else, but they're also tender. I'm terrified that this is the beginning of neuropathy, but my blood sugar is generally well controlled and my last HbA1c was 38 (5.6). I'm thinking it could be a circulatory problem, but my fingers and toes aren't cold, my other thought was maybe arthritis, but my joints aren't swollen.

I've had diabetes for 3 years and I'm 39. My next appointment with the diabetic clinic is at the beginning of August, I'm wondering if I should phone and ask if it can be brought forward. What do you think, I'm pretty worried

Do you have a diabetic nurse or a nurse at your doctor's if so go and see your doctor/nurse I am sure they can help you! Hope you get better soon!!

 

[Sirzy]

Do you have a diabetic nurse or a nurse at your doctor's if so go and see your doctor/nurse I am sure they can help you! Hope you get better soon!!

Thanks Nicola Anne, I'm going to give it til the weekend, then think about going to see my diabetic doctor if it's no better

 

[Deleted member 83869]

Have you done anything different recently though??


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[Sirzy]

I have had more bad days recently, eating things I shouldn't, but nothing major, and my BG is fine at the moment (4.5 - 6.5), I really think this is neuropathy, but I'm surprised at how quickly it's come on as I haven't had high BG for years, just the past few months, but maybe this is enough to cause problems

 

[Yorksman]

I'm terrified that this is the beginning of neuropathy, but my blood sugar is generally well controlled and my last HbA1c was 38 (5.6). I'm thinking it could be a circulatory problem, but my fingers and toes aren't cold, my other thought was maybe arthritis, but my joints aren't swollen.

This all sounds depressingly familiar to me but I have the added problems of osteoarthritis, the side effects of taking an ACE inhibitor, which constricts the capillaries and possibly by taking statins too. It's all very hard to unravel. I've tried electrical circulation boosters, hydrotherapies, bed socks, lotions and potions and regular washing in warm soapy water with a big brush. Actually, that's quite nice.

The good news is that, if it is neuropathy, the damage was likely done before you got your BG levels under control. It can take sometime for the damage to appear as symptoms, years in some cases. It all depends on which nerves are affected. Having BG levels under control helps to make sure that you don't get more. The problem with diabetes is that damage, whether to the nerves, retina or pancreatic cells happens before you notice the symptoms and once there is damage, it is generally not reversible. But, getting BG levels under control stops more damage occuring. The problem is that many people ignore their diabetes, rely on meds to sort everything out for them, follow poor dietary advice and are not active enough. If you do something about it, and your HBA1c suggests that you are doing, you should be OK and that there should be no progression. But, do check regularly and pamper your feet. Tell your GP too.

 

[Sirzy]

Sigh...that is depressing I think I probably had diabetes for a couple of years before my diagnosis. My diet's been near perfect since diagnosis (apart from the last month or so), but the damage done before diagnosis could be enough to cause problems now? Why the delay? Maybe my excesses of the last month have triggered the damage done previously to flare up or worsen? Is two years of undiagnosed diabetes really long enough to cause neuropathy? I thought it was a much longer time frame than this.

This has given me an almighty scare, I'm only 39, what on earth have the next 10-20 years got in store for me if I'm showing symptoms now when my diet is good?! I've a GP appointment of Friday, but if it is neuropathy then I guess there's nothing they can do about it. ******.