Diabetes and DPNP

[fva778]

For the past 6 months I have had symptoms of burning in my head and neck, pain in neck, shoulder, and tingling, numbness, weakness, sharp pains, dull pains, shooting pains, aches, spasms, and cramps in both arms and legs.  I have symptoms constantly, but the combination varies.  I have been to my PCP, Emergency Room, Orthopedic Surgeon, Nerve Specialist, Physical Therapy, and last week had my first visit with a Neurologist.  Through all of these, I have had the following tests:  3 sets of blood work, 2 sets of x-rays of spine(cervical), MRI of spine(cervical) and brain(with and without contrast), theraputic ultrasound, traction(neck), EMG, Thyroid Scan and Uptake, all which have come up normal.  The only things through all of this that have even shown anything at all was a blood test that showed my thyroid level being slightly elevated (but then I had the scan and uptake which came back normal), and then the last set of blood tests (which included a 3 hour glucose tolerance test) came back with my glucose being slightly elevated.  

I have another appointment next week, but over the phone they said that it wasn't elevated enough to alarm the doctor.  My problem with this is, of course my constant pain, the fact that my paternal grandfather had diabetes, my paternal grandmother was just diagnosed with diabetes, my father was diagnosed about a year ago with diabetes, with my second child (2002) I had gestational diabetes which did go away after her birth.  

I know that family history and gestational diabetes both are big factors in diabetes, and I was just wondering since my symptoms match those of DPNP, is it possible to have that with only a slightly elevated glucose test?  I didn't know if you had to be diagnosed with diabetes for years before DPNP starts in, or if you could actually have DPNP before being diagnosed with actual diabetes.

Any answers or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[slickaroo]

Hey Waveride everything i read that you post sound right ...I had blood test about a month ago and my HgbA1 was 7.7 is that high and my fasting test was 135 < not sure what they call that ..im new at all this...I had the neuropathy before i was Diabete ..thats what Dr said ..and he also said you dont see that very often

[fva778]

Thanks for the info on the A1C test, I will ask my neurologist on Tuesday if they did that test last week or not (I hope so since they took 11 vials of blood).  Also, to answer your question I do not have Psorisis or Psoridic Arthritis.  I didn't even know about that type of arthritis, so I pulled it up and the symptoms don't really seem to match.  Thank you though for the suggestion.  Also, if the Oxy is working for your pain, I might bring that up too, and see about getting something that can at least take someof the pain away.

Thanks again for everything, and I will keep you posted!    

[strawberri]

Sorry about that A!C thing... U have it right. My Endo always explains it in a different way with me, and tells me what the highs were and the lows...maybe he is lying to me.. Fav778 The A1C is a fasting blood test that is taken in a lab and blood is drawn one time....Fav do u have Psorisis? I have had it since I was little. I started having bigger break out and inflamation in my joints and pelvic and they did alot of testing and Diagnosed me with Psoridic Arthritis, I've been on Oxy ER 20 mg 2x a day.It sure has kept the pain at bay. It took along time but it has built up enough to help. I still have some stiffness and pelvic pain durning the night and first thing in the am, but its nothing like it was. I hope they find a answer so

[fva778]

Thanks for the feedback and suggestions.  I haven't had the 3 month test, only the 3 hour glucose tolerance test.  When I go next week, if he says it's not diabetes, I might see if he can give me a prescription for the drums used in my Blood Sugar device that I still have from my gestational diabetes days.  How does the 3 month test work?  Do you have to get blood taken every so often during a 3 month time period or do you just use the home device to test every day for a 3 month period?  In my relatives, it's not weight onset, and I could lose a little bit of weight, but I'm not overweight.  I'm a 32 year old female, 4'11", 125 pounds.  I have SVT (episodes of fast heart rate) which I take Atenolol for, high cholesterol (also runs in my family on both sides) and I was taking Lipitor for it, but the Neurologist told me to stop taking it for about 6 weeks or so to see what happened, and I have a sleep disorder and take Provigil for this (it just helps me not be so tired during the day, if I don't take it in the morning i'm out by 3 or 4pm and have actually dozed off while driving).  I am not on any medicine for all of these symptoms; however, when they first started I was given Vicoden, Oxycodone, and Prednisone, which none really made a huge difference, but I haven't been on those for at least 4 1/2 months.  They have also checked me for Lupus, Lyme, MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and some other things, but nothing has really shown anything.

Hope this helps and thank you again for all of your suggestions.  

[WaveRider]

The hemoglobin test is called HgbA1c. It doesn't tell you your highs or lows. It measure the glucose attached to new red blood cells over the past 3 months. Your results are presented in percent (%). Depending on your lab this number may differ from what you read on the Internet.

[strawberri]

Sounds like DPNP but its quite strange that u don't have diabetes. Did u have a A!C done? That test would tell what your highs and low were for the last 3 month's, and even a 3-5 hr GGT test. I would think they would go by the symptoms and look deeper into a disease that might cause this, and diabetes is one for sure. Is the diabetes adult or weight onset for your relatives? And the likey hood of all of them and u having Gestational brings the risk factor up. But being overweight increases the risk, and u said u aren't. Ask for a A1c and a ggt or let them find the cause. it sounds so painful, are u on Oxycodone ER for it?