I picked up an electric throw, to warm my back (since the heating pad has an auto shut-off that kicks in just about the time I’m finally getting relief and makes me move again.) SO I’m reading the instructions and there’s something in there about not using it if you’re … diabetic??? WHAT? Why not?
Perhaps because of possible impaired inability to feel the heat & get burned. A CYA caution. Same reason we’re cautioned against really hot showers or baths.
Hmmm…that is odd. The only thing I can think of is that some diabetics may have complications like nerve damage (neuropathy). It’s possible to lose the sense of feeling in the affected limbs. If a diabetic has any degree of nerve damage, he or she may not be able to sense if an electric blanket or heating pad (or in this case pillow) is too hot which can lead to inadvertent burns. The same applies to water temperature when bathing.
LOL…Usually it is advised (when its necessary to use a heating blanket) to warm up your bed with the blanket before bedtime then turn off or remove it from the bed before you climb in.
I think it would be okay if you kept the heat on the lowest possible setting. Some have automatic turn offs too.
I've always been told that I shouldn't use hot water bottles or electric blankets in case I might burn my feet due to a loss of sensation, not sure what the electric blankets could do, maybe make me stay in bed for weeks on end. I must mention that I have no neuropathy but was given this advice from the first month of becoming D. Things have probably changed since.
My dad had Type 2 Diabetes and had some neuropathy in his feet. His feet were frequently cold. He used to sit with an electric heater at his feet to warm them. He develped a sore (probably is was a burn) on one of his feet because he couldn’t feel how hot the heater was. He spent a week in the hospital on an IV antibiotic drip in order to heal it up. We thought for sure he was going to lose his foot. Luckily, he did not. I know this post is about an electric blankets but the principle is basically the same. If there is any chance of diminished feeling in your feet, you run the risk of getting a burn. A foot massage is just as effective in warming up your feet as is a brisk walk without the risk of a burn.
That is exactly why because of the possibility of neuropathy and the inability to feel how hot things are getting. LOL I use my heating pad and electric blanket all the time, even with my pump. Although I think ONE time I cooked my insulin. It's more or less a CYA kind of thing. Just use caution when using a heating pad or electric blanket, even with auto shutoff, they can get hot enough to burn. Esp heating pads, when the cover comes loose over the heating pad, that direct heat from the pad its self can burn you.
Even though I live in Texas, I like the house to get "cold" at night (now for you Northerners thats shorts and t-shirt weather, for us Texans it's pile on the blankets!) but I use a electric blanket every winter and have not had any problems even with using the insulin pump. Of course, it is on "Hi" to warm the bed and then it gets turned down to almost off most nights. However, for anyone who has decreased sensation in their legs, using a electric blanket may not be advisable or one must be much more cautious with the temperature settings to prevent a problem.