Though this is the "Women's Room", when I saw the post labeled "neuropathy", it caught my eye (male here).
I do have neuropathy, which was actually diagnosed a year or two before I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It began as a slight numbness in my feet, primarily my left foot. As time went on, the numbness became more severe, and associated pain began as well. That was back in about 2004, and I was diagnosed with type 2 in late 2005.
I was seeing a doctor at the VA hospital in Madison, WI, to treat the neuropathy. He asked me if I had diabetes. When I told that I did not, he suggested that it was quite likely that within a year or two years, I would probably have it, as he had seen this symptom or disease of neuropathy in non-diabetics, who eventually developed diabetes. And true to his diagnosis and prognosis, it developed.
From 2005 until early February of this year (2010), I struggled with various medicines (oral) or combinations of medicines, constantly "chasing" an elusive acceptable blood glucose level. Finally, in February of this year, I began insulin treatment and have gained control of that elusive blood glucose level I've been seeking.
During that interim of 2005 through Feb of this year, the neuropathy symptoms increased dramatically. The numbness grew to the entire foot and ankle, and the pain greatly increased, in spite of medications given in and attempt to ease the pain. The highest pain level was in the several months preceding February of this year, when the blood glucose levels had really gone off the charts for me.
In addition to the pain levels increasing in my feet (toes mostly), it also began to develop in my hands, beginning first with the numbness again, along the two outwards most fingers. The pain could be described as a "many-fold" type(s) of pain. There is the constant "burning" or "aching", but there is also the irregular "stabbing" pains (of usually brief durations), which would increase in frequency and intensity as the disease worsened, especially during that time period approaching early this year.
Since the insulin therapy began in early February, and I've finally gained control of my blood glucose levels, I can honestly report that the neuropathy condition has also improved drastically. I am not suggesting that I am without pain or that the disease has gone into remission or anything like that. But the pain levels or episodes of stabbing pains have dropped dramatically.
There is obviously a connection between high and/or uncontrolled blood glucose levels, and the pain (and frequency) levels of the neuropathy. Since February of this year, my A1C has gone from its highest level ever for me of 10.4% down to 7.6% as of my last testing, early June. I am still finding ways (diet, insulin dosages and times) to tweak my blood glucose levels, in hopes of getting my A1C's down to about 6.5% for my next testing in September or so.
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