painful diabetic neuropathy

[jwillmada]

I have been diagnosed with painful diabetic neuropathy in my hands and feet following years after a liver transplant operation. The illness was progressive and sort of sneaked up on me - does anyone have any experience of this. I was hypoglycemic for a number of years before tipping into type 2 diabetes - I ended up in the neurology department at the Royal Free in London who diagnosed my condition - my life now is all about pain management.

 

[gemma6549]

Hi I suffered with a form of diabetic neuropathy although slightly different. It took a long time for me to find an effective pain management system. Eventually the specialist gave me a combination of duloxetine and pregabalin , the two drugs together worked amazingly well. I wouldn't be here now without them.

 

[honey badger]

Hi I have had it for ten years,they put me on a drug that was mainly used for depression.
I cant recall the name of it apparently its a really old drug.
It did take the sting out of it for a time, but I was told that it would be less effective bye and bye,
and they would have to keep increasing the dose.
I came off it and have endured.
Apparently, mine is unusual as its the complete right hand side of my body,
if you drew a line exactly down the middle of my body, everything on the right, top to toe is numb and pins and needles 24/7
The maddest part is I don,t sweat on the right hand side, I can have damp brow, beads of sweat on the left side,
but on the other side of the line dry.
Although the opposite, is only half of me is warming me up.
The only slight light is as the years roll on you learn to ignore and live with it..
It's not until you lose nerves through this, you realise what they do and control.

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Hi jwillmada,

I have both peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. Peripheral wise my hands and my finger tips are the worst. Constant pins and needles and at times painful. My feet used to be truly terrible a few years ago, especially first thing in the morning when getting out of bed and putting my feet on to the floor.
It was like walking on red hot broken glass.

My diabetic clinic put me on Amitriptyline, an anti depressant and amazingly the neuropathy in my feet has improved beyond belief since taking this medication (about 5 years now) Hands are still bad though, just typing this and I can feel the tips doing their own thing.

I was a chronic alky for 20 years and this has played its part in the neuropathy also. Drink, cigarettes and diabetes do not get along but you can't turn back time can you !

I also get in in my upper thighs. It's a really strange feeling, like I'm walking around with a small but very muscular hedgehog in each pocket (just hope they don't want to cross the road at the same time!) Don't want them there !

 

[masonbason63]

Hi jwillmada,

I have both peripheral and autonomic neuropathy. Peripheral wise my hands and my finger tips are the worst. Constant pins and needles and at times painful. My feet used to be truly terrible a few years ago, especially first thing in the morning when getting out of bed and putting my feet on to the floor.
It was like walking on red hot broken glass.

My diabetic clinic put me on Amitriptyline, an anti depressant and amazingly the neuropathy in my feet has improved beyond belief since taking this medication (about 5 years now) Hands are still bad though, just typing this and I can feel the tips doing their own thing.

I was a chronic alky for 20 years and this has played its part in the neuropathy also. Drink, cigarettes and diabetes do not get along but you can't turn back time can you !

I also get in in my upper thighs. It's a really strange feeling, like I'm walking around with a small but very muscular hedgehog in each pocket (just hope they don't want to cross the road at the same time!) Don't want them there !

I too was offered Amytriptyline for feet lower leg and hands but was a bit cautious of taking it so they've given me Carbamazapen which has worked fairly well for the pain and boy oh boy it's really helped with my depression as it can raise mood , but I have to have regular blood tests for checking my liver function, and it can raise your mood too much but for me I'm impressed with this drug.

 

[Nuthead]

Amitriptyline helps me a lot for the feet however they now want me in hospital foam overnight stay for tests. They think I could have a nerve problem not related to diabetes.