I was searching to see if I posted this already but I do not see that I have, or perhaps I missed it from quickly skimming through. I take Gabapentin also known as Neurontin. I do believe it is covered under the Walmart ( or Walgreens or most pharamcies) $4 perscription plan. This has helped me tremendously with nerve pain.
As silly as it sounds, I was in so much pain and discomfort before I tried gabapentin that after it took affect I felt like my foot was wrapped in silk.
I asked my doctor if he could recommend any Natural remedies for my Nueropathy and he told me to go look it up on the internet? but Ive been taking most of these Nutritional Options for the last 6 weeks and has limited Benefit, hope it helps you too, http://www.lef.org/protocols/neurological/neuropathy_01.htm
My Neuropathy seems to be spreading into my hands. Does anybody have any ideas.?
I agree with everything Danny says, but I also need to be brutally honest with you. If your profile is accurate, the real problem you have is your blood sugar. With an HbA1c of 10.1, your average blood sugar is 245 mg/dl. Your blood sugar is not controlled and every day your elevated blood sugar is doing you harm. You “'MUST” get your blood sugar tightly controlled or your neuropathy will likely get worse and it certainly won’t get better. You need to get your act in gear, tighten up your diet and really get your insulin properly dosed to bring that blood sugar down. If your diabetes team won’t help, then find new ones who can.
Your expanding neuropathy is a sign of damage from high blood sugars. Please don’t let this happen. If you want suggestions from this community, just start a thread and lost of people will chime in and try to help.
Neuropathies can result from causes other than high BG. Don’t know what caused your reaction, but neuropathies don’t manifest quickly like that.
Look up the Alpha Lipoic Acid info because you need to take a significant amount, usually more than what the supplements recommend on their packages. I was involved with a research study for the JDRF through U. of MI Hospitals and for two years they had me take a blend of 2 supplements and 1 drug. One of the supplements was ALA and it seemed to help. There is some info out there although I don’t have everything I looked at available. This is one of the first things I found when I Googled it: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/natural-medicine/alternative/alpha-lipoic-acid5.htm
Keep asking you doctor to look into it. My original doctor didn’t take my pain seriously for quite some time and I suffered for many months before a neurologist at U of M told me about the research study and ALA. I’m finished with the study but I still take ALA every day.
Hi Paula,
Does sound like an allergic reaction & quite a strong one. Very consistent readings for your meter to be at fault. Have you eaten that food again since?
My husband (T1 for more than 30 years) has had bouts of bad neuropathy in his feet for several years. He is VERY good about checking his sugars and staying on top of things, sees his doctors (there are several) regularly and does everything right that he can. When nothing seemed to help his pain, I did some digging on the Internet and found several instances of people recommending Ben-Gay. It may sound ridiculous, but my husband now uses it when the pain hits and it helps him. It may not help everyone, but I figure it’s worth a shot. He’s already on so many medications–some of which have really crap side effects–so taking another medication that might have a whole host of new side effects, and/or might interfere with something he’s already taking was a concern. At least with the Ben-Gay, those things aren’t a concern and for him, it helps. I’m passing this along in the hopes that it might help someone else. He uses the maximum strength formula.
Hi Lois,
I’m new to this board and just found your post. If you don’t mind me asking, did your Lyrica problems have to do with vision?
Wha???
You test twice a month? What am I missing?
Interesting…makes sense.
Actually ALA is not that expensive unless you buy it at a supplement store. You can actually buy it at Trader Joes or even Wal-Mart for a reasonable Price and it works just as well as the higher price ones you find in places like Super Supplements. Of course you can always go for R-Lipoic Acid whch is like Alpha LIpoic Acid except that it has a much shorter shelf life than Alpha Lipoic Acid but is basically the same.
For me tracking blood sugars, keeping track of foods eaten, the ingredients in foods eaten, carb counts, medications, insulin dosages and being tested for Vitamin B levels all played a role in tracking down why I was having neuropathy symptoms. I finally discovered it was due to low Vitamin B12 levels and also a corn allergy.
Would you believe a corn allergy could cause so much dscomfort and for so long? And would you believe how many things corn is in? Even baking soda is made from corn starch. And what about maltodextrin which is a kind of sweetner used in powdered drink mixes and in a lot of pills, etc. Need I say more?
Getting one’s blood sugars and A1C’s into normal range is a good starting place and then if that doens’t help doing some good detective work also helps. And for what it is worth neuropathy sucks.
Just found this discussion and hope to throw out some related questions. I’ve been having intense aching pain in my back and legs, all the way down to my feet, for a couple of months. It’s so bad that the rescue meds I normally take 3 or 4 times a month, I’ve taken days at a time, 4 to 8 500mg hydrocodones a day. Plus Aleve, Excedrin ,Lyrica, arhtitis rubs–and still hurting so bad I can’t sleep.
My legs and feet are so mumb at times I can barely walk and have to use a cane for balance.
He suggested DIABETIC AMYOTOPHY and sent me to a neurologist. He didn’t think it was amytrophy, but scheduled an EEG and an EMG for next week. (I should mention that I am also seeing the neurologist because I blacked out a few weeks ago and totaled my car.)
The condition seems to come and go to some degree. Today it’s not so bad; I’ve had only one hydrocodone. And I can walk without so much pain.A neurosurgeon ruled out another collapsed disk. He suggestion diabetic
Complicating the issue is that I also have Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (lupus and other autoimmune syndromes), arthritis, fibromyalgia, lifelong major depressive disorder, degenerative disk disease. Several years ago I was diagnosed with diabetic autonomic neuropathy. At times it’s hard to tell where the pain is originating, since I have it 24/7, all over. Normally, I can tune in out. Not this.
Just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this sort of complication, has any suggestions about what may be causing it, or has suggestions about possible remedies.
Thanks.