i've been reading this forum for the past month or so, ever since i noticed tingling in my feet and numbness on a very small patch of my left big toe. since then my symptoms have only gotten worse (more painful, moving through the hands and feet and legs, more intense). i was wondering if anyone might have some insight into what's going on.

I'm a type 1 diabetic and have been since age 3. I'm 18 now and though my diabetes has not been well controlled for the past 3 years, my endocrinologist does not think my diabetes has anything to do with the onset of my symptoms-- she says many kids my age have way worse control and no neuropathy.

I am skeptical considering my symptoms worsened very suddenly when I began to take much better care of my blood sugars. I purchased Dr. Bernstein's "Diabetes Solution" and have begun eating low carb. I also acquired a Continuous Glucose Monitor and my a1c has dropped from 8.0 to 7.5 in a month, and will continue to drop given my heightened control. In that month, the tingling, aching, stabbing, burning, pressure, and stiffness in my hands and legs (from knees to toes) has only intensified.

Thinking back, my symptoms really began sometime in January, when I began experiencing slight heel burning after exercise and an occasional jabbing pain in my heel. But these two things were both so slight that I hardly noticed them. Back then, my blood sugars were very out of control and I was both smoking and drinking heavily. Since I discontinued smoking and drinking for the most part and began to take care of my blood sugars, my symptoms have gotten dramatically worse. Except for the toe numbness-- i have regained most feeling there.

Other health concerns are: depression, a pilonidal cyst (which has also been acting up more and more in the past months along with my neuropathy), gluten intolerance, strange stomach/digestive issues, and chronic low-grade back pain

I'm taking a lot of vitamins: thiamine, alpha lipolic acid, omegas with vitamin D, betaine hcl, and a multivitamin specially formulated for diabetics. I also eat gluten free and am very health conscious when it comes to diet. I avoid carbs and processed foods almost entirely.

I visited a neurologist twice. she did a physical examination and an emg: both were completely normal. my bloodwork was normal as well, except for slightly elevated levels of arsenic. I had eaten fish the night before, however, and that can apparently skew the test.

I am on the omnipod and take humalog insulin.

My symptoms are worse in heat. Acupuncture relieves the pain and lowers sensation for a few days. I take regular epsom salt baths and rub magnesium oil on my skin every night.

My aunt has peripheral neuropathy and her symptoms presented after she had graduated college, when she was 22. I don't know much about her PN but it is idiopathic and it doesn't seem to bother her all that much. My mother has had bouts of neuropathy and is currently experiencing random stabbing in her heel, but it is way less frequent and annoying than mine.

i feel very worried about these symptoms, especially considering that everyone else on this forum seems a lot older than me... i wonder how much worse it can get, and whether the time i've had without significant pain is the last i'll ever have. i am a violinist and am about to head back to school... i don't want to miss out on college because of pain.

best,
helen