Diabetic Neuropathy

Type 2
21

Well, apparently good control doesn’t always stop the progression. Given an initial DX of 6.8, and not really any great changes in my diet or exercise for many years prior to that, I doubt ever had anywhere near the higher numbers that so many here, who have no complications, have recorded. Dropping easily to 5.5, and then to 5.0, along with lots of weight lost, and BP numbers at the absolute lowest they should ever be, ought to have made this more of a slow, progressive nuisance, rather than an instant debilitation. One day, I was in very good health, by measurable standards, and the next day, I could barely walk. Its been seven weeks, and I can’t move about, and getting worse. This is what I get for all the exercise, the weight loss, the tight sugar control…

I got a ride to the lab, because I can’t drive, made my friend get me a wheel chair, because I cannot walk, pretty humiliating, and my A1c is now at 6.4, which is the result of no exercise, and anxiety and stress, destined no doubt to go higher. Big deal, tight control did me no good, so who cares?

Curiously, a 6.4 translates to an BG average of 134 yet as I go through my readings for the last three months, averaging three to four a day, there is not one reading that exceeds 134, and few past 125, so that A1c number is impossible by the meter readings I have. I suppose my BG goes to 200 at night when I am not looking…

No, I agree with the basic premise, but in my case, the experiment failed, and I won’t live like this. My meds and supplies cost over $500 a month, and with no income, that is just flat impossible. Finding work when I cannot work, is just another impossible task. I have put my house up for sale, to pay the debts, and what is left I will split among my children to avoid the legal hassles. Since I own nothing else, that will prevent them from having any government interventions, and then I will see what this stuff about God, and the next life is all about.

Best of luck to everyone here. I failed, and I haven’t got the strength to get back up again. Life is too lonely, and too pathetic to bother with.

Take care,

John

22

Oh John,
My heart goes out to you. But you are NOT a failure. This disease is difficult to predict and control and sends us all into a tailspin now and then. PLEASE don’t give up! It sounds to be like you may be clinically depressed! Talk to your kids, your doctor, anyone you are close to. There is help available out there. Everyone here on this site cares about you and wishes you well.

23

here’s a link to Lois’ blogs

24

John,

Please call someone and talk with them, even your local emergency services, to find someone who can help you with your situation.

Please
Scott

25

Hi John,

My mom is not diabetic, but she suffers from Neuropathy, for moths even before we knew what was going on, she was on bed and could not walk. It was terrifying for her and very difficult to deal with all her responsibilities. I remember she got very depressed and felt her life was never going to be the same.

She is better now, at the beginning it was not easy to find the right treatment… they had to try many things, but once they got it right, she was all better. Now once in a while pain strikes her again, but in not the rule.

I am going to ask her what is she taking right now.

26

I’m sorry that you are suffering so much John. That sounds Terrible. My Neuropathy is gone now but when it started, my toe and a small portion on my sole was numb…no pain until months later on top of my foot when I’d go to bed.

I know the symptoms of Neuropathy do start and develops differently for many People but it could be something else as mentioned.

I hope that they find a treatment that works Good for you. You’re in my thoughts and prayers.

27

John, how are you doing today?

28

Hi Marie,

Hard to answer, because I don’t want to just be a whiner. Serious pain, no sleep, stress, anxiety, inability to walk, and lack of desire to do anything just about covers it.

I have several Real Estate agents coming to my house tomorrow, AM and PM, and will be getting it on the market as soon as possible. Diabetes is a very expensive disease, and spending tons of cash on doctors who really don’t know what they are doing, and really don’t care, has drained my wallet, and so the sooner I get rid of the house and split the money among my kids, the sooner I can move on to whatever awaits, leaving more money for my children, instead of thieves who masquerade as doctors and medical personnel. We have the best healthcare in the US, but its too expensive, and those of us at the bottom, simply have to learn to live with pain and the unknown since we cannot afford the help we need.

Thanks for thinking of my. I hope you are doing well and have a good day today, and always.

John

29

Hi John. I am very sorry to hear of your problems they sound similar to mine. When I walk it feels like rocks in my feet. It hurts to walk. I have also suffered finacially from this (No job) I just want to say you are not alone and that I guess maybe life sucks?? I don’t know? Maybe we will have some sort of change. But when you talk of suicide, be careful! I have had two serious attempts over this mess. One time I was locked up for 2 weeks against my will, the other in a coma for 2 months. I came within a whisker of living in a nursing home the rest of my life (from brain damage). So John suicide attempts only complicate matters. DON"T DO IT!i And John, we don’t have the best healthcare in the world. American health care is terrible. I have been to Europe believe me, ours is horrible.

30

Hello Mick,

I won’t debate the better health care providers :slight_smile: I also won’t fill the thread with my life issues. Just want to make it clear that the fact that I cannot walk anymore, is the tilting point, not the lone reason for depression and decisions to put an end to this joke of a life. I could get it solved, if I was rich, but there is no more money to be had. Its been an awful ten years, and I am loathe to find a way to make it better. Just need to get the legal stuff tucked away so my kids don’t get screwed by the legal slimeballs that infest our planet.

There is no help or hope for someone who has no one, no money, no job, too old to get work, can’t walk ten yards, and is about to lose his home to the bank. Nothing lasts forever. Its okay. Thanks.

John

31

I really hope you feel better soon. Are you getting any treatment for the pain?

My husband is taking Cymbalta and it has help with both, pain and depression, the same that my mom took for some time, she is not taking it anymore. Manuel’s latest A1C is 5.7. We did the Bayer test from home few weeks before the lab test, and though is was broken or something because it came with 5.4, and he was feeling pain on his feet and the podiatrist said it was Neuropathy. So unfair, but it happens. His A1C is fine, but it seems he is more sensible and whenever he is high he feels pain.

