BS: Peripheral Neuropathy

Subject: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Michael
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 05:30 AM

I have recently been diagnosed as having Peripheral Neuropathy as a side effect of diabetes. I've Googled and found descriptions but little of any help, so over to you Mudcatters.

Thanks in anticipation,
Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Paul Burke
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 05:42 AM

Looks like a bit of a bugger, but this looks useful.

The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy often affect the arms and legs. Common characteristics, depending on the type of neuropathy may include muscle weakness, chronic neuropathic pain (including - numbness, sensory disturbance, pins & needles, burning sensations etc.), and paralysis.

Additional complications reported by a significant number of our subscribers include amongst others; fatigue, memory retention deficit, mood swings, swallowing difficulty, acid reflux/generalised stomach complaints, and ataxia. Ataxia is a term used to describe a general lack of co-ordination, position sense and manual dexterity.
....

If a neuropathy turns out to be a sign of a general medical problem such as diabetes mellitus or kidney failure then treatment of the underlying medical problem will often help the neuropathy.

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 06:15 AM

sounds hideous, but the last par is a Good Thing. Best wishes for successful treatment, Mike.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: TheSnail
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 07:11 AM

The burning, tingling sensations in my feet were amongst the symptoms that various GPs and chiropodists managed to ignore completely before finally giving me a blood test and diagnosing diabetes. The sensations have diminished since getting my blood sugar down but are still there. What you must do is constantly check for even minor cuts or blisters because you may not feel them and they can turn nasty.

Thanks for the link, Paul. That looks very useful.

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: PoppaGator
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 04:58 PM

You might consider looking into hyperbaric oxygen therapy ("HBOT"), which can yield amazing results in treating many different kinds of neurological problems.

It's somewhat controversial; the medical establishment recognizes it as appropriate (and eligible for financial reimbursement by government programs and private insurance) for a number of seemingly unrelated conditions but not for others, despite a great deal of anecdotal evidence that it works for the many unrecognized ("off-label") applications.

It is widely approved for treating diabetic foot wounds, incidentally, although it may not be curently approved for the neuropathy resulting from diabetes.

This is not any kind of "New Age" or "alternative" healing; it's part of conventional, scientific medicine, but there is disagreement within the medical community (and quite a bit more disagreement within the healthcare business) about its effectiveness in the very wide variety of situations claimed by its adherents. There are advocates running HBOT clinics all over the industrialized world.

Here's a link to Dr, Paul Harch's website. You should find it interesting; be sure to check out the "before and after" video of the teenager who sustained severe brain trauma in an auto accident.

If you become really interested, you should order his book, "The Oxygen Revolution." It''s available through the above-linked site, but it's also available from Amazon, so you can order using Amazon's Mudcat connection, and have a portion of your payment remitted to Max...

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Ferrara
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 07:35 PM

I've had a lot of success using nutritional supplements for various problems since my heart transplant. Many transplant patients develop diabetes (I have it) and I was having tingling in my feet.

The doctor (at my HMO and my transplant nurse both recommended linoleic acid for neuropathy. Recently I read that lipoic acid also helps. You can get Linoleic Acid in many forms including Evening Primrose Oil and I believe Flaxseed Oil. Lipoic acid is available as Alpha Lipoic Acid among other forms. Each manufacturer claims to have the "best, most absorbable, most effective" form but I just use the cheapest form I can find from a reputable maker.

My own rule about supplements is to start with a very modest dose unless my doctor recommends a specific dose.

Best of luck,
Rita F

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Bobert
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 07:46 PM

My dad had it for the last 20 years of his life... He got around and drove until a month before he died of an unrealted illness at 88 years old...

Good luck with it but it ain't no death sentence... Just a bump along life's highway... But I don't think that golf is in yer future but, hey, golf ain't it's all that it's cracked up to be anyway...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Nov 08 - 10:23 PM

Had itin fingers--diagnosed as symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome. RElatively minor surgery fixed it...before I had a chance to finish my Gilbert & Sullivan parody:

"I am a banjo player with peripheral neuropathy.."

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Megan L
Date: 18 Nov 08 - 03:38 AM

Dauvitt first notticed it when he couldnt tell which pedal he had reaced for in the car(thankfully the few times it happened before we realised what was going on he hit the brake)

Since it is the result of diabetese keep your sugars as well controlled as possible. Keep taking exercise so that the muscles dont begin to become wasted.

You can do so much to keep it under control and they are always making new discoveries to help.

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Michael
Date: 18 Nov 08 - 05:32 AM

Thanks for the messages everybody, the links are helpful, I'm doing my best at keeping the blood glucose down, which should help prevent it getting worse.
Aparently, as The Snail says, the damage is often done long before diabetes is diagnosed. I was told at the diabetes clinic that (in The UK at least) on average, most people have diabetes for 8 years before it's disagnosed!!
The moral there - if you have even the slightest suspicion - get tested, it don't hurt.

Thanks again
Mike

Subject: RE: BS: Peripheral Neuropathy
From: Escapee
Date: 18 Nov 08 - 10:16 AM

Diet, exercise, meds, testing. Me too.
Good luck, Mike