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  #1   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 13:42
Whited Whited is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 299
 
Plan: Very Low Carb
Stats: 312/235/185 Male 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 61%
Location: Missouri
Default Nephropathy question

Hi. I haven't been on here in a while. My story is back in 2014 I did a blood test and had 171 fasting BG and an A1C of 8.1. Went on low card and lost just shy of 100 pounds and had an A1C of 4.3 in 4 months. Never had it that low again but never over 5. I believe my diabetes was reversed but then after 4 years on low carb I went crazy and ate whatever I wanted for just over a year. Why? I'm an addict of course as some of you can relate. Of course I gained about 60 pounds back Anyway I have done BG testing at home during that time I never got above pre-diabetic reading. So since very late Dec. I'm back on low carb and I'll try to do Keto if I can (a least under 50 grams carbs and lower if I can). BG seems to be responding well.

Here's my question. For a good while now my hands go the sleep when I sleep on my side which I always do. When I turn over the blood rushes back. It could very well be a pinched nerve in my neck or back or nephropathy. If it is nephropathy they say on the internet accounts of reversing the effects is apocryphal. Have any of you ever reversed the effects of nephropathy with low carb or keto? They also told me it was almost impossible to lower BG with diet and I know that wasn't true. Just wondering. Thanks

Dennis
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  #2   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 13:57
Kristine's Avatar
Kristine Kristine is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,581
 
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/146/150 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 119%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Default

Hi and welcome back, Dennis. I was listening to The LC MD Podcast and one of the docs - or it might have been one of their guests, I don't remember - had a patient with serious peripheral neuropathy. The good news is that it DID heal, but the not-as-good news is that it took a few years. I'm pretty sure the doctors agreed that they hadn't really heard of it healing before, but it hasn't really been studied, either. I wish I could remember which episode it was.

...so it's possible, it would just take patience and vigilance.

Also, consider getting that checked out at the doctor since it could be another circulatory problem, or in my case, carpal tunnel syndrome. It flares up on me from time to time from my job, but one of the main symptoms is numbness in the middle of the night when I'm not even sleeping on it.

Best of luck.

(ETA) Oh - BTW, and I'm not being a grammar nit-picker, this is just in case you or someone else wants to use a search engine:
Nephropathy = kidney disease
Neuropathy = nerve damage, probably what you meant, usually in the hands and feet when it comes to T2D.
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  #3   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 16:15
Ms Arielle's Avatar
Ms Arielle Ms Arielle is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 19,176
 
Plan: atkins, carnivore 2023
Stats: 200/211/163 Female 5'8"
BF:
Progress: -30%
Location: Massachusetts
Default

My feet and hands also at times are numbish or tingly. Doc dismisses it.

I have my suspisions its the start of neurpoathy ( thanks K for the spelling) and I know nerves can heal, re grow and such. From personal experience. Nerves are very slow growing. How well nerves repair their connections is a wait and see situation.

My thought is if you can still feel the numbness, you have a better chance of healing. If total loss of sensation, its a longer process and worth fighting for.
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  #4   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 16:36
Zuleikaa Zuleikaa is offline
Finding the Pieces
Posts: 17,049
 
Plan: Mishmash
Stats: 365/308.0/185 Female 66
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Maryland, US
Default

Neuropathy symptoms can also be greatly reduced or reversed with optimum vitamin D3 levels.

Have you had your vitamin D3 tested?
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  #5   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 17:35
Whited Whited is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 299
 
Plan: Very Low Carb
Stats: 312/235/185 Male 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 61%
Location: Missouri
Default

I did about a year or a year and 1/2 ago and they were fine. A really expensive test unfortunately. And there is more than one if I remember right. I started back up taking Vt. D3 again 10,000 mg. this winter, I used to take 5000 mg in the summer and 10,000 in the winter. Like I said I just started back again.

