Advice for dealing with neuropathy in feet

[wendyinsurrey]

Hi all, first post here but I'm newly diagnosed Type 2 and have some neuropathy in feet. Doctor not giving me much advice on how to deal with existing pain, only that keeping my blood sugar regulated with help prevent further damage. Feet feel much worse at night, which I know is common, I was curious if anyone on here had any good tips to help, for instance any topical creams that offer relief, hot or cold compresses helping, or does it help to elevate feet or massage feet or anything? The doctor did try to give me a low dosage of Amitriptyline but that didn't seem to help much, and I'd rather avoid even more medication (I'm on Metformin and Gliclazide and blood sugars doing well on those).

 

[Vonny]

My partner, who has neuropathy in his feet but isn't diabetic, uses Boots brand cooling gel. It doesn't cure it but he finds a bit of relief. He didn't like Amitriptyline as it gave him a very dry mouth, so wasn't on it for long.

Welcome to the forum by the way! 🙂 There should be others along soon with helpful ideas x

 

[mikeydt1]

there is other stuff so worth while talking again with your doctors

 

[wendyinsurrey]

there is other stuff so worth while talking again with your doctors

yes I know this forum doesn't replace a doctor's advice but my doctor didn't seem to know much to tell me, frustratingly. might try the diabetic specialist at my surgery instead. Appreciate the responses so far.

 

[Flower]

Hi and welcome @wendyinsurrey

Hopefully the neuropathy you're experiencing will calm down as your blood glucose stabilises after your recent diagnosis. Transient peripheral neuropathy can result in burning pain & tingling after nerve fibres have been bathed in high glucose levels pre diagnosis but this can gradually improve as blood glucose reduces.

There are other drugs to try if things don't improve but I get that you don't want to add more drugs to the mix. Duloxetene, gabapentin, and pregabalin are other drugs that can be prescribed for peripheral neuropathy and it can take a bit of swapping around and juggling doses to find something that works and to notice a reduction in pain.

Vitamin B12 is important for nerve function and a lack of B12 can be the cause of neuropathy, it would be worth having your levels checked with a blood test if this hasn't been done. Best Wishes.

 

[KARNAK]

Hello @wendyinsurrey welcome to the forum, have you had Neurological tests to prove you actually have
Neuropathy? if so Amitriptyline may relieve the pain slightly but other medication is available as my dear friend
@Flower has explained. Please don`t put compresses on your feet concentrate on getting your blood sugars
under control as a priority, as newly diagnosed (DX) if you have Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) its highly
unlikely it has just started. Slow onset DPN usually occurs months if not longer before DX and if not treated in the
early stages can cause permanent damage to the nerves in your feet and possibly your hands too, Gabapentin and
Pregabalin are the usual treatments along with Duloxetine if needed. This medication does take two or three weeks
to work but well worth the wait, can you confirm you have a definite DX other than your Dr assuming it`s Neuropathy?

Your feet are very precious with Diabetes (D) and need constant care everyday to avoid complications developing
T2`s are just as much at risk as other types so don`t assume complications will not affect you, I suggest you ask your
GP to refer you to a Podiatrist under the NHS and take advice from them, if not available at the moment it would pay
you to have a private consultation with a local Podiatrist who will refer you to the hospital if they think it warrants it.
Please come back and let the forum know how you are coping, also any medication you are on would help plus your
last HbA1c result, we are here to help on your big D journey stay safe. x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @wendyinsurrey

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis and your neuropathy. It must be difficult for you feeling that your Dr doesn’t have much information to offer you

There’s some overview information here in case you’ve not already found it

Diabetic neuropathy (nerve damage)

What is diabetic neuropathy? Diabetic neuropathy is when diabetes causes damage to your nerves. It can affect different types of nerves in your body, including in your feet, organs and muscles. Nerves carry messages between the brain and every part of our bodies so that we can see, hear, feel...

www.diabetes.org.uk

It also seems from posts over the years that it helps to keep your BG as stable and as in range as possible. So aim to avoid big fluctuations, and to gradually reduce high levels towards the normal range 🙂