Is this neuropathy ?

[Ryann1990]

I have pains and burning in my palms and aching in my wrists and shoulders as well as pains in my arms and fingers it’s more kind of a stiff ache in my hand which is odd . I’m 28 and feel a little young for these types of pains. My diabetes control hasn’t been the best I admit but I saw the diabetic nurse two days before the pain began and she said my feet were great and I can feel all the vibrations. I have no numbness in my hands just over sensitive palms. Where they hurt when I’m touching anything but the odd thing is I also feel very stiff in my wrists and fingers as well as my shoulders. I can’t help but think this is joint related as when I touch the achy parts on my hands they feel te

 

[Antje77]

Have you changed any medication?

 

[Mike d]

Strikes me as though that's more muscular than diabetes ... please don't tell me you take statins.

 

[Kittycat_7_]

Hi,
Please see your dr as soon as you can, young people can get inflammatory arthritis.
Hope you feel better soon.
There are quite a few joint conditions, so best to get it checked out.
Take care

 

[derry60]

Also, get checked for Fibromyalgia. Fibro can cause similar symptoms

 

[Jamietomkinson1990]

Pains in back of legs even when sugars are low and feet feel like they are burning constantly and worse when they are covered

 

[Ryann1990]

I don’t take statins and the pain im getting is so strange just feels like my plans are super sensitive. Or like my thumbs and wrists ache like anything is it possible inflammation could cause nerve damage from joints ? I had my esr tested but it was negative as well as my ana for auto immune disorders so I’m at a loss seeing a neurologist today will see what he thinks. Just feel like it’s odd to suddenly have bilateral periphual neuropathy in both hands when feet and legs are fine

 

[Winnie53]

Ryann1990, might be a good idea to Google "vitamin B deficiency neuropathy" and start reading. Additionally, taking high dosages of vitamin B6 can cause neuropathy.

The best lab test for B12 deficiency is a methylmalonic acid level. The standard lab test, a B12 level, misses a lot of people. Hope this is just a nutritional deficiency.

Medications such as Metformin cause B12 deficiencies. Other medications can too. If you're taking any medication, look up it's adverse effects.

There are other causes of B vitamin deficiencies. If you eat a vegan or vegetarian diet, are you taking the appropriate nutritional supplements? Another possible cause of B vitamin deficiency is genetic, and requires taking activated B vitamins. To learn more Google "MTHFR".

Another thought...has their been any changes in your upper spine or neck?

 

[petedusty]

I don’t take statins and the pain im getting is so strange just feels like my plans are super sensitive. Or like my thumbs and wrists ache like anything is it possible inflammation could cause nerve damage from joints ? I had my esr tested but it was negative as well as my ana for auto immune disorders so I’m at a loss seeing a neurologist today will see what he thinks. Just feel like it’s odd to suddenly have bilateral periphual neuropathy in both hands when feet and legs are fine

I am a newbie here but not to diabetes
I have had type 1 for fifty years
and had many complications
Diabetes affect the nerves in your wrists and arms especially your elbows.
you are much more likely to develop carpal tunnel and cubical tunnel
As you age some of the muscle in your hands may waste. I have lost all the muscle between thumb and forefinger on my right hand
I have had carpal and cubical tunnel surgery on both arms to stop nerve problem
This is different than normal neuropathy
but has some similar effects
You may want to suggest to your physician s that you may need s nerve study to find out what is going on.
This may be worse if you work with your hands and have poor control

 

[Winnie53]

petedusty, it appears that Ryann has left the conversation for now. Hoping Ryann will come back and update us.

Welcome to the forum.

I'm a type 2 but have close to a 40 year history with blood glucose regulation. It's been a battle these last 4 years. I also facilitate a local diabetes group. A number of our members came to our group with very serious complications. I don't often have the opportunity to meet type 1's who have achieved the 50 year mark. Well done. You must be doing more right than wrong.

I think a lot about diabetic complications including heart, nerve, kidney, liver, and eye diseases. Am very curious as to how your complications evolved over time. Did they begin in 10, 20, 30 years, or later? I'm also curious as to what you think caused your conditions. Diet? Lack of exercise? Nutritional deficiencies? High glucose levels? Other things, perhaps stress or lack of sleep? Working nights?

I'm sorry to hear you're living with complications. Perhaps by telling bits and pieces of your history, we can learn from you.

 

[Winnie53]

After thinking about this more, I wonder too, what has and is working for you now?

 

[petedusty]

petedusty, it appears that Ryann has left the conversation for now. Hoping Ryann will come back and update us.

