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Leg and foot pain

kellyb8511

Well-Known Member
Messages
50
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
everything about diabetes
hi guys i am type 1 diabetic and last year went off the rails a bit and didn’t control it well at all. anyway i started taking my insulin properly in January and have gained 2 stone my problem is my legs are killing me :-( i have been to the doctors and he checked my pulse and sensation in my feet and legs and said it is definitely not neuropathy and it is just my body getting used to the insulin again. Here are my symptoms and has anyone else experienced this? My legs feel very sore like i have been for a 20 mile hike muscles aching like mad all day every day for over 2 months my feet are really sore as well they had shooting pains in them that come on suddenly then disappear i am messaging them all the time but nothing seems to be working, my muscles feel like they are burning and not even ibuprofen seem to work at all and it is keeping me up through the nights now please can someone point me in the right direction my doctor keeps fobbing me off i think :-( but i am in agony now
 
Hi im new to diabities i suffer with very bad leg pains and arm pains im taking codine to no avail. There testing me for cushing syndrome they think that could have something to do with the pains and the diabities
 
Oh dear good luck do your arms legs feel really weak aswell? Mine are terrible at the minute
 
Yes i get really bad pains my arms are worse than my legs tho its costant my leg pain comes and gos . All started when i started taking insulin like you
 
Hi Kelly, sorry you're in so much pain.
I had a severe reaction to my BG getting back from dangerously high to normal very quickly when I was diagnosed early last year (Type 1). Part of that included literally jumpy nerves and severe leg pains that had me climbing the walls. I've always been very anti-meds, but I've had to resort to taking Pregabalin, Tramadol & have a BuTrans pain patch too just to keep on top of the pain. Makes my brain fuddled, but it's the only way I can function. My condition, they say, is temporary, very rare and called "Insulin Neuritis". Worth investigating and checking it's not that you've got. (I've also developed Osteoporosis, 3 broken vertebrae, but that's another story! and reason for the pain meds)
Hope you find something to help soon x
 
QUOTE: My legs feel very sore like i have been for a 20 mile hike muscles aching like mad all day every day for over 2 months my feet are really sore as well they had shooting pains in them that come on suddenly then disappear i am messaging them all the time but nothing seems to be working, my muscles feel like they are burning and not even ibuprofen seem to work at all and it is keeping me up through the nights.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 LADA last May & experienced all of the reactions you mention when I went onto insulin. I didn't receive any helpful advice from people in the Diabetes Clinic but my GP suggested I try Glucosomine and Magnesium, which made a significant difference. I still sometimes get painful cramp and spasms at night (legs & feet) but it's infrequent now and I find it stops when I stand up and (gently but firmly) ease my leg/foot into a normal standing position - massage helps too. The burning sensation stopped altogether when I started taking CO-Q10, which provides energy and heart support.
 
Ive been type 1 since i was 5 (30 years). The stabbing pain is nerve damage. I find it comes and goes, sometimes its relentless for a day or two sometimes its just for a few hours. Sometimes a period of questionable control triggers it, sometimes just being heavy footed. Theres nothing I can do really once the pain has started. I find codeine takes the edge off of it but not much. Try and be light footed especially round the house when youre not wearing shoes.
In terms of your tired legs, im 6ft 3 and used to get resteless, achy and sore legs every day....right up to the point where i took up cycling, built up some leg muscle and now i hardly get it at all. If my legs do become achy i wear a pair of sports compression socks which work absolute wonders. You can get them for a fiver from most sports or cycle clobber websites, they look like football socks and aid circulation.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just to clarify, I think that if your doc was checking for a pulse in your feet and legs, then he was checking for blood supply, not nerve damage.

Did he do any tests for sensation (touching or gently pricking the feet and legs)?

It is perfectly possible to have neuropathy (nerve damage) while having good blood supply. And likewise, you can have a bad blood supply and have no neuropathy.

Not meaning to criticise your doc, but just wanted to clarify with you that he had done tests for both - which he may have done without you realising what the tests were for.
 
I've had this for years - in the calves and in my foot arches. I was advised by my amazing Dr to use Magnesium Orotate. It's good for cramping and pain.
 
Hi sorry for late replies my dr also tried the whiskers test and the fork test I could feel everything, the pain seems to be getting worse I used to be worse at night but now I am waking up in agony and struggling to get my legs going
it seems to be from both hips down to both feet but each area is a slightly different pain, hips feels like bone, thigh feels like muscle strain knees feel like bone pain, calves feel muscular pain the feet is shooting pains and sharp stabbing pains. It has definitely started to effect my life and mood paracetamol or ibuprofen and aspirin not touching it at all
I tried taking calcium and vitamin d tablets but nothing has changed any advice please xxx
 
I was tempted to go for a jog this morning and start building up muscles but the pain is to severe do you think building up muscles would help? Also do you think the 2 stone weight gain so suddenly may be the cause? My legs are just not used to the weight? Xx
 
kellyb8511 said:
do you think building up muscles would help? Also do you think the 2 stone weight gain so suddenly may be the cause?
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IMO, yes it would, but no way a jog. Light movement first up and build on that. Weight gain responsible? Might be a connection and of course you need to do what you can to get that down. Get walking with what you can tolerate, maybe go do some gym with a bike and do so religiously but VERY calmly.
 
I had joint pain and aching legs when I was first diagnosed with diabetes ( type 1) 18 months ago. My muscles were so weak that I couldn't stand up if I had been crouching without help. It went away and now I'm fine. I have no idea what it was but I am fine now. It took about 6 months to go though. My consultant wasn't concerned neither was my diabetes nurse. I take glucosamine and chondroitin every day.
 
Hi Kelly, I'm new here and I have the same with my legs. My muscles ache and throb sometimes at a pain level of 8-9 out of 10. I was just wondering if you've had any success in treating this since your post? Thank you!
 
I had very weak leg muscles when taking Statins (not good as I'm a rock climber) I stopped taking Statins because my cholesterol wasn't high anyway - and the problem went away. Are you on any Statins by any chance?
 
My GP has put me on Ropinirole tablets and they are working fine, they are used for Parkinson's disease, I was suicidal with the pain and electric shock like sensations, I tried all sorts of pain killers including Tramadol and Gabapentin but they didn't work, it is a nightmare, mine starts early afternoon with just a few twitches and gets progressively worse, I take 2tablets a day and they seem to last for about 22 hrs.
 
fletchweb said:
I had very weak leg muscles when taking Statins (not good as I'm a rock climber) I stopped taking Statins because my cholesterol wasn't high anyway - and the problem went away. Are you on any Statins by any chance?
Click to expand...

Im surprised he didn’t send you to have a special test where they use a small electrons to get the nerve to react , they can’t just tell by looking at it ! I have neuropathy and first started getting pains at about 22 but I was fit & active on a daily basics with competition mountain bike racing at the weekends as well as a 25 mile cycles to & from work but suffered Badly with pain every night when I relaxed ,so after trying to self diagnose my problem I told my diabetes clinic about this who sent me to have this nerve test done ,so if the problem persists tell your diabetes consultant about this pain .
 
Hello I am new in the country. I am doing 5 months here. I am type 1 diabetic and I have laser treated retinopathy. I need to do a checkup but I do not know any specialized ophthalmologist in the retina here in London. could you give me some recommendation please? thank you very much!
 

You need to register with a gp in your area and then ask the to get you an appointment to see the specialist required
 
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KellyB,
Are you seeing a Specialist Diabetes Podiatrist? If not it you could ask your GP for a referral, to rule out any biomechanical problems.
 
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