New newbie...
 

Was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about 2 or 3 months before having to have quad bypass surgery. Before that I always had a numb spot on the bottom of right foot where the balls of them. It seemed to progress rather quickly after. Went to specialist and it was determined that I have diabetic neuropathy and according to the doctor I must have been a diabetic for quite awhile, as he said what he was seeing, would only be showing from a person that has been a diabetic for 20 to 25 years. So another 8 years later still getting worse. My feet are about 75% numb, my right side of my thigh is being attacked by fish hooks dragging themselves across it.

My face tingles when you touch it. As for medication here is my list : pregabalin 450mg daily, nortriptyline 150 mg daily, for my pain (which there still is a lot even after taking this medication- 1 300 mg slow release of tramadol and then 37.5 tramadol which I take top it when pain gets worse. I have been taking about 4 or 5 of these a day. Also when standing upright, I get the feeling my feet are sliding enough so that I have down to make sure they are not. I think this is what is causing me to lose my balance once in awhile during the day.

Anyways that is my introduction. I am glad I was able to find. A lot of interesting threads. Thank You

Hi welcome though I am sorry for all you struggle with. Are you also currently on a special diet for the diabetes? I know some have found benefits with change of diet and also supplements.

Have you had your B12 and Vit D measured?

Also diabetics improve with some attention to magnesium.
Magnesium is lost in the urine in diabetics, so their needs are
greater than others. Avoid supplements composed of OXIDE form as those are not absorbed.

Attention to these 3 critical nutrients can often provide some relief.
The B12 should be 400pg/ml at least...don't accept "normal" which might be below that level. Vit D is also helpful for tingling.
Tingling in the face can signal deranged calcium metabolism and fixing Vit D improves that.

If you are taking a statin drug, consider how toxic they are to nerves. You might have to study the statin information coming out within the last year to see if these drugs provide any benefit for you really, as they destroy your cells on a daily basis.

Lots of new information here:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread197080.html
Including a video explaining how cells die from statins, and also
new photos of damaged nerves.
also:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread122889.html

If you are on a statin, which most diabetics are, you need good doses of CoQ-10 at least. This may not help with nerve damage per se but it may protect your heart muscle some.
300mg a day of the older form gel cap.
100mg a day of the new solubilized types like Qunol.

Concerning CoQ10 - I had heard several times that initially it was to be combined with the statin in a single pill, but I wasn't sure if this was an internet myth or not, so I decided to search for proof (or lack of) myself.

It is not a myth.

I hope this link works: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/4,933,165

If the link doesn't work, go to http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm

And type(copy/paste): 4,933,165 (the patent number)

It confirms that Merck patented the drug combination.

Further more, you can do the same for:

5,082,650

There are more patents (5,849,777 - 6,264,960) showing that this combination was deemed very useful.

Yes, you are very enterprising, Wide-O! I found that data many years ago, and now it seemed more difficult...further buried I guess?

The reason Merck abandoned the combo was that in those days, the solubility factor of CoQ-10 was very poor and difficult. It used to be sold as a supplement as a capsule filled with powder. It just didn't get absorbed that way. So Merck abandoned the combo...and KEPT IT SECRET from doctors so that all those patients for the first 10 yrs, suffered loss of CoQ-10 as a result!
This secrecy is just about criminal....IMO. Merck felt that patients would not take a drug that depleted a crucial nutrient in their bodies and so they didn't tell the doctors.

But the data leaked out, and people "forgive" them for this...which is very wrong IMO. The toxicity of statins remains and is damaging people as I type this. Statins will be gone soon, and people will look back and sigh, and complain. But I think it is the biggest fraud ever perpetrated on the patients of the world. It makes the Vioxx problem quite tiny in scope IMO.

Thanks for finding that information. I'll copy it to the statin threads!

Thank you all for the links will check them out. Forgot to list one other area of attack. It has not been confirmed only assumed it is neuropathy. Trouble urinating most times I stand there for about 3 mins or so before starting. Also I do not think it is fully empting. I can sometimes go 1st thing in the morning and not even get the feeling of wanting to urinate till near bedtime. GP says too keep track of it report back to her next visit.

Maybe should have post this in a different section.

Thanks again.

Well, that bladder problem sounds serious. I'd go to a urologist
rather than a GP. Nerve damage to the bladder happens in multiple sclerosis. Some people end up self catherizing as a result.
And prostate issues in males can block urine flow. I wouldn't wait around concerning this symptom.

Damage to the spine can affect the bladder as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cauda_equina_syndrome

Hi tboots,

I'm sorry to hear about your neuropathy, and quad bypass surgery!

There is a sort of neuropathy called autonomic neuropathy which affects your autonomic system, the system that runs things automatically as it were.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-c...s/CON-20029053

That link is to the Mayo Clinic site on the topic:

Signs and symptoms of autonomic neuropathy vary, depending on which parts of your autonomic nervous system are affected. They may include:

Dizziness and fainting upon standing caused by a drop in blood pressure.
Urinary problems, including difficulty starting urination, urinary incontinence and an inability to completely empty your bladder, which can lead to urinary tract infections.
Sexual difficulties, including problems achieving or maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction) or ejaculation problems in men, and vaginal dryness and difficulties with arousal and orgasm in women.
Difficulty digesting food, due to abnormal digestive function and slow emptying of the stomach (gastroparesis). This can cause a feeling of fullness after eating little, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal bloating, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing and heartburn.
Sweating abnormalities, such as excessive or decreased sweating, which affects the ability to regulate body temperature.
Sluggish pupil reaction, making it difficult to adjust from light to dark and causing problems with driving at night.
Exercise intolerance, which may occur if your heart rate remains unchanged instead of appropriately increasing and decreasing in response to your activity level.


The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends that people with type 2 diabetes be screened every year for autonomic neuropathy starting as soon as they receive their diabetes diagnosis. For people with type 1 diabetes, the ADA advises annual screening beginning five years after being diagnosed with diabetes.

Best wishes. Elaine