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Neuropathy AFTER gaining control?

C

Caprock94

Well-Known Member
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337
I was diagnosed two months ago with an a1c level of 8.5%. Went low carb and quickly lowered blood sugar levels (tested regularly) to normal or very close to normal levels. Re-tested a1c about 10 days ago and it was down to 6.6%. I have been diabetic for less than a year. Had no symptoms at diagnosis. Suddenly, after 6 weeks of lowering blood sugars to controlled levels, I got pain (slight burning and some tingling) in both feet and tingling in my hands. All came on at once.

I am going back to the doctor. This is discouraging. I was feeling really good before this hit. If this is neuropathy, is there a chance to reverse it at this early stage? Can I at least keep it from progressing? This is really strange. I have no numbness or loss of feeling. B12 levels are fine.
 
Could be something else that I would get checked by a doctor but also it could be that nerves are healing after some minor damage.
 

When I’m as diagnosed in November my a1c was high at 103 and I think my average glucose was 18+. When I started getting into the lower teens I had a burning sensation in my left arm that came and went. It seems to have been better recently so I think it may have just been where my levels had come down...
 
I have some peripheral neuropathy - caused by a folic acid deficiency that wasn't picked up for ages (years?). Taking a supplement and improving my diet has reduced the symptoms a little but it took a long time.
Make sure they have done all the tests! I was referred to the neurology clinic who did nerve conduction tests and extra blood tests my GP had missed and discovered the low folic acid - my gp only tested vit B12.
I also have an ongoing low vit D issue which doesn't help.

All before the diabetes diagnosis.
 
I would check with your doctor, because those symptoms could be other than neuropathy.

But they could also be your nerves healing. Which would be a very good thing indeed.

You may find it interesting to do a forum search on R-ALA which some people find is helpful in preventing, treating and healing from neuropathy.
 
I had tingling and burning in my feet for about six months after I got my BG under control. I think it may well have been my nerves healing/adjusting to lower BG levels. I don't get it now.
 
Hi, my Doctor told me my vit D levels were low a few months ago, told me to take a supplement. I took a multivitamin tablet but after a month or two I started to get tingling in my fingers and arms. I saw a report in I think Which, that said too much of some vits can cause tingling in limbs.
I stopped the supplement and the tingling went.
Not great science but something to ponder over
 
Dexterdobe said:
I had tingling and burning in my feet for about six months after I got my BG under control. I think it may well have been my nerves healing/adjusting to lower BG levels. I don't get it now.
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I can live with that. Love the profile pic!
 
In my case neuropathy was and has been a key symptom of my diabetic condition. And was probably the most alarming symptom for me going back to February of this year. Thankfully by changing my diet, this appears to have been reversed however the reversal of the symptoms in my feet and lower legs was not all immediate and it took a couple of months for the symptoms in my lower legs to start to clear up. My GP stressed the need to reduce my weight aswell as blood sugar levels and either way I do not need to moisturise my lower legs anymore, but this did take a couple of months of LCHF dietary control to achieve that. My lower legs are not as inflamed as they were.

On the other hand, numbing condition and darkening in my toes cleared up quite quickly after dietary change.
 
Dark Horse said:
Treatment-induced neuropathy of diabetes is uncommon but may be a possibility:- https://pn.bmj.com/content/16/1/53
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That is a really interesting article. I definitely didn't have neuropathy symptoms before I took steps to control my BG, but I got pins and needles and a pain like an electric shocks from time to time when I was in bed. Both symptoms went after about six months of BG control.
 

How long have you been diabetic? I have completely changed my diet as well. This just came out of nowhere just as I was really getting good control of my blood sugar levels.
 
Caprock94 said:
How long have you been diabetic? I have completely changed my diet as well. This just came out of nowhere just as I was really getting good control of my blood sugar levels.
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I was diabetic back in December 2014 with an HbA1c of 49 and in all probability in the lead up to that. Fortunately or unfortunately the local surgery at the time couldn’t repeat that reading as I quickly dropped to 43 just 3 months later by going with the advised Eatwell diet. But then could not drop out of the Prediabetes bracket until going lower carb higher fat in February.

My legs and feet in that period seemed to deteriorate over time and was a source of concern for me and was the main driver for seeking a solution over Christmas and into the new year.

There seems to have been a delay between dietary change and reducing my HbA1c levels on the one hand and neuropathy in my legs clearing up.

In its earliest form I wasn’t too bothered as it just manifested itself as dried and crackled skin but the condition worsened requiring trips to the GP and the use of steroid type creams and daily use of aqueous soap/cream to wash with.

It has come as some relief to see it all go into reverse.

So...I don’t know if that helps.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Glad you are doing better.
 

Try taking just vit d instead of a multi vit - it works fine on its own
 
So I scraped the top of my foot last night. Kept waking up as the bed sheets rubbing across the scrape hurt more than normal. It's like my senses have increased since I got my blood sugar levels under control. I hope this is just nerves "waking up". It's not fun.
 
I developed a varucca the other week. It came and then went. Reasonably quickly. I am not sure if that had been the case if my blood sugars had been higher.
 

Doesn’t sound too unusual. Heightened sensitivity to everything was a recurring theme in my feet during all phases of recovering from diabetes.
 
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