My husband's feet are getting painful, swollen, and numb due to his diabetes. Even if he gets medicine for diabetes this pain never stops. Please tell me if someone knows of or has experience with some home remedies for this pain and numbness. Your suggestions would be highly appreciated.
By smile
No please, stop! Do not use ice on diabetic numb or swollen feet! If his blood sugars are uncontrolled and running too high, that in itself can cause severe neurological pain & numbness in the extremities! There's no home remedy for that EXCEPT tight blood sugar control!
1) Get him to the doc! Have his Ha1C checked! Have swelling & pain & numbness thoroughly evaluated! Don't treat this lightly, this could be life threatening! Does he have hardening of the arteries? CHF? Any other heart conditions? Kidney disease? Has he had his brachial BP checked in his ankles lately? There could be many reasons for the swollen feet too! Edema can be due to many causes.
I have been Type 1 diabetic for 30 years, and used to get neuropathy pains in both feet and legs, hands & arms too. I was put on prescription Neurontin (generic version tho, Gabapentin) for about 10 years & increased up to 300mg twice a day. That worked great, but since I have cut out all white carbs, eat lots of fatfree salads, fresh veggies & fruits (at least 5 servings a day), lean meats--follow the American Heart Association diet basically - extra light olive oil, all antioxidant & anti-inflammatory foods, no junk foods, no fast foods, no sat fats or trans fats, no processed foods, no nitrates.
For over 2 years now, I have stopped the Neurontin altogether within the past year, and lowered my HA1C to 7, but being on an insulin pump, I want to get it lower, 6.5%. I feel the best now than I have in 30 yrs! The neuropathy pains are gone. My eyes are stable, my blood sugars are better and better, and I quit smoking too, after 35 years! Diabetics who smoke have a 30% more chance of amputation of feet/legs also!
Also, my Dad was Type 1 for 39 years, 2 shots a day, but he had congestive heart failure, terrible neuropathy in his legs (numb from knees down, purple dry skin, horrible broken blood vessels), hardening of the arteries & a stent, didn't take care of his body NOR his blood sugars ever, he always ran 200's-300's or higher, he didn't follow the ADA or AHA diet, and he had more medical problems & pills too.
So please do NOT take the swollen feet and pains lightly please! Swollen feet can be edema from various causes, it needs to be diagnosed, forget the home remedies, this could be serious & life threatening! It could require a diuretic prescription, easy "fix" but needs further testing. Please get checked by a good endocrinologist ASAP! I'm only saying this because I hope it's not caused by uncontrolled blood sugars, nor any untreated infections, CHF, or other serious conditions! He only has 1 life, he is the one who controls his diabetes but only if he listens to a competent endo & takes responsibility before severe damage is done. Even then, as in my case & others, some complications CAN be reversed if you're willing to take the bull by the horns and tackle this disease for a better quality of life! I wish my Dad had done so!
Also, do not use Epsom salts ever, diabetics should never soak with that! Do not use heating pads, and do not walk in bare feet. Check his feet every day for unhealed "anything"! Watch any cuts, scrapes, sores diligently (anywhere on the body!), and if not well healed in about 2 weeks, get treated ASAP! MY Dad almost lost his big toe, from a small bruised sore that went to blood poisoning, and was severely infected to the bone.
I'm only relating these stories because I care about all diabetics and I hate to hear of anyone suffering. And if anything I can pass on, knowledge from my experiences or my Dad's, who I took care of for over a year at the end, to try & help someone "cut things off at the pass", then I try. God bless you both, and I pray he gets treatment he needs ASAP!
If the pain is due to diabetic neuropathy, the only thing that will make it better is going to be medications, such as Neurontin or something similar. He needs to see his doctor soon as you can.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone have a home remedy for diabetic foot pain?
By Jan
If it has officially been diagnosed as diabetic neuopothy, you doctor should have some suggestions.
Well, what I can suggest is to stay away from salty foods and foods that irritate the nervous system. That can cause inflammation and irritation to that area.
My mom is suffering with kidney problems (25%damage) and diabetes. She is also suffering with feet swelling and high blood pressure. We already consulted with a specialist, but the swelling is not cured.
By N.Singh
Your Mother needs to go back to her doctor. These are serious health conditions and cannot be answered on line. Talk to her doctor and be sure to follow his advice regarding medication and diet. Let us know how she is doing.
A good doctor, he or her, will know what to do. But, I can tell you that I too suffer from it and this has helped me.
I often sit in front of the computer too long so my rule is now that I set a timer and at 90 minutes, I go lay down for 30.
I either lay flat and put my feet up, or I sit and lay my feet flat. I sometimes just rest but more often I am reading or crocheting.
There is another thing she can do and that is to reduce the salt intake by at least 80%. I make a 'pepper and salt' shaker that is 75% pepper and 20% salt and 5% garlic powder. Then, when I begin shaking it, I see the pepper and stop sooner, thus reducing the intake of salt.
If you begin reading the food labels it's ludicrous how much they put in things...not to mention the sugars! So, those are just two things I have done to help me. Just 8 months ago I weighed 198 lbs and now I weigh 165 lbs. Just the salt alone made a huge difference so I hope this helps her.
PBP
My grandpa has had diabetes since 1976. He got operated on his right foot and his finger was cut off. Then after some years he suffered from a wound on his right leg.
We consulted a doctor, who gave him medicine, but that didn't cure it. Now what do we do?
