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left leg problems and diabetes
by runnerchris, Nov 16, 2005 12:00AM
I am a 24 year old competitive distance runner. I have had this left leg problem my whole career were I lose control of my leg/foot after running fast for a period of time, When I take breaks that seems to help. THree years ago I took a emg which showed my left leg had lower motor amplitudes and the doc wrote that I was experiencing recurrent left peroneal neuropathy. i then went on too have three leg operations, on the peroneal nerve and also anterior compartment. After my last operation in June I had a horrible leg infection, the most pain I have ever been in. Were I had the infection my leg still looks horrible, it almost looks like I have been burned and also I have been getting these little sores that I can get to bleed if I pop them. My dad has diabetes(he was diagnosed a year ago) and I have been through so much with this that just lately I have been wondering if there could be a link with my leg and diabetes? I still feel my leg, and its frustrating becuase I am trying to make it on the elite level. I was a three time all american in college and the softer surface in cross country seem to help. I also had seasons were I would go from 128 down to 115 pounds and feel very weak in the big races that I spend months training hard for. I do go through periods were I have to pee during the night and a lot during the day. I also have times were I feel I have to eat all day and ussually I try to focus on eating healthy so that bothers me.
Doctor's Answer
by JDRF-Team-sgg, Nov 16, 2005 12:00AM
You have not told us whether you are a diagnosed diabetic or not. I got the impression from reading your question here that you have never been diagnosed as being diabetic but that you are wondering whether you may be diabetic because of the leg nerve problem and the infection and some of the other symptoms such as frequent urination, hunger, and weight loss. Some of your symptoms DO sound like symptoms that could point towards high blood sugar, and it might be a good idea to talk wtih your doctor about them and perhaps get some blood tests done to rule out diabetes.
So here are my suggestions if this is true (that you are wondering if you may be an undiagnosed diabetic): since your father has diabetes, borrow his glucometer and do a few tests on yourself. Check before a meal and maybe about 3 hours after a typical meal. Your before-meal glucose range should be anywhere between 70-126 if normal. Your after-meal glucose can vary a lot more, but doctors ideally like to see it remain under 146, from what I have read. Now, two tests won't diagnose anything, for the pattern is what you are needing to see. But if your numbers are somewhere near these litmus test numbers, you probably are not running dangerously diabetic glucose levels. If your numbers are greatly off of the normal range, then you probably should ask your doctor to check your hemoglobin a1c number to see what your average glucose number is over the past 3 months. This is really the best test to check how your body is doing overall, for the average number isn't thrown off by an occasional high or low (which can happen to healthy people), but gives you a good idea of whether your body is functioning properly in managing the glucose levels or not.
Most doctors will do a glucose tolerance test if asked to check for diabetes, but personally i think the a1c test is a better check for normalcy or diabetes. A glucose tolerance test will show whether you are likely to become hypoglcyemic after eating a high-carb meal, and may show ture diabetes, but the a1c will show whether your average glucose health is normal or not for the past 3 months, which is what you need to know as far as whether your body is being damaged or not.
Some of your problems could be due to adrenal exhaustion, whereby your body is just pooping out and not replenishing and therefore your nerves are not able to send proper signals. I am told that it can take several days to replenish lost chemicals after grueling exercise, and you may jut not be giving your body the rest it needs to completely recover from both training and competition. It appears that you do have some nerve damage, and I would think it important to completely rule out diabetes as the cause of the nerve problem rather than just treating the nerve problem (i.e., treating the symptom instead of the cause).
I do wish you the very best. I hope you find the real cause for some of these symptoms.
So here are my suggestions if this is true (that you are wondering if you may be an undiagnosed diabetic): since your father has diabetes, borrow his glucometer and do a few tests on yourself. Check before a meal and maybe about 3 hours after a typical meal. Your before-meal glucose range should be anywhere between 70-126 if normal. Your after-meal glucose can vary a lot more, but doctors ideally like to see it remain under 146, from what I have read. Now, two tests won't diagnose anything, for the pattern is what you are needing to see. But if your numbers are somewhere near these litmus test numbers, you probably are not running dangerously diabetic glucose levels. If your numbers are greatly off of the normal range, then you probably should ask your doctor to check your hemoglobin a1c number to see what your average glucose number is over the past 3 months. This is really the best test to check how your body is doing overall, for the average number isn't thrown off by an occasional high or low (which can happen to healthy people), but gives you a good idea of whether your body is functioning properly in managing the glucose levels or not.
Most doctors will do a glucose tolerance test if asked to check for diabetes, but personally i think the a1c test is a better check for normalcy or diabetes. A glucose tolerance test will show whether you are likely to become hypoglcyemic after eating a high-carb meal, and may show ture diabetes, but the a1c will show whether your average glucose health is normal or not for the past 3 months, which is what you need to know as far as whether your body is being damaged or not.
Some of your problems could be due to adrenal exhaustion, whereby your body is just pooping out and not replenishing and therefore your nerves are not able to send proper signals. I am told that it can take several days to replenish lost chemicals after grueling exercise, and you may jut not be giving your body the rest it needs to completely recover from both training and competition. It appears that you do have some nerve damage, and I would think it important to completely rule out diabetes as the cause of the nerve problem rather than just treating the nerve problem (i.e., treating the symptom instead of the cause).
I do wish you the very best. I hope you find the real cause for some of these symptoms.
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i am not worried about loosing my leg as i have told the doctors that if nothing is done about it i will organise to have it taken off, my x father inlaw lost his leg to the same problems as i am having, im not insane i just know whats best for my body, and im not stubbon either. could you please email me back and inform me on what it could be.
thanks nathon