The search box on site didn't come up with anything for Diabetic Amyotrophy, so I thought I'd let you know what it is and my experience so far in having it! The symptoms are weight loss, muscle wasting, weakness, and extreme pain.
In August I woke with a pain in my hip. It wasn't too bad and I thought I'd pulled a muscle pushing the grandchildren on the swings. Over the following fortnight it got worse and went down my leg to my knee and foot. Classic signs of sciatica which I'd had before - so I went to an osteophath. There wasn't anything that needed manipulation, and I was given a massage and a list of exercises. However, the pain increased and was really bad. I couldn't sleep because of it and was only getting 2/3 hours a night - I spent the rest of the time walking around the house clutching a hot water bottle to my back. I contacted the GP again who prescribed anti depressants which are used extensively for nerve pain. These didn't work, and I was given Tramadol which did help but you can't take for long periods.
The pain was only just bearable. I also noticed that I'd started to lose weight; a couple of pounds a week. The GP still thought I had sciatica and referred me to physiotherapy who eventually sent me for an xray and MRI. The results showed slight disc degeneration but didn't account for the amount of pain, weight loss or the fact that I was now beginning to lose muscle in my legs. My quadricepes began to disappear.
I started to limp and found I couldn't lift my leg or bear weight so couldn't climb stairs properly. My knee started to give way and I began to fall over without warning. I felt sick all the time and couldn't eat; sometimes I'd throw up after a few mouthfulls. The pain was now truly awful especially in my knee, and I was reduced to moaning and tears quite often. The GP prescribed Pregabalin. This is a drug used for lots of things but especially neuropothy or nerve pain.
It was like a switch being turned on and within hours the sickness had gone and I could eat normally. I had lost 3 stone in 8 months and hoped this would now stop. The pain was reduced by about 80%.
To be honest, the GP was stumped for a diagnosis and although he knew I had neuropathy he didn't know which kind, so referred me to a neurologist who recognised my problem immediately and diagnosed Diabetic Amyotrophy. This is different from other neuropothies and is quite rare. They think it happened to me because I had untreated type 2 diabetes, which caused the nerves in my leg to become inflamed. It's a reaction to high blood sugar levels. (A number of blood tests in December, some 5 months later, included one for diabetes and showed a blood sugar level of 30, so I guess I'd been living with syrup in my veins for some time).
Weight loss, extreme pain, wasting of muscles, and weakness are the main characteristics of amyotrophy. However, the rather brilliant news which I found out only last week, is that it is recoverable from. It may take a couple of years and a lot of physio, but there's hope on the horizon and apparently the first thing to go will be the pain. Hooray.
I just wanted to let you know about amyotrophy and my experience of having it.
In August I woke with a pain in my hip. It wasn't too bad and I thought I'd pulled a muscle pushing the grandchildren on the swings. Over the following fortnight it got worse and went down my leg to my knee and foot. Classic signs of sciatica which I'd had before - so I went to an osteophath. There wasn't anything that needed manipulation, and I was given a massage and a list of exercises. However, the pain increased and was really bad. I couldn't sleep because of it and was only getting 2/3 hours a night - I spent the rest of the time walking around the house clutching a hot water bottle to my back. I contacted the GP again who prescribed anti depressants which are used extensively for nerve pain. These didn't work, and I was given Tramadol which did help but you can't take for long periods.
The pain was only just bearable. I also noticed that I'd started to lose weight; a couple of pounds a week. The GP still thought I had sciatica and referred me to physiotherapy who eventually sent me for an xray and MRI. The results showed slight disc degeneration but didn't account for the amount of pain, weight loss or the fact that I was now beginning to lose muscle in my legs. My quadricepes began to disappear.
I started to limp and found I couldn't lift my leg or bear weight so couldn't climb stairs properly. My knee started to give way and I began to fall over without warning. I felt sick all the time and couldn't eat; sometimes I'd throw up after a few mouthfulls. The pain was now truly awful especially in my knee, and I was reduced to moaning and tears quite often. The GP prescribed Pregabalin. This is a drug used for lots of things but especially neuropothy or nerve pain.
It was like a switch being turned on and within hours the sickness had gone and I could eat normally. I had lost 3 stone in 8 months and hoped this would now stop. The pain was reduced by about 80%.
To be honest, the GP was stumped for a diagnosis and although he knew I had neuropathy he didn't know which kind, so referred me to a neurologist who recognised my problem immediately and diagnosed Diabetic Amyotrophy. This is different from other neuropothies and is quite rare. They think it happened to me because I had untreated type 2 diabetes, which caused the nerves in my leg to become inflamed. It's a reaction to high blood sugar levels. (A number of blood tests in December, some 5 months later, included one for diabetes and showed a blood sugar level of 30, so I guess I'd been living with syrup in my veins for some time).
Weight loss, extreme pain, wasting of muscles, and weakness are the main characteristics of amyotrophy. However, the rather brilliant news which I found out only last week, is that it is recoverable from. It may take a couple of years and a lot of physio, but there's hope on the horizon and apparently the first thing to go will be the pain. Hooray.
I just wanted to let you know about amyotrophy and my experience of having it.