How is diabetic neuropathy treated?
Treatment questions come after you know what you are treating, and a conversation about treatment starts from that.
What treatment can look like
Treatment is chosen by a clinician and aimed at the pain. MedlinePlus says gabapentin is also sometimes used to relieve the pain of diabetic neuropathy, which is numbness or tingling due to nerve damage in people who have diabetes. That is one example from one source and not a prescription for anyone, and your clinician decides what fits you.
The condition behind the question
Cleveland Clinic says the most common cause of peripheral neuropathy is diabetes. That helps explain why a diabetes history is the first thing a clinician will ask about when you report numbness or tingling.
What to gather and do next
Work through these steps in order.
- Write down your current medicines, including doses.
- Write down when the numbness or tingling began and where you feel it.
- Bring recent notes on your diabetes care to the visit.
- Ask what the treatment options are, what each one is meant to do, and what to watch for.
The MedlinePlus pain overview gives general background while you prepare. If you are in Bloomfield or the towns around it, the American Academy of Pain Medicine is a place to read about pain medicine before you decide whom to see.
Start with the full medicine list
Bring the full medicine list. Any treatment discussion starts with what you already take, and an incomplete list makes that conversation harder.