Do you have neuropathy? Introduce yourself here!

I bought a pair of Clark flip flops at Macy’s a couple months ago for about $40. Not cheap by far especially for flip flops but with the foot pain I have, I would have paid $100 for good shoes. I have worn these every single day (except ONE day) since I bought them. They are the ONLY shoes that I have found so far that I can wear and still manage to be “normal”. I wear size 11 shoes so it’s hard for me to find anything in my size that fits good AND is comfortable.

Im 25 and I havent been diagnosed with neuropathy…yet. Robyn I too get swollen for no reason up to my knees and no one knows why.

Hi,
Has anyone tried the diabetic shoes made by Crocs? I need a good shoe. I am in alot of pain and even orthopedic shoes don’t seem to help.

Hi Everyone,My name is Debbie and this is my first time to be here in this group. I am glad I found you guys! I have just been dx’d with a new neuropathy,its called,Diabetic Autonomic Neuropathy of the Gastro-intestional Tract,also known as" Diabetic Diarrhea",this really suxs bad… I was wondering if any one here has heard of this or had this and if so how have you been managing and handling it? It makes for a very altered life style,the social bee,just flew out the window! I have been put of Hyomax for the spasms and pancreatic enzymes, any input would be greatly appreciated.

I have had the sypthoms of Peripheral neuropathy for many years I was told 5 months ago I was a type 2 diabetic. I have had heart disease for 13 yrs now and no one bothered to check to see if I had a sugar problem.The pain in my feet and legs gets really bad sometimes.

dear friends
i don’t really remember, but perhaps since 6,7 years, my feet up to ankle become very cold in winter time, though i know that in this time all feel cold, but i cannot sleep untill i make my feet very warm, so for this i make fire and use heater, then i can sleep, i have doubt if this is the reason of having and occured diabetes, and sometime i feel very heat and then i have to wash my feet by water,
is there someone who is having and facing similar problem and trouble at winter time, please write and share me.
in nepal winter start from mid October and last till january.

wish all of you best and nice time

kind regards
shyam

kathmandu, nepal

Hi, I am Crystal been a diabetes since November 18, 1988. I was only 13 years old. I currently 35 years old and diabetics has help me to faces dilemma in my life. But, also give me grief that I do not wish on no men or women in this world. Neuropathy has been involved in my left since September 1996. “DAMAGE TO BOTH OF MY LEGS FROM PELVIS TO THE TIP OF MY TOES, OVER 100’S NERVES ENDING DAMAGE.“ . I woken from my sleep on my way to school, I thought my legs was with me in my mind , but they did not responded. I try to do everything to be able to move. I was carried to hospital in Chicago IL , where they told me that I had Neuropathy damage in my nerves system. My first response to the Doctor was “ WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO CURE IT ? “ I was told that I can not cure it due to fact the nerves are damage. As, time moved on I was diagnosis with Neuropathy in both of my arms. “ DAMAGE TO BOTH OF MY ARMS FROM WRIST JOINT TO UPPER ORIGINS OF SHOULDERS:“. The year of SEPTEMBER 2004 . I was at a lowest point in my life , I cried because of able not understanding why I had did I have to deal with the chronic pains, I was having with diabetes . I was angered with pain and fear of not knowing what should I do to help myself .To be able to deal with the pain I was suffering with . These day’s, was day I would never fought. I deal with the chronic pains that comes from having Neuropathy with faith in the Lord, first of all then I processed in trying to keep asking question about the stages that my diabetes has token me too. The next thing I do is cry because the pains are sneak it pop up in your head. Like a nightmare , different parts of my body parts hurt at redeem times. Example : Such my shoulder will begin to hurt then my right angle then my knees all at the same time. I found out the use of pillows to place under the spot that hurt help, the numbness is something totally different. You have to move the origin of the pain and keep moving it though out the whole time period of the pain, and a lot of covers with warmth. But , remember the use of “HEATING PAD CAN BURN THE SKIN” So I advise a ordinaly house whole dryer to warm the blankets and loving person to keep warming them up and applying them to the origin of pain help much so , but do not relived fast but in time it do help. The problem is that is happen to you are something out of your control . So you must be able to face the fact that you are not able to control it to be able to deal with “NEUROPATHY DAMAGE OF ANY KIND”. The pain that we deal with is a mind game in many factors.