32

I have been on anti-inflammatories since the first of Dec. Diclofenac. Does nothing for me, even when I double the prescribed dosage. One podiatrist put me on Lyrica, not a good idea for someone depressed and suicidal. Only made things worse, and I couldn’t take it long enough to know if it would help. It was five of the worst days I have ever had. Tremors, shakes, unbalanced, and feeling like death would be most welcome, and ended with an anxiety attack that lasted about three hours. Those pills now sleep with the fishes, but not before I had to pay a lot of money for them. Nothing I have tried seems to help. I was prescribed Metanx which is a super vitamin that might heal some of the damage, but the pseudo insurance I have won’t pay for it, and its very expensive, which means I can’t have it.

Another doctor visit would be another $120. Just speeds up the foreclosure on my house for non-payments.

I used to look forward to going to sleep at night, but now I hate the notion, because I know when I get up in the morning, its going to hurt like hell when my feet hit the floor, and will take me two or three hours to do the usual routine that once took twenty minutes.

I’m sorry for your husband, but I am very glad he has you to help him deal with it all. You can’t put a price on how important it is to have someone at your side.

33

John,
I can see that things feel really hard right now. I am concerned for your wellbeing, and I want to make sure you get the support you need right now. I’d like to give you a referral to the National Hopeline Network (http://www.hopeline.com). You can call their hotline anytime at 1.800.784.2433 (1.800.SUICIDE). They are a caring and concerned group of counselors who are specifically trained to talk about suicide and can help you in this moment.

In addition to this, here is a direct link to a page with our patient assistance resources, which should be useful to you to help you cover the cost of your meds:
http://tudiabetes.com/notes/Diabetes_Patient_Assistance_Resources

Hope this this helps,

34

John
I am really concerned. If you go the route, Social Security Disability - Medicare will help. My husband has SS disability and Medicare and he also has PAAD - Physicians Assistance for the Aged and Disabled. It really helps with his meds. He had a kidney transplant and the anti-rejection medications are extremely expensive but a necessity.
If you research PAAD and SS Disability I am sure they can give you some resources in your area. Also the large pharmacological companies i.e. Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Novartis etc also have some free samples/medications they can give you. Try researching the various research trials that are out there by companies wanting people to test their products - they cover the cost of the medication and doctors visits.
Good Luck to You
Sheila

35

John,
I have similar numbers to you and last year started having a lot of pain in my feet. Turns out it was caused by inflammation in my body, not by neuropathy. I went on a strict anti-inflammatory diet and am now amost completely pain free. Foods that cause inflammation include red meat and wheat for most people. Soy, corn and dairy are also commonly difficult to digest. It is difficult to cut out these foods since they are in ALL packaged foods, but if you try for a week to eat veggies, fruit and only gluten free whole grains, you would know if this is a factor. It is much better than taking potentially dangerous medications. By the way, I got off blood pressure meds and am now in a healthy low range of 110/70 so I know that diet really made a big difference in my life. Worth a try? The most important things to cut out would be red meat and wheat. Lots of people get instant relief if they try this.

36

Libby,

As usual, there is no link on the page to reply to your comment, :frowning: so I hope you see this. What it the world do you eat? I can’t eat fruit, nor any grains, and so if I cut out dairy, there is very little left on this earth to eat except vegetables, which I eat often, but can’t live on. I seldom eat read meat, too expensive, and so without cheese, eggs, and a small amount of milk to wash down the pathetically tiny portion of special K I can handle, I come up empty with what to eat. I am listening if you have suggestions, as it can’t hurt to try your suggestion, but no grains, no fruits, no dairy, no red meat, doesn’t leave many choices. What does your diet look like?

John

37

John,
I have LADA and take insulin, so am able to eat some fruit. I eat a very odd diet, which is a lot of raw food. I bake cookies, crackers and muffins with almond flour and coconut flour. I do eat eggs and some dairy foods, lots of nuts. A typical breakfast is granola made out of nuts and yogurt, or pancakes made with almond flour, or an omelet. For lunch I always have a big salad, which consists of vegetables (carrots, cabbage, spinach or kale), fruit (1/2 an apple, orange, grapefruit or some blueberries), nuts, and here’s the weird thing: sprouted lentils or adzuki beans. I sprout the lentils by soaking them for about 8 hours and then leaving them in a sieve on the counter for a couple of days. I can’t eat cooked lentils without a high BG but raw don’t affect me at all. For dinner I have vegetables, a small amount of fish, beans or chicken and a salad or a second vegetable. I often have cooked greens instead of a starch. Special K has wheat so I wonder what would happen if you did try to cut out wheat at least for a few days, to see if it makes a difference.

38

Hmmm…the under part of the big toe on my left foot feels like that, numb/walking on dead grass. As well, over the arch on top of my left foot, there’s a bony permanently painful bump there. My hands (mostly my left one) goes numb also, and at times the pinkie in that hand spazzes out at a weird angle, and I have to massage it back into place. Where exactly is the pain on your feet?

39

By the way…anti inflammatory drugs don’t agree with me either. I once retained 10 pounds of water in 3 days!

40

John

Without a doubt get your BM’s under control, this is crucial in preventing any more damage

i wrote a post on Reversing diabetes Neuropathy By way of supplementation so check that out
https://forum.tudiabetes.org/topics/reversing-diabetes-neuropathy

Been on the supplements for nearly 2 months now and sometimes i feel its the worlds most expensive Urine but i do know that my rest pain has stopped, restless leg all but gone and have some residual tingling but no more pain when walking

try it out

let us know