All Entries Tagged With: "neuropathy"
Will drinking alcohol increase my risk of nerve damage?
It will if you drink too much. Alcohol is a drug that is toxic to the nerves. Even people who do not have diabetes can get quite severe neuropathy if they drink too much alcohol.
Why should I take my shoes and socks off every time I go to see my doctor?
If you do have neuropathy and have lost the ability to feel it when you walk on a pebble or piece of glass or a nail, then you are at great danger of injuring your feet. If you have neuropathy, it is important to examine your own feet every day and to ask for your doctor to do a more detailed check of your feet when you come for an appointment.
If I lose the sensation in my feet, does that mean I will end up needing an amputation?
Very, very few people with diabetes need to get their toes or feet or legs amputated nowadays. Although having neuropathy puts your feet at risk of injury, there is a lot that you can do to protect them. Also, if a problem is detected early, there are excellent treatments that can heal those injuries.
What other treatments can help the pain from neuropathy?
If you put an electrical stimulation on the skin for thirty minutes a day for several weeks using a device called a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) unit, this can improve the pain of neuropathy. It can be used on its own or along with pills to dull the pain.
Do these drugs heal the nerves or just dull the pain?
The drugs mentioned above are really just working to dull the pain. They make it more bearable while you wait for your nerves to heal up and for the pain to go away.
What are the best drugs to treat neuropathy?
One of the most effective drugs to treat painful neuropathy is an oldfashioned kind of drug that can also treat depression. These are the tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, and desipramine.
Are there creams to treat neuropathy?
Yes. The best creams are those that contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is the active ingredient in hot peppers like jalapenos. If you eat too much of a hot pepper, it can burn your tongue and then make it go numb.
Why does neuropathy pain get worse when you improve your blood glucose?
This can be very frustrating. You are doing everything you can to help yourself. You are eating healthy, drinking no alcohol, taking vitamins, and keeping your blood glucose close to normal.
What can I do to lower my risk of getting diabetic neuropathy?
Eat a healthy diet that contains a variety of food and vitamins. Taking a multivitamin that contains 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of the B vitamins is sensible.
How do I know that my painful symptoms are due to diabetes?
If you have pains in your feet or in other parts of your body, you should go see your doctor to figure out what is causing your symptoms. Other things can cause damage to the nerves. If you are not getting enough vitamins in your diet, especially the B-group vitamins.