I have been dealing with neuropathy since I was 17 but more and more it scares me and makes me sad and depressed. I am super athletic but my feet are now getting in the way of everyday life and the things I love. I am hoping to get some advice or at least info on my latest scary foot issue - So I have noticed over the past few months that on one of my big toes the top middle area of skin is discolored! It looked like I had dirt or something on my foot (of course my eyesight is not great) but when I went to scrub it off it was actually a discoloring of the skin!
I am so worried!
Its darkened in a blotchy pattern and I really hope its not something serious and irreversible : (
I have poor glucose control and I am struggling to work on doing better with an eating disorder (anorexia/diabulimia)
I am only 24 and I feel like my body is falling apart.
If any one has any idea what the skin discoloring is let me know!!!

Hi everybody, I am not doing to good this week ! I been dealing with neuropathy damage for a long time. My legs and arms are so sore from out the out break. That now my muscle are weakness and tissues are inflammed by the neuropathy. I have to wear a boot on my right legs. Until , public aide pay for an A. F. O brace and cast for my right legs. After I received the A F O i will have to wear the walking boot on my left legs as well. I am asking my friends with the same problem how did you get thru the old deal ? I can not see how i am going to be able to more around or do anything. I thought i was limited now , but know i just do not know.

I’ve got 85% nerve damage in my feet, and like Lois, have dropped things on my feet, without any pain. But the worst thing are those darned Chronic Stasis Veinous Leg Ulcers, that even after they have gone away, still give you pain! Now, I wear something called Tube Socks, UNDER my regular socks, which helps with the swelling. I don’t know if that would help any of you folks, but bring that up with your diabetic doctor, and see if he/she approves of it. One problem with them, is that I have to have my wife put them on (I used to have a nurse to do it). I think I’m lucky NOT to have neuropathy as bad as some of the folks on this site…

I used to endure severe night time horrors of stabbing, electrocutional, zinging awful pain in my feet. It was always just one spot, but would keep me up and in agony. This would happen to me maybe 2x a month from about 2005 - 2009. The pain would shift each episode. I did not and do no want to go on any medications that have so many ill side effects. I read about Alpha Lipoic Acid and I am now cured of that pain. I still have the neuropathy, and my feet still feel like cement blocks, but there is no pain for a year now, and no side effects at all. It may help someone else, but of course we’re all different. I take 1200mgs a day - - 600mg in the a.m. and 600mg in the p.m. Thought I would throw that out there to see if it might help anyone else. You can google it; it’s an herbal supplement you can find in health food stores. It helps fortify cell structure in nerves. etc. Not a traditional medicine that western docs put a lot of credence in, but I know what the pain was and how it is gone now!

Anyone tried Alpha-lipoic acid? I’ve been on it for a few weeks and it seems to be helping. I saw a video on webmd that was pretty convincing…

YES!! I have tried Alpha Lipoic Acid and will never go off of it! I have posted this a few times around TuDiabetes. A little over a year ago I was googling how in the world to ease the pain of neuropathy, and came across some clinical trials of ALA. It said that there was a big improvement in pain when patients took 1200mgs a day of it. I tried it, and it has absolutely worked for me. I was never in CONSTANT pain though, it only occured every couple of months, at night, and would last for about 4-5 days each time. I started taking the ALA and have not had an episode of it for over a year. Well, that’s not true, I ran out of it and did not get to the store for about 2 weeks, and viola! Pain returned, excruciating, gut wrenching pain all night long. First thing next morning I went to my health food store and stocked up on it again. You have to get the kind that has “R” in it.
(Quote from site:
If you’re taking a conventional lipoic acid supplement, you’re likely only getting half or less of the benefit of natural lipoic acid. The reason for this is that most alpha lipoic acid products on the market have both forms of lipoic acid: the synthetic S form, and the natural R form. R-lipoic acid is much more potent (2 times on average) than commonly sold synthetic lipoic acid which contains both the R and S forms. The S form is chemically the mirror image of the R form and cannot be used by the body, hence it is useless. Thus, 50 mg of R- alpha lipoic acid is equivalent to 100 mg of the synthetic version. )
I actually take 600mg 2x a day, and swear by it! Try it and see if it works. Sorry for the long diatribe. I’m passionate about ALA.

