Hi everyone. I have had diabetes since 2006 and with that I've always had problems controlling my diabetes. In the last two and a half years I've been dealing with Peripheral Neuropathy and it has gotten so bad that it is throughout my whole body. What I wanted to know if there are other people that are dealing with this in their hands, fingers, arms, feet, and legs, how are you working through all your pain on a daily basis and to better themselves? For me it is getting harder and harder for me to find things that will allow me to, not deal with as much pain, I have tried all these medicines in the last 6 months of Gabapentin at 2700 mg per day,Morphine, Hydromorphine, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, and Suboxone, none of these have helped me to reduce my pain level. I do have a insulin pump that I started about 5 months ago and my glucose numbers have been better than they used to be I am running about 140 to 180 compared to what I used to have and that was from 300 to 600 on my glucose per day. So if anyone can help me out I would appreciate that?

Welcome newlife2.

Hi newlife.

Is there hope that you can get that number lower over time? It is an incredible improvement over prior readings, though to my knowledge hovering in a damaging place on the high end. How often do you test.

Our stories our similar at outset. November 2013 I went vegan diet. Weight loss, more exercise and extremely careful food choices all are center to my day. I am better for my changes, but still progressing symptomwise.

What is your A1C?

Tons of extremely knowledgable folks here. Welcome,

Jon

It appears you have some deep long term issues because of your diabetes, newlife.

1) Did you take metformin at one time? If so your B12 may be low since that drug interferes with it. You can get tested and see if you are below 400pg/ml. If so you need to start methylcobalamin which is the ACTIVE form and replenish yourself so your nerves can heal.

2) Diabetics really lose magnesium thru the urine, and you may be very very low by now. SlowMag is over the counter, and one of those twice a day may help. Up to 70% of people in the US do not eat magnesium rich foods to keep their levels at normal amounts.

This is my magnesium thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread1138.html

OXIDE form is not helpful because it is not absorbed enough in the GI tract. It still however remains in many products and people unwittingly use it and get nothing in return.

3) Get a Vit D level run. There are studies that diabetics respond well to fixing low D levels and pain may decrease as well. The level you should strive for is 50. The D on RX from doctors does not work....it is an old version called D2 and not active we know now in humans.
Here is our D3 thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread92116.html

These are the big three... fix these in your daily life and you may be very surprised at the results.

4) If you are taking a statin drug to lower cholesterol (which many doctors force on their patients), you may continue to have pain and deteriorate since statins cause neuropathies in some people. As long as you take one of these drugs, you may continue to suffer. We have many threads here revealing new studies and data on how destructive these drugs are...this is one thread:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...ghlight=statin
After informing yourself well, then have a serious discussion with your doctor about any treatment changes, you may want to try. If you have been on a statin for any length of time, you need to supplement the CoQ-10 it destroys...if you don't do this then your heart and other muscles will deteriorate. A good new brand of highly absorbable CoQ-10 is called Qunol -- it is available on Amazon and at Costco at reduced prices.100mg a day of this new type is all you need.

Being diabetic is MUCH MORE than just controlling glucose levels.

Thank you mrsD for all this information!! When I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2006 I did start with metformin but in 2008 I had some back problems and the doctor gave me steroid and I did ask if that was going to interfere with my diabetes and he said no, but it did and I became insulin dependent from that point on. Yes I am on b12 and I am already on magnesium for the last 2 years and I take 1 Vit D at 50000 twice a week...

Thank you KnowNothing Jon. I test my self at lest 3 times a day. My A1c is at 9.8 but it use to be up to 13.5...

B12 is very finicky....you must take it correctly. And get tested periodically to see if your oral type and dose is working for you.
Don't assume it is. B12 cyano form has to be activated in the body to methyl form...Some people have a DNA mutation that blocks this vital action (10-30% of people in the US). If you have this, the Cyano form will not do anything for you. You need to take oral on an empty stomach always...otherwise it does not get absorbed.

The 50,000 IU is from your DOCTOR on RX? That is D2 and new studies show it is 87% less effective than OTC D3.
Do you know your tested level? If you do you can figure out your OTC dose daily... 1000IU D3 a day for each ten points to raise. Continue with the RX === not much of a response.
If your D is D3, do you know your current level that you have reached?

What type of magnesium? Oxide does not work... If you take oxide all you get is laxative enhancements.