Last edited by Whited : Sun, Jan-12-20 at 18:30.
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  #6   ^
Old Sun, Jan-12-20, 18:54
Zuleikaa Zuleikaa is offline
Finding the Pieces
Posts: 17,049
 
Plan: Mishmash
Stats: 365/308.0/185 Female 66
BF:
Progress: 32%
Location: Maryland, US
Default

Well keep it up. It's when you stop that problems occur.
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  #7   ^
Old Mon, Jan-13-20, 00:16
Kristine's Avatar
Kristine Kristine is offline
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,581
 
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/146/150 Female 5'7"
BF:
Progress: 119%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Default

I didn't know that was another benefit of optimal vitamin D levels. That's too bad that the test is expensive where you are, Dennis. I think it's only $25 here in Ontario, but your doctor can order it and waive the fee. Mine does. I'm not sure why, but I didn't have to request the test; she just ran it.
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  #8   ^
Old Mon, Jan-13-20, 04:06
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,368
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

The Vit D test is expensive, even the co-pay with a doctor's order and private insurance. Using a Direct To Consumer Lab, it was $35-$50. I used DirectLabs, but there are many others. Now on Medicare, my oncologist runs it annually due to the studies of breast cancer/low D level risk.
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  #9   ^
Old Mon, Jan-13-20, 15:41
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bluesinger bluesinger is offline
Doing My Best
Posts: 4,924
 
Plan: LC/CancerRecovery
Stats: 170/135/130 Female 62 inches
BF:24%
Progress: 88%
Location: Nevada Desert, USA
Default

Quote:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/life-is-good

This success story contains the following paragraph:

Sitting next to Gary Fettke at a ketogenic dinner (that I helped cook!) in Breckenridge this last February, I told him about my healed foot. Gary is an orthopaedic surgeon who was silenced in Tasmania for helping guide his patients to a path of proper nutrition. He was frustrated with having to amputate diabetic’s limbs when he knew the disease could be easily managed with nutrition. I told Dr. Fettke I had been on the ketogenic diet just over three years, and that my foot had recently completely healed. His eyes lit up, and he smiled and said to me “Do you know how long it takes for the nerves to regrow from your spinal cord to your foot? Three years.”
My father had diabetic neuropathy before it was a diagnosis. All the doctors could do for his horrible, burning feet was prescribe opiods. The medicine eventually led to dementia and death. This is why I'm super vigilant about the condition of my feet. There was a time when I experienced some numbness on the outside edge of my feet. This was when I wasn't eating to ketosis, but it inspired me to get back on plan. Since then, I haven't had the numbness.

That doesn't mean I think I'm out of the woods. I now have an electric foot massage machine which I use periodically and a mini-trampoline for general circulation.
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  #10   ^
Old Wed, Jan-15-20, 06:11
WereBear's Avatar
WereBear WereBear is online now
Senior Member
Posts: 14,602
 
Plan: EpiPaleo/Primal/LowOx
Stats: 220/125/150 Female 67
BF:
Progress: 136%
Location: USA
Default

A great book on this subject is Sugar Crush: How to Reduce Inflammation, Reverse Nerve Damage, and Reclaim Good Health by Dr. Richard Jacoby.

He explains how the inflammation from high blood sugar literally crushes the nerves from the swelling that occurs. Sure scared me straight!
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  #11   ^
Old Wed, Jan-15-20, 21:24
Whited Whited is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 299
 
Plan: Very Low Carb
Stats: 312/235/185 Male 66 inches
BF:
Progress: 61%
Location: Missouri
Default

Thanks all -- Its actually getting a little better lately. I don't now if I had just kinked my neck this last year. I don"t suppose it can be the low carb as I've only been back on it a little over 2 weeks. The Vit. D test was around $150 around here. Of course I pay cash as I am on a medical sharing program. You pay cash for Dr. Visits, medication, and tests not linked to a specific medical incident. Testosterone test was $125. And these are at the county health clinic which are much cheaper than a regular doctor office test.
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  #12   ^
Old Thu, Jan-16-20, 03:13
JEY100's Avatar
JEY100 JEY100 is online now
Posts: 13,368
 
Plan: P:E/DDF
Stats: 225/150/169 Female 5' 9"
BF:45%/28%/25%
Progress: 134%
Location: NC
Default

Glad you are feeling better. Maybe a little holiday sugar excess? I second the recommendation for Sugar Crush. Direct Labs is still $59, then you can find a new customer coupon, or some 'holiday' special that will take 10-20% off that. Enter your zip in the lab locator and it will show you the nearest Quest Lab available for the blood draw.
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