Does anyone know anything that helps with Gastroparesis…It is really affecting my quality of life. The Dr offered to send me to a gastroenterologist…
but I saw one of those several years ago,and all he said was my stomach was moving slowly…I could have told him that.
He wants to send me to another Dr. and have the machine hooked up to me that will stimulate my stomach to work…but I don’t want to hook anything else up to me-- I already have a Insulin Pump attached to me.
Also I feel some depression coming back on with the constant struggle with pain.
Thanks…so glad I found this group.

Hi Cynthia. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis just over a year ago. I was immediately put on Reglan (Metoclopramide) 4 X per day and then Amitiza to help with other uncomfortable symptoms. The Reglan helps the vegas nerve contract to move the move out of your stomach. The amitiza helps to pass the food faster through your system if your having problems with bloating, gas, constipation. I’m prescribed to take it at least 2 x per day with my larger meals but I often forget. I have also been told to eat smaller, less fiberous meals. I love fiber so this has been a small struggle on occassion. Overall, I would say that this prescription regimine has helped me over the past year and I am improving. Now if I could just remember to takle my meds when and how they were prescribed I’d be in even better shape. ( The Reglan has to be taken 20-30 min. before the meal). Sometimes I forget.

Good luck, write to me if you have any questions. I know neuropathy sucks. Having both neuropathy in my legs and in my stomach is a real pain in the arse.

I am not diagnosed with neuropathy but I can’t feel the vibration thing on my feet in my doctor’s office except on higher settings; also I get itchy all over my back whenever I feel hot (which has little to do with actual temperature).
I do have a diagnosis of sensory integration disorder.
In order: I was dx’d with sensory integration disorder at 14 (lifelong varying symptoms). I started having itchiness issues at 15. Dx’d diabetes at 17. At my three year annual foot check, I had some difficulty feeling the vibration with my feet because my feet were tingling too much for the additional sensation to be easy to feel. At the four year check up a month ago, I wasn’t totally sure I felt it at all and definitely not at lower settings.

Hi all, I’m new here too. I was wondering if anyone knows of a topical treatment for neuropathy that really works? I have tried Neuragen with little success. I’m from Quebec, Canada. Type 2 (apparently) for 20 years. Thanks.

Does anyone else have neuropathy in their mouth/lips?

I had a severe case of neuropathy that came on suddenly in Sept 2002 and I cleared it completely by many supplements and B Vitamin injections in 2003. The short-term strategy is to take B50 capsules 3x a day until I can set up a group on it. I have a big project I am involved with now and can’t spend the time until Feb. You can see what I said on www.myspace.com/JaninaWalker. The whole clue is that it takes more than a single vitamin, and it takes 3x a day application as nerves like 3 meals a day or they don’t improve fast enough. Remember also that nerves hurt more as they are getting better, which people find hard to accept, so anything good that they do, they stop too soon. They try one thing at a time, so they say everything doesn’t work…
Metformin depletes B12 so it is a serious risk factor. Alcohol is also a bad influence as it depletes B vitamins. Antibiotics can actually cause serious neuropathy in just a few days. People often are not advised to re establish friendly bacteria in the intestines as soon as an antibiotic is taken. So if they have taken several courses in a row, they are particularly vulnerable. If they are vegetarians and/or don’t eat red meat, they are also susceptible.

I have t2 and take R reg insulin and Lantus. I also take bi-monthly vit b12 injections. I have neuropathy symptoms in my feet and tonight (-35 degrees outside) we are wearing fleece slippers that cover my toes to bed. Have sweat pants & shirt on and I am still aching in my right hip and just above my waist where I believe is where my pancreas is. Do the stretches the PT gave me and the aching is a little less. I take 60mg of Morphine SA for pain 2x day. I seem to be moving really well with this pain med. Still cant go outside tho even with several layers. Feet felt like outside I was stabbing with knives. I have lived in Colorado for 30 yrs, but this pain is new . Any suggestions?