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My feet are killing me!

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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albouy

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I took this symptoms list off the diabetic uk site...
"Many people with diabetes experience nerve pain in their feet, sometimes called diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. Here?s what to look out for:
An odd or painful feeling in your legs and feet
Pain becoming worse at night
Pain that feels like electric shocks or pins and needles
A burning sensation in your feet
Shooting or stabbing pain
Pain at a light touch
Feet feeling freezing cold without reason
If you have any of these symptoms, the sooner you tell your GP about it the better."

Well, I have all these symptoms and I have talked to my doctor. He doesn't know what to do next! had leg xray that were ok. My two big toes feel cold and sensitive, also under my toes. Sometimes they are very red in colour. Tried Lyrica, no change...need some direction what to do next...Can you help?
 
Hi albouy, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear this, and that your doctor has not provided any help to reduce the pain :( Have you been diagnosed long? What are your blood sugar levels like generally? There are medications that can help with the pain, several of our forum members take them. It sounds like you need to try a different doctor if this one is at a loss.
 
I have all those too but, some of the symptoms I had before diagnosis because I take Ramipril which can cause funny sensations. I also get cramps and also have osteoarthritis in my ankle.

However, I have apparantly good circulation, no loss of sensation and my feet feel warm, despite me thinking that they are sometimes cold.

Most of the symptoms are alleviated by pampering my feet. I wear bed socks and comfy slippers. I wash and brush my feet regularly. I smear them with various potions and lotions and use a Revitive Circulation Booster I also eat bananas regularly because of the high potassium content (for cramps) and I am starting to take vitamin B supplements.

Shoes too have to fit well and be comfortable.

And, use your legs. I cycle and/or use a rower.

The only symptom that I don't have is the pain at a light touch. They keep telling me of horror stories of people walking around with nails in their feet but being unaware of it. That doesn't sound like pain at a light touch.
 
Agree with northerner the doctor should not be stumped at these symptoms, and assuming its diabetic nerve damage.

You should of been referred to a podiatrist who would check your feet over for feeling and sensitivity to at least give a starting reference point.

As Alan says what is your BS level running at as the higher it is the symptoms will be worse and cause permanent nerve damage. If your BS is high getting them down is vital to prevent further damage.

If you are really lucky and caught it in time some of the damage may not be permanent and just be giving you a warning sign that some thing is going wrong.

The doctor can prescribe meds to help ease the symptoms, but not cure them. They used to prescribe an epileptic drug which has been changed to prescribing an antidepressant drug which helps with the symptoms.
 
Another possibility is you might need new shoes. When I need new shoes my feet hurt like mad.

Try and see a different doctor if you can and ask for a referal to the podiatrists. In some areas you can refer yourself so worht investigating.
 
Got all those symptoms as well, the best treatment I've found is warm socks at night and when it's very bad I take Tramacet (paracetamol and tramadol). That gives me a raging thirst and wakes me up at 4am but at least my feet don't hurt.
 
Basically, you have two issues here. (1) the pain - you doc should either prescribe something for you, or refer you to somebody who knows what to give you; (2) the underlying issues - you should have been referred to the diabetic podiatry service immediately, that's what they are there for. If I were you, I'd go to another GP at the practice. Leaving it to get worse because you have a lazy/ignorant doctor would be a very bad idea.
 
LeeLee said:
If I were you, I'd go to another GP at the practice. Leaving it to get worse because you have a lazy/ignorant doctor would be a very bad idea.
Click to expand...

Exactly the problem I had with one doctor at my practice, ended up having to call 999 after the one doc said there's nothing wrong when there was a major problem.
 
Please change albouy to aboatboya! Sorry, because of login problems I have re-registered as aboatboya. Here was my first thread:-

My feet are killing me!

I took this symptoms list off the diabetic uk site...
"Many people with diabetes experience nerve pain in their feet, sometimes called diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain. Here’s what to look out for:
An odd or painful feeling in your legs and feet
Pain becoming worse at night
Pain that feels like electric shocks or pins and needles
A burning sensation in your feet
Shooting or stabbing pain
Pain at a light touch
Feet feeling freezing cold without reason
If you have any of these symptoms, the sooner you tell your GP about it the better."

