15yrs a diabetic and have neropothy and possibly bladder problems and. only 25yrs old any advice on how to cope
Hi,
welcome here.
How are your blood sugars? What is your Hba1c. The best thing I can advise to cope is to get your blood sugars under excellent control. With that you may be able to reverse your problems to a large extent, in time.
There are many people here that can help you with that as there is so much experience here.
Post first what insulins you are using and how you are using them?
Have you done basal and bolus testing so you know exactly how much insulin you need?
Are you eating a lower carb diet?
Lots of questions. Sorry. Medications to mask the problem will not make it go away, so I can only tell you what I know best, which is on the control side.
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At 25 I had only been type one for ten years. You got type one at age ten and now your feet tingle and your bladder got torn or strained? Does your doctor talk with you and try to help you? Do you have a supportive family who understand how to treat type one diabetes. At 25 I was working steady as a data entry typist on swing shift. And that was pretty much all of life. And the work schedule helped stabilise the diabetes. I would suggest that you pray.
Itâs hard to know what to say with the information you have provided - whatâs your a1c? How active are you? Are you otherwise healthy?
Could your bladder problems be the result of an UTI? They love a high bg environment and can be tricky to shift.
My sister (type one since she was 5) developed neuropathy in her feet when she was in her 20âs - so 15 or 20 years in. She had been quite sick and had relationship trouble, so she had really taken her eye off the diabetes management.
Since then, she has changed her diet to make it lower carb as she finds it helps her keep her numbers stable - the law of small numbers. She has also integrated a bit more exercise into her day around when she needs it - morning and evening - going for a walk, or doing some housework. She said that her neuropathy has improved, and that her general management of issues has gotten better too. She still has two ânumbâ toes, so she has to take care of those - wearing good shoes (no more silly strappy heels), and checking her feet religiously.
Itâs not all serious - she still goes all out for her main love - pastries - every now and then but measures, boluses and usually exercises (goes for a walk), and lives a completely normal life - doing everything she wants to do.
She was a huge source of advice for me when i was diagnosed type 1 last year, and following her approach has helped my keep my a1c under control.
Itâs scary being where you are - but if you take control of the situation you can stop it from getting any worse. Donât give up!
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Hi my numbers r no where near perfect but doc says Iâm not too bad we r always working on it I use the omnipod and dexcom. I think my a1c is n the upper 6es my neropothy is just pain in both my feet and my bladder one is still trying to be diagnosed but itâs bad anuff to have to wear diapers
Seen a urologist?
Ask diabetologist about Lyrica for the pain. Or a neurologist.
it took me a while to get properly dx, but finally found out that what i have is very common: an over-active bladder (OAB); the MD prescribed a med for me and have had no problem since. prior to the dx, it was very uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing.
good luck.
also, you might want to try seeing a urologist for the bladder problems. very helpful.
I feel you. I too developed neuropathy in my 20âs. Mine began with terrible calf pain and then about ten years later I started having the burning and stabbing in my feet. Since I have gotten my BGâs under much better control the pain has lessened a bit, but is still so bad it affects my quality of life. But Iâm working on it. I eat a low carb diet, get as much exercise as I can with the neuropathy, and use frankincense and myrrh oil on my legs to help ease the pain when I know I am going to be active. It doesnât help a ton, but every little decrease in pain is better than too much pain.
All we can do is the best we can to get and keep our BGâs under control. Diabetes sucks, but itâs our lot in life and we must refuse to let it bring us down! I hope you figure out your bladder issue and get better soon. Good luck to you. 
My endo told me itâs pretty much a luck of the draw thing when it comes to complications. You could have wonderful numbers for years and still come down with them, or be lackadaisical with your care and never get one. Itâs all in the genes.
I would suggest seeing a specialist for treating each one, do the best you can, and donât beat yourself up. That kind of stress could only hinder and not help you.
I agree with Amanda; donât be too hard on yourself. My daughter is 26 and has peripheral neuropathy in both feet. Seeing a neurologist made a huge difference for her. The neurologist was able to try a couple different medications until they found the one that works best for her with no side effects. The neurologist also shared with us a presentation from the ADA 2013 Scientific Sessions.
Evidence Level A (best results) = anti-convulsants, especially Pregablin (Lyrica)
Evidence Level B (next best) = anti-depressants, Amitriptyline, Duloxetine, Venlafaxine
Evidence Level B = opioids (tramadol, hydrocodone), but comes with concerns of addiction, plus requires dosage increases over time.
Supplements = Alpha Lipoic Acid (600-1200 mcg) with Fish Oil (1-3 g); must be taken together
Topical = Capsaicin patch is the only one that showed any effectiveness
Other = electrical stimulation with a TENS unit
Hope this helps. I know that complications can be disheartening so know that there are ways to reduce the impact and live a pain-free life.
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FWIW, getting the correct dose of Lyrica is critical to diminishing whatever pain itâs prescribed for. What I donât like about it is that I have to take it 3x a day (typical). What I DO like about it is that it doesnât zonk me. It can affect your sex life thoughâŚit makes it harder to âfinishâ, for many patients.
Hi. ⌠I found your post very insightful and correct and I should know I am TID 4 60 years
Karen
I am not going to assume that you are not waatching your BG or paying close attention to your medical advisors. I have had type 1 for 50 years, and I know how difficult it is to be good all the time, but I have seen diabetics who ignored most of the rules with impunity, and others who strictly followed their regimes and ended up losing legs or going blind. I suffer from retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, heart disease, and incipient kidney and liver problems. You can do little but pay close attention to your doctors and advisors, and follow their advice as closely as possible. I have been blind, in one eye at a time, several times, and almost lost toes, but so far, with some excellent medical intervention have all my limbs and two working eyes. It took me a long time to get really serious about taking close care of my condition, but the message is that these problems canât go away, but they can be held at bay, sometimes for a very long time. Best wishes in your struggle.