Neuropathy

[Jennie]

I know higher blood glucose can cause neuropathy and as my BGs are not as low as they should be, I am wondering if the pain in my right thigh, which is sometimes really bad and keeps me from sleeping at night, can be helped if I manage to lower my numbers - will it go away? I also get pain in my right buttock and occasionally my right forearm - always seems to be on the right side.

I have also suffered from back pain for ages and so have been on pain meds for ages, but lately it seems worse. Could this also be because of neuropathy.

The thing that bothers me most though is very occasionally I seem to have a problem with my balance. Doesn't last for more than a couple of hours but is a really horrible sensation. I would hate for it to get worse, or permanent, so that I cannot drive my car.

Are all these things syptoms of neuropathy? I have been T2 for 14 years and have only been on Metformin for about 18 months.

I am due to see my GP in a few days but would like to know if anybody else has similar problems and any advice please.


.

 

[kojack]

........
The thing that bothers me most though is very occasionally I seem to have a problem with my balance. Doesn't last for more than a couple of hours but is a really horrible sensation. I would hate for it to get worse, or permanent, so that I cannot drive my car.
I am due to see my GP in a few days but would like to know if anybody else has similar problems and any advice please.

If you get a loss of balance Jennie before you see your GP, check your bs.

On the rare occasions that I have had onset of a hypo, I have been a bit trembly and experienced some loss of balance.
Just a wild thought.
This happened yesterday morning after a lot of heavy lifting to load the car with garden refuse to take to the local tip. Onset was about two hours later.

As an aside, I always check bs before driving.

 

[Vanessa]

Jennie, last summer I had some problems with intermittent loss of balance. Checked my blood sugars and had no problem so checked with the GP who came up with the glorious sounding diagnosis of intermittent benign paroxysmal vertigo. All it meant was that some little bit of debris that we all have had got out of place in my inner ear and was causing me to go dizzy. Apparently related to getting into middle age but not related to diabetes. Cleared up after a couple of weeks but whilst it lasted was not able to drive. Touch wood - I've not had any other problems since. Telling you this story as not everything is due to our sweetness but always worth getting checked out

Don't know whether your pains are due to neuropathy but getting those blood sugars down should help lower any inflammatory response. Your appointment with the doctor seems timely.

 

[Jennie]

If you get a loss of balance Jennie before you see your GP, check your bs.

On the rare occasions that I have had onset of a hypo, I have been a bit trembly and experienced some loss of balance.
Just a wild thought.
This happened yesterday morning after a lot of heavy lifting to load the car with garden refuse to take to the local tip. Onset was about two hours later.

As an aside, I always check bs before driving.

Thanks for that Kojack - this morning's brief loss of balance episode was just before lunch - never thought to check bs. Well, GP said I wouldn't get any hypo type problems with Metformin.

And thanks for your reply Vanessa - I really must be very strict with my diet.

 

[sofaraway]

What you describe doesn't sound like typical neuropathy, but it's obviously causing you problems so I would suggest you visit your GP.

Metformin doesn't stimulate pancreas to produce more insulin so doesn't cause hypo's in that way. But remember anyone can have low blood sugar, so it is a possibility, so John's advice to test is a good idea.

 

[Caroline]

Check your blood sugars, but also chat with your GP or diabetic care team too. I have balance problems when I get an ear infection, but don't always get ear ache with it.

There are many possible causes for balance problems, having a hypo or an ear infection are the most common. Unexplained pains are always worth getting checked. It's possible you have sat or done something awkwardly and it's muscle strain, but getting it checked out is better than worrying what else it might be.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Jennie]

Thanks again for helpful advice.

Appointment with GP not until next week but will certainly
get things checked out.

 

[Einstein]

Hi Jennie,

I have neuropathy, which in my lower limbs is now pretty much complete numbness, but in my forearms and hands I get quite severe pain, of which pregabalin is no longer touching. The pain of neuropathy can move around a specific part of the body with no warning, the worst I'd known until the past month has been in my left thumb. However, the arms are now bad all the time.

Well worth discussing it and getting it checked out. My experience is that normal pain killers will not touch neuropathic pain, there are specific pain killers which work on the nervous system not muscles or joints.

Regarding balance, if you have numbness in your lower limbs or excessive pain, especially in the joints then you can inhibit one of the three modes of balance control. These being the area around your inner ear (not actually the ear in terms of hearing, but three C shaped chambers filled with the same fluid as in the cochlear), the second is sight - keeping a check on a reference point and the final element is the feedback from your joints in the ankles, knees and pelvis that your feet are on the ground or moving as you expect them too.

If one of these components isn't working fully then falls or stumbles may occur from time to time, if two of them are defective then stumbling and falling is more problematic.

Due to deafness my balance is pretty poor from a hearing perspective, however, add the numbness due to neuropathy and life becomes real fun. Add walking in the dark and I've lost count of how many knees I've gone through in trousers!

The simple solution for me has been the addition of a stick, this gives me a reference point to the ground and I am training my brain to realise that if the feedback is coming from my arms, then my feet are ok. Still an issue with kerbs and steps - stairs are no fun either, I have lost count of how many times I've gone backwards down mine at home!

While seeing your GP about the pain, ask about the balance as well, there are a few rehabilitation excercises you can do to train your balance, a physioterrorist may be able to assist you further, failing that there are usually one or two people in the ENT department who have knowledge of balance issues through hearing and they may be able to assist you further.

 

[Jennie]

Hi David
I think I should not complain after reading your neuropathy problems.
I have no numbness only pain so maybe it's not neuropathy - and my balance
problem has been very infrequent but never-the-less disquieting which is
why I am wanting things checked out.


ps - liked your Freudian slip -
or was it an intended pun "physioterrorist"

 

[Einstein]

Hi Jennie,

Numbness is one side of the condition, pain is the other side - I think the pain is harder to live with, while the numbness can be difficult its not what keeps you awake at night or at times limits your doing things. Only your medical team can diagnose, there are two sides to diabetic neuropathy and as with many conditions lots of symptoms can appear similar but require expert diagnosis as to the specific cause.

It was an intended pun by the way! 😉