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Type 2 Diabetes and foot problems.

rluscombe

Member
Messages
21
Hi,
I have been diabetic for about 2 years and after all this time by BG is now adequately under control. I also suffer with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and regular use CPAP therapy. I am currently seeing a podiatrist who diagnosed Plantar Fasciitus and Posterior Tibialaris is this connected to diabetes or is it separate. I have had inserts made to go into my footwear but my feet are so painful I can hardly walk. I am due to go back to the hospital in about 4 weeks for ultrasound. If anyone can advise me on these symptons it would be greatly appreciated.
 
I think those conditions are separate from diabetes and are related to the nerves and damage to the physical structure of the feet, however you need to see someone who really does know what they are talking about. Can't your podiatrist answer your questions?

Is it painful to walk since you got the orthotic inserts or was it painful to walk before you got them? I briefly had an orthotic insert and I found it made the problem I had worse :shock: so I took them out and went back to a custom-made-by-my-podiatrist padded insole. but I know someone who has worn them succesfully andtey have been a real help.

However, there can be reasns why an orthotic inserts is painful. The most obvious of which is that the shoes you are wearing are simply too small to take them - ideally you will have removed the original insoles to make =room for the orthotic devise. It may be that the orthotic needs more adjustment. You need to go back to the person who made them for you to discuss.

If you are carrying extra weigh (as I do) it will make your foot problems worse.
 
Diabetes is connected to various inflammatory conditions and damage to connective tissue. One thing that helps is to keep your BG down as much as possible. Even if your condition turns out to be unrelated, this is still a good plan!
 
Many thanx for your comments. The problem was worse before the inserts, it is still a problem with them and I suffer terrible pain in my ankles causing me to rest after only short distances, my podiatrist has indicated that my next visit in a few weeks time will include ultrasound, so I hope it all gets sorted. My BG has been very good of late, my GP has been absolutely great although being off work for the last 5 weeks has been a pain. I am having to cut back my hours to 15 hours per week cos of extreme tiredness, not sure if it the diabetes or the OSA causing the problem.
 
yes.when you go to the discussion forum ie ask the experts or diabetes discussions,just above the topics on the left hand side there is a tab post new topic just click on that to post a new topic
 
A quick update to the foot situation of mine. I seem to be getting an awful lot of cramps in my feet never experienced before which causes my toes to go into spasm. I was driving to a meeting today and the pain was really awful. Can anyone shed any light on what might be the cause.
 
rluscombe said:
.........BG is now adequately under control..........
Hi rluscombe,

I suffered badly from plantar fasciitis, also spondylitis in the neck and also cramp-type sensations in the toes. All of these occured around the same time several years before I was diagnosed as being a Type 2 diabetic. Neither at the time or since have I ever associated any of these problems with my diabetes. However, they did occur around the time that my blood pressure suddenly went high (after having always being low) and - also - my cholesterol figures were found to be very high (TC at 9.7). I also started with skin tags and floaters in the eye around the same time possibly a little bit earlier. With the benefit of hindsight, I think that was the beginning of my diabetic condition. Pre-diabetes or Syndrome-X?

More recently, when my blood glucose levels were high, I suffered from leg cramps in the night.

None of these problems have recurred since I managed to normalise my blood glucose levels.

If you don't mind me asking, what is your level of control?

Best wishes - John
 
my control is not good i have a hospital appointment for 23/12 for conversion to insulin as eds no longer effective. I currently take 1x15mg pioglitizone 4x500mg metformin and 4x80mg glyclazide. i also take 40mg simvastatin and 5mg ramipril, as well as other meds for other conditions i suffer sleep apnea syndrome and cpap and also asthma
 
rluscombe said:
my control is not good i have a hospital appointment for 23/12 for conversion to insulin as eds no longer effective. I currently take 1x15mg pioglitizone 4x500mg metformin and 4x80mg glyclazide. i also take 40mg simvastatin and 5mg ramipril, as well as other meds for other conditions i suffer sleep apnea syndrome and cpap and also asthma
Wow rluscombe - you certainly have a lot happening there!

I take 4x500g of metformin, 40mg of soimvastatin and 2.5mg of ramipril (reduced from 5mg recently).

It might sound a daft question but have you tried making dietary changes? Many Type 2s find that cutting back on starchy carbohydrates - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice - leads to big improvements in blood glucose levels - and also leads to improvements in diabetic symptoms and complications. Have you tried making such changes?

Best wishes - John
 
Simvastatin is a problem for many - causing muscle pains. At first I did not associate it with the problem until I read a letter in 'Balance.' The pains stopped very quickly, & the Dr approved the non-use.

How high is your chol? Stopping it for an experimental period will not cause problems. Best to check with your Dr.

Sue beat me to it :!:
 
Hi rl
I have problem feet. No pain! but because my first metatarsel is short, thus giving the impression that my second toe is much longer than the first[both feet] my feet don't flex in the right places. I've been waiting for an appointment, but so far, they have rung me to say they have me on their radar. I did gett[expensive]help at Altimus, the outdoors equipment suppliers. they were able to find me the right insoles for the boots I bought, which help enourmously.
All my life, my long second toes have been squashed by socks. [bigger size doesn't help] and I regularly get the nails bruised so they drop off. Oh how I would love to wear pretty shoes! :cry: , but tights are impossible. So here I am in my lace-ups.
 
Obstructive Slep Apnoiea is most definitely related to diabetes. I was diagnosed with OSA before the diabetes and so dismissed my extreme fatigue as due to OSA. Since diagnosis, I have lost 5 stone in weight and no longer suffer from my 28 obstructions per hour. I no longer use my CPAP machine, though my consultant will not discharge me until my "recovery" is proven by a sleep study.
 
thanx for all your comments. The cramp is terrible I was driving the other day and my accelerator went into spasm it was aweful. I didnt think you could ever come off CPAP therapy. I was told it would be for life by my consultant.I have inserts for my shoes to try and help but they dont make an ounce of difference.
 
@thomas! this thread is over 9 years old. I suggest you try making a new thread about cpap, asking your questions there. People may not assume a thread titled foot problems is about cpap.
 
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