Diabetes neuropathic pain can be very severe. In fact, diabetes neuropathic pain can be very severe because it incongruent to the cause of that pain. This occurs as a result of the damaged nerves send the wrong signals to the brain. Therefore, something as simple as a sheet being pulled across your toes can feel incredibly painful to the patient. According to DiabeticLivingOnline.com diabetes neuropathic pain and sensations are described as:
- Burning
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Stinging
- Electrical vibrations
- Shooting Pain
- Searing Pain
Diabetes neuropathy pain varies from person to person. Some people have pain without any numbness, some have numbness with no pain, and some experience no pain at all. In most cases the patient has a loss of feeling and then a burning sensation in the same area where the feeling has been lost.
Eventually peripheral neuropathy may cause muscle weakness and a loss of reflexes, usually in the ankle. This can change the way a person walks. Eventually deformities such as hammertoes can form, or even the collapse of the mid-foot. Serious infections, which can lead to amputation, may also develop. That is why it is so important that a person report to their doctor promptly if they experience diabetic neuropathic pain, numbness, or tingling sensations in their toes and feet.
Neuropathic Pain Diabetes Treatment
For diabetic neuropathic pain, medications are commonly increased in a “step-by-step” type of manner, beginning with drugs like Ibuprofen and Tylenol. Most time this makes the most sense with chronic conditions, where a person has to take medications for a long time, that way a person does not develop a tolerance to a strong drug too early. The problem with diabetes neuropathic pain is that it may be severely painful from the beginning and light medications may not be enough.
The three types of medications most commonly prescribed for diabetic neuropathic pain are:
Anticonvulsants – Lyrica and Neurontin are examples of these. They were originally designed for epileptic patients, but these drugs work so well at calming nerves that they are commonly prescribed in diabetic neuropathy.
Antidepressants – Antidepressants sometimes work by decreasing pain transmission in the brain. Cymbalta and Savella are examples of antidepressants which may be used for diabetes neuropathic pain.
Opioids – Your doctor may choose to use a more traditional method and prescribe you opioids such as Vicodin and Percocet. These are usually not the best choice for chronic pain. Although they may be prescribed in the beginning, are usually not used as the front-line or single method for diabetes neuropathic pain relief (DiabeticLivingOnline.com, 2012).