Well, I have all these symptoms and I have talked to my doctor. He doesn't know what to do next! had leg xray that were ok. My two big toes feel cold and sensitive, also under my toes. Sometimes they are very red in colour. Tried Lyrica, no change...need some direction what to do next...Can you help?

I am adding this further info today,29/6/13.
You asked about my blood sugar fasting which is 112mg/dl, around 6.0.
I take Metformine 700 twice a day, Fenofibrate145mg, plus other tablets for my arterial fibrilation control.
My A1c last test 2 months ago was 5.7%(39mm/mol) Tryglycerides 0.67mmol/l or 0.59g/l, creatinine 72umol/l or 8.1mg/l, glycemie 6.89mmol/l or 1.24g/l. Total cholesterol 5.70mmol/l or 2.21g/l, uric acid 250umol/l
I have been to a Podologue who cut my nails. He tested/pricked my big toes without much feeling(my toes, not him)
Your comments are most helpful and welcome.
 
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Hello again aboatboya. Are you living in the UK? I ask because Lyrica is an Egyptian brand name. Most of us on this forum are UK-based, so our recommendations are mostly about NHS services.

Is there a large hospital near you that has a Diabetes specialist centre? Leg x-rays may not show up enough detail to give an accurate diagnosis. A large centre may have the equipment to do a more sensitive test. Also, doctors specialising in the field may have a greater range of drugs to offer.

I also had a patch of numbness on one of my toes for a few months. My doctor and podiatrist didn't think anything could be done... but as I improved my glycaemic control through small changes to my diet, the numbness went away. There is some hope! Have you been offered help with adjusting your diet?
 
Last edited:
aboatboya said:
I am adding this further info today,29/6/13.
You asked about my blood sugar fasting which is 112mg/dl, around 6.0.
I take Metformine 700 twice a day, Fenofibrate145mg, plus other tablets for my arterial fibrilation control.
My A1c last test 2 months ago was 5.7%(39mm/mol) Tryglycerides 0.67mmol/l or 0.59g/l, creatinine 72umol/l or 8.1mg/l, glycemie 6.89mmol/l or 1.24g/l. Total cholesterol 5.70mmol/l or 2.21g/l, uric acid 250umol/l
I have been to a Podologue who cut my nails. He tested/pricked my big toes without much feeling(my toes, not him)
Your comments are most helpful and welcome.
Click to expand...

There is a possibility that, as you have only been diagnosed a few months and have clearly improved your blood sugar control significantly over those months, the symptoms you are feeling are transient in nature ('transient neuropathy'). For a few months after my diagnosis I experienced similar pains, particularly at night, but these disappeared as my body got used to my improved levels, What was your HbA1c at diagnosis?
 
Hi Northerner, Thanks for getting back to me. I am looking at my tests in November 2012 and I was given a cholesterol test but no HbA1c report. The test of my first HbAic was on 8/1/13 and recorded at 6.2% or 44mmol/mol. I am british and live in south France. I went to a general dietician at the hospital(she told me nothing that was not obvious). Since then, I don't eat potatoes, rice, pasta, very little brown bread, no butters etc (olive oil yes) I don't have a 'sweet tooth' and exercise everyday with a bike ride, not strenuous stuff, I suppose I should do more. I do eat chicken, skin off, and fish sometimes. I did have an avacado spate but dietition was not happy.
I have lost a good amount of weight over time. I am always interested in what members are taking...they love dealing out tablets here for everything. My doctor prescribed me a box of statins...I saw the bad press and decided not to take them. He was ok with that. So there you have it. I am trying to get rid of these foot sensations. One person on this forum described the feelings in the feet are like "walking on a bag of nails"..............exactly, nicely put...
 
Hi LeeLee, Thanks for your response. Well spotted. i am british and live in southern France. I tried Lyrica 75mg(pregabeline) twice a day...I was not keen because I didn't like the Wikipida side effects list, so after one month I stopped them with no effects on my problem. The Podologe chap cut my nails and said "See you in three months"
Large hospitals we have but there does not seem to be the 'urgency' around diabetics...maybe its just me? I will do some more asking. If you read my thread to Northerner you will see the sort of changes I have made to my diet. Luckily, I don't have a 'sweet tooth' and never have. So cakes etc; are not for me.
I must try to stop thinking about my red toes and the feelings they give me. It is hard.
 
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