How can I reduce Diabetes nerve pain ?
I have diabetes2 my feet have nerve damage they are numb and have sharp pains and are sensitive to touch.
Diabetic neuropathy can really be painful, I know. And it’s terrible when it gets to the point that even touch can cause pain.
I have Diabetes Type 1 and have been suffering from diabetic neuropathy for the past year. Oddly enough, it was not my endocrinologist who helped me, but my pain management specialist. He recently gave me a new medicine specifically for this problem – it’s called Cymbalta – it was a miracle for me.
I had seen commercials on TV for this medicine for months, but didn’t give much thought to it, because usually nothing works. But the Cymbalta started working before the first week was over.
I would strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about this medicine. I am not a doctor, and I don’t know anything about your medical condition and what medications you take, so all I can do is tell you what worked for me. So, I hope your doctor thinks you are able to take this medicine, and if he/she does, I hope it works for you. Good luck.
September 28th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Speak with your physician, there are several medications specifically for diabetic neuropathy, if these medications fail they can refer you to a physician who specializes in pain management. Now that you have he diagnosis the key is to keep your diabetes under control so that your symptoms do not increase. Wishing you the best
References :
nurse
September 28th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Diabetic neuropathy can really be painful, I know. And it’s terrible when it gets to the point that even touch can cause pain.
I have Diabetes Type 1 and have been suffering from diabetic neuropathy for the past year. Oddly enough, it was not my endocrinologist who helped me, but my pain management specialist. He recently gave me a new medicine specifically for this problem – it’s called Cymbalta – it was a miracle for me.
I had seen commercials on TV for this medicine for months, but didn’t give much thought to it, because usually nothing works. But the Cymbalta started working before the first week was over.
I would strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about this medicine. I am not a doctor, and I don’t know anything about your medical condition and what medications you take, so all I can do is tell you what worked for me. So, I hope your doctor thinks you are able to take this medicine, and if he/she does, I hope it works for you. Good luck.
References :
My doctor who prescribed the medicine for me and my own experience about how it worked for me.
September 28th, 2009 at 9:40 am
There are many things that can help, including…
Drugs (neurontin, lyrica, cymbalta)
Pain meds (I’m not a big fan of those)
Vitamin B/folate
Physical therapy
topical medicines (capsaicin)
infrared light therapy (anodyne)
Nerve decompression surgery
Various treatments that a pain specialist can offer.
Aboove all, make sure that your blood sugar and thyroid are a close to normal as possible. This is the kind of problem where your internist/endocrinologist/podiatrist/pain management/neurologist/othopedic doc will have to help you with.
References :
Podiatrist
September 28th, 2009 at 10:05 am
As a healthcare provider I can tell you that currently we have three medications indicated for this condition that we can try. Cymbalta,Lyrica, and Neurontin. I have had good results with all three (for different patients of course). If doesn’t work for you then we try the others.
References :
September 28th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Doctors usually will give you the drug Neurontin for nerve pain. They will start you out with 300mg at night and increase your dose gradually. Side effects include drowsiness and increased appetite. In Europe, doctors prescribe Alpha lipoic acid for nerve pain after several studies showed that it improved pain signifactly with no side effects. You can get Alpha lipoic acid at any health food store. Ask your doctor how much you should take, but in the studies, patients were taking 600-1200mgs a day. If it was me, I’d try the alpha lipoic acid for a couple months first and only take the lowest dose of nuerontin at bedtime to help you sleep.
References :
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/450372
http://www.askapatient.com/viewratings.asp?drug=20235&name=NEURONTIN&sort=satisfaction
September 28th, 2009 at 10:43 am
I take a low dose of an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) called Celexa (generic name is Citalopram) for mild depression. Have also had Type I diabetes for 40 years.
When my doctor wanted to change my medication to another SRRI, as I was lowering the dose of Citalopram, my feet suddenly started hurting me (diabetic neuropathy pain). Also pain in my joints was bad. I felt so achy.
Asked my doctor…he said some SSRI’s (and Citalopram is one of them) also change the way the brain perceives pain.
Needless to say, I chose to stay on the Citalopram.
I had tried Neurontin, but it made me dizzy (I was stumbling a lot).
See your doctor. Through trial-and-error, you will find what medication works best for you.
There are non-medicinal remedies, but I have never tried them.
References :
Personal experience with Neuropathic pain.