Welcome to the forum.

I'm a type 2 but have close to a 40 year history with blood glucose regulation. It's been a battle these last 4 years. I also facilitate a local diabetes group. A number of our members came to our group with very serious complications. I don't often have the opportunity to meet type 1's who have achieved the 50 year mark. Well done. You must be doing more right than wrong.

I think a lot about diabetic complications including heart, nerve, kidney, liver, and eye diseases. Am very curious as to how your complications evolved over time. Did they begin in 10, 20, 30 years, or later? I'm also curious as to what you think caused your conditions. Diet? Lack of exercise? Nutritional deficiencies? High glucose levels? Other things, perhaps stress or lack of sleep? Working nights?

I'm sorry to hear you're living with complications. Perhaps by telling bits and pieces of your history, we can learn from you.

Hi Winnie53,

Thank you so much for replying !
I think this is the only forum I've ever joined! I thought maybe I could help some people from my experiences.
I am sorry to hear you've been having some troubles the last 4 years. Some serious complications started for me after 20 years. I have always been a factory worker
and taken on more work than I can every possibly complete. All the possible causes you listed are relevant to my diabetes. I've also had all the conditions that you are concerned about except liver problems
l retired from factory life 2 years ago but am constantly working on our farm.
My H1ac have been as high as10.5 while working to 6.8 while retired.
If I can be of any help in any way please let me know!
I am sorry that Ryann probably won't get the info I gave him.

My time is limited put please stay in contact with me!

 

[Winnie53]

No worries...each time you post here, Ryann is usually sent a notification. It's likely that your comments are being read.

That's fantastic that you've gotten your glucose levels substantially down. I hadn't had my A1c checked for 2 years. I use a real, whole foods low carb diet that includes healthy animal and plant foods (and a lot of nutritional supplements), and more recently intermittent fasting for 9 days each month to lose weight. A1c was 6.3% six weeks ago. It's now 5.9% now that I'm walking daily again. Do you live here in the US like me?

I'd say stress is my biggest enemy. I, like, you am older. I'll be 58 this year. For the last two years, I've worked in an office that is professional and proactive, also for the most part, stress free. It's been wonderful. I'm continuing to de-stress my life. It's really made a difference.

Why do you believe your time is limited here? Are you speaking generally? I'd love to hear more about farm life. Are you raising crops or animals?

 

[petedusty]

No worries...each time you post here, Ryann is usually sent a notification. It's likely that your comments are being read.

That's fantastic that you've gotten your glucose levels substantially down. I hadn't had my A1c checked for 2 years. I use a real, whole foods low carb diet that includes healthy animal and plant foods (and a lot of nutritional supplements), and more recently intermittent fasting for 9 days each month to lose weight. A1c was 6.3% six weeks ago. It's now 5.9% now that I'm walking daily again. Do you live here in the US like me?

I'd say stress is my biggest enemy. I, like, you am older. I'll be 58 this year. For the last two years, I've worked in an office that is professional and proactive, also for the most part, stress free. It's been wonderful. I'm continuing to de-stress my life. It's really made a difference.

Why do you believe your time is limited here? Are you speaking generally? I'd love to hear more about farm life. Are you raising crops or animals?

Hi Winnie,

5.9% is really good
Sounds like your the one doing things right!
I believe that our approaches to glucose control are probably quite different.
I am insulin dependent using a self maintained basal bolus regiment.
I count net carbs for every meal and
adjust my novalog accordingly. I check my bg 1 hour before every meal and 2 hours after. I am underweight by 20 lbs and trying to maintain a 3400 calories a day diet,
which is difficult with out consuming a large amount of carbs.
My diet is similar to a keto diet.
I keep a constant count of calories and carbs. I use the fat secret app and Mysugr app to keep track of things
I work constantly sunrise to sunset on animal welfare on the farm.
I assuming you are probably taking oral meds because of being DT2
If you have any specific questions on complications that I have experience I would be glad to help!
Also if you know anyone using a similar regiment I would be anxious to communicate with them.
Congratulations on doing a fine job!

44-58?

 

[Winnie53]

Funny! Was trying to figure out what you meant by "44-58?", then remembered that I don't use my actual birthday on forums. I'll be 58 this year.

I crossed over to type 2 in 2005. I don't take any medications because I prefer monitoring and controlling my blood glucose levels with diet and walking only. For now, I'm having to walk after each meal to manage my glucose levels (because I was under a lot of stress last fall and winter and allowed my glucose levels to run higher than normal). My goal is to get my A1c where it's been in the past, 5.4%.

