Burning sensation in my calf: is this the beginning of a new complication?

RobertJ · Feb 24, 2025

Over the last few days I have noticed a hot feeling in my left calf. I thought it could be a muscular problem (and it still could) but I also had the horrifying realisation that it could be diabetes-related.

I'm on the closed-loop system and I try very hard with it. My time in range is 80-85% most of the time but I would like 90% to be the norm. I am quite active and try and have a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables.

I've had diabetes for 22 years and my control did not used to be as good as it is now. I already have maculopathy in one eye. I wonder if this is the start of a new, second complication. I am quite concerned about my body packing up while I'm only in my thirties.

Has anyone else had this and did it go away?

AndBreathe · Feb 24, 2025

RobertJ said:
Over the last few days I have noticed a hot feeling in my left calf. I thought it could be a muscular problem (and it still could) but I also had the horrifying realisation that it could be diabetes-related.

I'm on the closed-loop system and I try very hard with it. My time in range is 80-85% most of the time but I would like 90% to be the norm. I am quite active and try and have a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables.

I've had diabetes for 22 years and my control did not used to be as good as it is now. I already have maculopathy in one eye. I wonder if this is the start of a new, second complication. I am quite concerned about my body packing up while I'm only in my thirties.

Has anyone else had this and did it go away?

Is your calf reddened at all? Are there any lumps or bumps?

If in doubt, have it checked out, just in case. There are so many thing it could be.

Rachox · Feb 24, 2025

It’s all too easy to blame any ache or pain etc… on our diabetes. I second @AndBreathe ’s advice to get it checked out with your GP, there are many things this could be.

Grant_Vicat · Feb 24, 2025

RobertJ said:
Over the last few days I have noticed a hot feeling in my left calf. I thought it could be a muscular problem (and it still could) but I also had the horrifying realisation that it could be diabetes-related.

I'm on the closed-loop system and I try very hard with it. My time in range is 80-85% most of the time but I would like 90% to be the norm. I am quite active and try and have a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables.

I've had diabetes for 22 years and my control did not used to be as good as it is now. I already have maculopathy in one eye. I wonder if this is the start of a new, second complication. I am quite concerned about my body packing up while I'm only in my thirties.

Has anyone else had this and did it go away?

Is your left calf noticeably redder than the right @RobertJ ? I would certainly agree with having it looked at ASAP. I have had similar, but it wasn't directly connected to diabetes.

RobertJ · Feb 24, 2025

Thanks, @AndBreathe and @Grant_Vicat.

Due to the fact it's basically impossible to see a GP, I decided to phone 111 and give that a go.

The woman I spoke to was quite good and I was told someone would ring me, but that hasn't happened. Maybe I'll get a phone call tomorrow.

My leg looks completely normal. As much as I'd love this to be nothing to do with diabetes, I think it is. It's just quite depressing because I didn't realise I was at risk of this sort of thing already. I am 34 years old.

Although in retrospect I know much of my control in my teens and twenties was not good enough, I was never told that overtly at the time. The advice from the NHS was either 'Keep doing what you're doing' or 'There's room for improvement'.

For about three or four years my control has been consistently above the 70% time in range the NHS asks for. For example, my 90-day average is 85%. I guess either that's still not good enough or I am paying the price for the inadequate control I had when I was younger.

Grant_Vicat · Feb 24, 2025

RobertJ said:
Thanks, @AndBreathe and @Grant_Vicat.

Due to the fact it's basically impossible to see a GP, I decided to phone 111 and give that a go.

The woman I spoke to was quite good and I was told someone would ring me, but that hasn't happened. Maybe I'll get a phone call tomorrow.

My leg looks completely normal. As much as I'd love this to be nothing to do with diabetes, I think it is. It's just quite depressing because I didn't realise I was at risk of this sort of thing already. I am 34 years old.

Although in retrospect I know much of my control in my teens and twenties was not good enough, I was never told that overtly at the time. The advice from the NHS was either 'Keep doing what you're doing' or 'There's room for improvement'.

For about three or four years my control has been consistently above the 70% time in range the NHS asks for. For example, my 90-day average is 85%. I guess either that's still not good enough or I am paying the price for the inadequate control I had when I was younger.

Try not to think the worst. I had 20 years of very bad control from 1959-1979. I had a total of 7 laser treatments between 1979 and 1983 in both eyes. I first had reported protein in urine in 1973. Even though I eventually had a kidney/pancreas transplant in 2013, I still have great visual acuity, all my limbs and toes/fingers and enjoy being alive. It is amazing how tighter control, in spite of such potential damage, can have such a positive effect. With today's sophisticated technology I would think the chances of needing a transplant are considerably reduced. I wish you as much good fortune as I have had.

Grant_Vicat · Feb 24, 2025

RobertJ said:
The woman I spoke to was quite good and I was told someone would ring me, but that hasn't happened. Maybe I'll get a phone call tomorrow.

If they don't, I would suggest driving to A&E and letting them know. Diabetes always worked as a talisman for me when dealing with awkward hospital secretaries! I last did this in March last year.

AndBreathe · Feb 25, 2025

To be honest, you can't go getting yourself onto the self-flagellation blame train. It can't change history and just causes angst in the today that we can all live without.

So mush more is known and understood these days about diabetes, and we all have so many more controls to help us do better. Back in your teens you were undoubtedly running blind through the hormones, growing up, insane party times and so on, but you survived and seem to be doing well.

If nothing else, drop into your pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to look at your leg. If they have any doubts they will arrange hand-off to your GP (or A&E).

That leg need to be looked at. It might just be a tick in the box, but there are also some nastier things you don't want to be ignoring.

(Probably a small chance of the latter, but......)

RobertJ · Feb 25, 2025

Grant_Vicat said:
If they don't, I would suggest driving to A&E and letting them know. Diabetes always worked as a talisman for me when dealing with awkward hospital secretaries! I last did this in March last year.

Yes, I know what you mean. I think I'll just ring 111 back first though.

Burning sensation in my calf: is this the beginning of a new complication?

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Burning sensation in my calf: is this the beginning of a new complication?

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