Hit the brakes!
Okay, so you just found out you have diabetic neuropathy. Now you want to know how to stop diabetic neuropathy.
Sure, you’ve been given the usual story, control your blood sugar (true, gotta do that) and get some exercise. Maybe do some swimming, and other low impact stuff.
Okay. Did that. Not better. Now what? The drugs help a bit, but it’s still getting worse.
Let’s look at some things you can do, while you sit at home, researching what to do on your computer:
Step One: Stop the damage.
Yes, controlling your blood sugar is important. Cutting back on carbs and eating more fat is important. But what other things could be making you worse? Here’s the big 3:
1.Smoking – If you smoke, you are reducing oxygen flow to those little nerve fibers with every puff. People I see in practice do substantially better if they can quit smoking. If you want to stop diabetic neuropathy, you have to stop smoking. You know it’s bad for you, but now you know it’s hurting your feet as well.
2. Statin (cholesterol) drugs have repeatedly been linked to peripheral neuropathy. They lower cholesterol, which is a key component of those small fiber nerves. Cholesterol is a big player in your brain as well, which is probably why statins cause memory loss. The majority of neuropathy sufferers I see in my practice are there partially because of statin drugs.
3. High blood pressure drugs. In several studies, these drugs have been shown to cause neuropathy as well, due to their effect on blood flow.
Step 2 – start rebuilding
Nerves need a few things to get healing. Blood flow, nutrition, and stimulation. These are topics we’ve covered before, so I’ll just breeze through them.
Blood flow – as we age and our ability to dilate blood vessels decreases, we often need some help in this area. Exercise helps a lot, so keep on doing that, but the best results seem to be from getting more nitric oxide precursors in your system. Neo 40 is currently the best approach for this.
Nutrition – So many dietary changes can help stop diabetic neuropathy, it’s not possible to list them all here. Here are the highlights – Vitamin D – Shown in studies to reduce neuropathy Pain, get at least 7000 iu/day. Omega 3 is essential for healthy nerves, and we don’t get enough of it. Get at least 2500 mg/day of a quality naturally sourced fish oil. Probiotics are essential as well, and if you suffer neuropathy, then get at least 600mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid.
Stimulation – massage, brushing, hot and cold water baths, vibration and specific wavelengths of infrared light have been shown to be very helpful with neuropathy.
In our clinics, we see improvement in well over 90% of cases, using the above methods combined.
Want to learn how to do it yourself? As a start, grab a free copy of my 3 neuropathy tips sheet and video and learn the simple 3 things my patients do to feel better fast when things are at their worst.
References:
Weimer LH, Sachdev N. Update on medication-induced peripheral neuropathy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2009;9:69-75. PMID: 19080756 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19080756. Katirji B, Koontz D. Disorders of peripheral nerves. In: Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC. Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012:chap 76. Staff NP, Windebank AJ. Peripheral neuropathy due to vitamin deficiency, toxins, and medications. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 2014;20(5 Peripheral Nervous System Disorders):1293-1306. PMID: 25299283 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25299283. West, B. (2011). The implications of statin induced peripheral neuropathy. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 4(Suppl 1), P57. http://doi.org/10.1186/1757-1146-4-S1-P57 https://www.statineffects.com/info/adverse_effects.htm
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