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Painful Toes - Peripheral neuropathy?

J

JohnnyTee

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Hi there,
I am T3c diabetic due to chronic pancreatitis. I was diagnosed with diabetes nearly a year ago. Lately the toes in my left foot are numb and painful. Does anyone else have similar issues? I read about Peripheral neuropathy due to high blood sugar damaging nerves.

Is there anything I can do to prevent further damage beyond controlling my high blood sugar levels?

Thanks Johnny
 
Hi and welcome.

Peripheral neuropathy is one thing that can cause pain, numbness, tingling, burning etc - but there are other possible causes. No-one on this forum is competent to diagnose, and the best move I can suggest is that you see your medic about it.

FWITW I had peripheral neuropathy, which in my case was extreme burning and stabbing pain, plus "pins and needles" tingling - much worse at night. All that went very quickly when my BG came back to normal, although I do have some very mild permanent damage.

best of luck.
 
Greetings all. Sorry, I’ve been silent for a while. Tell me, why is it always our left foot and big toe?

I, too, am experiencing the same problem. I thought an injury I suffered some years ago that left me with a drop foot and poor circulation to my left leg and foot, was the cause, but now, I’m thinking - maybe not.

Of late, I have been worried about this leading to amputation, as has happened to so many people we know. So question is: beside our BG control measures, what else can we be doing to prevent this?

Note: I only use socks designed for diabetics, which is truly one of the best things I’ve done, and I always take care of my feet and visit a podiatrist ever 6-8 weeks, wear good shoes like hush-puppies, and keep my legs and feet warm and elevated as much as possible, but still, I get the sharp pains and numbing feelings, specially in my left foot big toe, at least once a week. Of note, my BG is well controlled.

So what else should we be doing or is it time for a medical opinion? Is there no other self-care practice we can do?
 
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I got myself some cheap plastic foam clog type things, completely flat sole with a wide toe box - for use in communal showers, and was amazed at the change in my feet and joints after wearing them around the house for a few days.

The circulation in my feet must have improved as my toenails are growing faster. Some time ago now my foot was kicked and one toe was, I thought, broken - but it mended though it remained a bit humped. It seems that it was just dislocated, and after some weeks of not being compressed inside normal shoes, it has unhumped. Slightly painfully, but just for a day or so.

I thought I was wearing comfortable shoes, but these clogs have improved my balance and my mobility. My consumption of paracetamol has dropped to zero.
 
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