To answer your questions, this forum is the best low carb ketogenic forum in the world. When I joined 4 years ago, the forum members rallied behind me, addressing my fears as I began this "new" (or should I say old) way of eating. I eventually became fat adapted and can now go in and out of ketosis easily. While the diet our forum members use is varied, you'll find support and community here. I suggest you have a look around on the Type 1 and the Low-carb Diet Forum areas. Here's the links...

Type 1 Diabetes [Forum]... https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/type-1-diabetes.19/

Low-carb Diet Forum... https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/low-carb-diet-forum.18/

That's great that you're raising animals. I'm sure you take very good care of them. Having grown up in a community of 40,000, it was quite an adjustment for me to move to the country with my husband at 19, but I have good memories of those 7 years now. My time with the Dutch, the Mormons...and the cows...

It's been lovely chatting with you. As for your complications, I'm curious if your doctors ever suggested taking any or all of the B vitamins with alpha lipoic acid to manage the neuropathy. Also, if any nutritional supplements were suggested.

 

[petedusty]

Thanks for the links and.for our conversations. It's a bit unusual but I need the keto diet to gain weight.
My neuropathy no longer bothers me I have no feeling in my toes, pain or tingling !
I have been on b supplements, to no avail.
I have recently started taking Co q10 because it helps with many of issues I have.
We have an aging animal rescue with many sanctioned animals left.and little help.
I have to preserve what remains after years of diabetic mismanagement. So BG control is essential now.
I have updated my profile to include complications I've had..
Thank you for taking the time to talk with a forum newbie. You have been very helpful

 

[Winnie53]

Ah, you run an animal rescue. How fortunate for the animals in your care!

It's a long story but one of the things that I'm trying to sort out right now is if I have a genetic condition that makes it difficult for my body to utilize the B vitamins because I have a high homocysteine level despite taking a very high quality multi-vitamin and a lot of other vitamins for years. The testing for MTHFR is a bit expensive so am going to have to save the funds to do it first. It's explained in the book Dirty Gene's (2018) by Ben Lynch, ND. If I have this condition, my son may have it too.

Now that your glucose levels are well controlled, restoring the nerves in your feet may be possible. If you're interested in exploring this further, the best book I've found so far is A Complete Guide To Understanding, Managing, & Improving Your Peripheral Neuropathy (2017) by Michael Veselak, DC, BCIM, CFMP. Of the 10 books I have surveyed or read over the last couple of years, this one is excellent. If Richard Bernstein was able to reverse all of his diabetic complications, I believe others can too.

Both of these gentlemen have websites.

Fortunately for you, in the US, a small subgroup of chiropractors throughout the country are now treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy with diet, nutritional supplements, and specialized equipment, following taking a thorough health history, exam, and lab work. (Not everyone can be helped, but many can.) That said, if you have MTHFR, just taking the right form of the B vitamins, specifically formulated for those with MTHFR, may be all that's needed.

 

[Winnie53]

Just read your profile. I should probably add to my profile "Determined to reverse diabetic complications." I'm learning about Chronic Kidney Disease now.

 

[petedusty]

Hi Winnie,
I don`t think you mentioned what complications you have been experiencing possibly due to the MTHFR gene. Special B6 and B12 formulation may help you, but I am not quite sure with what.
You sugars seem well controlled and you seem quite happy and healthy. I hope you haven`t developed any neuropathy!
As for my peripheral neuropathy it mostly affects my toes. I have lost a great toe on one foot and half a toe on the other foot. I stepped on a nail and it went through my toe and infected the bone. The other was just a diabetic ulcer that got out of control. Since that time I have found a procedure that will not allow inflammation of my ulcers when they develop. The podiatrist is quite confounded on my successful self treatment. I am sorry to put you thru that long story put I need to make my next point. I am afraid that I now use the neuropathy to my advantage. I am outside frequently in very cold weather in the winter and my toes never get cold. (I still keep them from frostbite). My feet never hurt from climbing the 17% grade on the farm! I can debride my own ulcers with out pain using a callous file which is very course(equivalent to a cheese grader).
I would never ever suggest that anyone allow their neuropathy to advance when possible treatment is available to try, such as you have outlined and studied in your research.
I am tired and starting to ramble . So good night.

 

[Winnie53]

Oh, nail through big toe. Not good, but you're resilience and ability to do what you need to do regarding your wound care is admirable.

A little more than 2 years ago, I developed frozen shoulder. It's slowly thawing. The neuropathy in my feet is there but I don't realize it until I get my glucose levels down and it heals again which results in days or weeks of pain. More tomorrow...