I have painful neuropathy in my feet. What can I do about this?
In people with the diabetes, neuropathy is generally caused by nerves being damaged because of chronic high blood sugars. The symptoms usually include numbness or other loss of sensation, coldness, tingling, burning and extreme sensitivity to touch. Treatment includes preventative measures such as vigorous control of the blood sugars and proper foot care, as well as management of the symptoms.
Pain relievers such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be recommended by your doctor. Other classes of the medications also have been found useful for pain relief such as such as antidepressants, including Pregabalin and the anti-convalescent gabapentin.
Recent research on topical over-the-counter creams containing a natural ingredient found in red peppers called Capsaicin has shown pain relief in about half the people using it
Ask your Dr. if this might be helpful in your case of neuropathy.
For additional assistance with learning how to managing your blood sugars and taking care of your feet, ask your doctor for a referral to a certified diabetes educator for group or individual diabetes self-management education.