Leg Pain

Hi
I get them bad every night! I drink indian tonic water one half can or 1 small can when i get it bad! I use the slim line tonic water as does not affect BG too much!
I usually suffer 5-6 times a week! Every night! it gets real bad and painful!
Sandy

hi heavensoul
how long have the pains been going on for, and is it just your legs (feet too)?
sounds like it could be peripheral neuropathy. not much fun, eh? I had it too for a while but now it's almost gone (gone more or less totally in the legs, still a bit in the feet occasionally) entirely thanks to lowering my blood sugar levels. Took some months, though.
When I had these problems my doctor was actually very little help - I found good info on this site and on http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/16162153.php
Do you have a meter and check your levels? And what sort of diet do you have?

Hi Heavensoul,

I would agree that it is likely to be peripheral neuropathy. I have almost completely reversed mine by following the advice here ...(though it has taken 4 months).

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/joom ... -treatment

I take the ALA/Vit C/EPO cocktail to stop the progression and vit B complex to repair. I dont know to what extent or how it works, but it has worked. Whether or not it would have happened by simply getting my BG down I dont know, but my BG/HBA1C are almost non-diabetic levels now. (HBA1C 5.8 in August - expect rather less now awaiting November review, 2 hour post meal BG approx 5.5's).

Good Luck Steve.

I was diagnosed diabetic 10 years ago with a numbness in one thigh which the Dr considered indicated diabetes - which was confirmed. It wasn't giving me problems but I knew it wasn't normal.

That right thigh is the area where any problems occur. Simvastatin resulted in intense pain, particularly overnight. That went away when I discontinued it.

I was on diet, supplemented with metformin, but the diet was the NHS/DUK recommendation of high complex carbs. Early in 2008, muscle pains threatened to be disabling. Dr was happy with my diabetes control. (HbA1c=6.7, overnight fasting BS=6.9) He suggested quinine for cramp. Quinine is the active ingredient in tonic water. It didn't help, but through this forum I learnt the reduced carb approach. The muscle pains cleared within 3 months. (Overnight BS=5.7)

I also take a multivitamin supplement, glucosamine/condroitin, & fish oil. A month ago I ran out of glucosamine. After 2 weeks I had lower leg pain & was walking with a stick & stopped playing tennis. A week of glucosamine/condroitin & I'm fit again.

I haven't tried the "cocktail" approach cited. It does seem that you can take control of problems by trial & error, and very specifically cutting carbs & working to reduce blood sugars.

Hope that helps & you feel better soon.

hi again heavensoul,
sounds like you're doing the right sorts of thing - I'd say persevere with your diet (do you low carb?) and try to get your Hb1A closer to 6, or better still below 6 - I do believe all sorts of problems may clear up as a result.