DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have a recently-acquired doctor in whom I have little admiration or faith, sad to say.
I’m an 83-year-old man with type 2 diabetes and am medicated pretty well. I walk sometimes but usually get little exercise. I am starting to have bad cramps at night and my legs are getting very weak. I fear losing my feet and lower legs.
Frankly, I love having a 3 oz. glass of red wine before lunch and twice that before dinner. I also love my 4 oz. dish of iced cream at about 9 PM. Are these habits which give me pleasure doing me in? Please advise me.
DEAR READER:
As you are aware, type 2 diabetes is non-insulin dependent and is the more common form. The pancreas continues to produce insulin but the body develops resistance to its effects, resulting in a deficiency. While the condition can affect people of every age, it most commonly occurs after the age of 30. Age, weight and heredity are major risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Long-term complications can result in poor circulation that might lead to heart disease, stroke, infection, poor vision, kidney failure and nerve damage. An individual might experience gradual weakness of the arms or legs, tingling and accompanying pain of the hands and feet, difficult healing of the skin, infection, and more.
It appears that the leg weakness and cramps are among your list of unpleasant side effects. You admittedly do not exercise on a regular basis and this activity is extremely important for all diabetics. Make a plan that works for your lifestyle. Perhaps that translates simply to walking around the block every day. If you have access to a swimming pool at a community center, take advantage of the resource. Perhaps a stationery bicycle indoors will work. Your circulation is likely impaired. While you may not be able to reverse the situation completely, you can definitely take steps to improve it. Start now.
There are several remedies for the leg cramps. The first is simply to remove the wrapper from a bar of soap. Place the soap under your bed sheet at night, where your legs ordinarily rest. This should eliminate the cramps. Some people have even had success with rubbing a bar of soap on the calves of their legs. Do what works best for you.
Pickle juice or a dill pickle incorporated into your diet may help prevent muscle cramping. Both products are available in grocery stores. Numerous drinks (to include pickle juice) contain electrolytes. Read labels at your local market before making a selection.
If your medication keeps your sugar levels under good control, I urge you to continue with the medications prescribed. If you are dissatisfied with the physician you are seeing, request a referral to another primary care physician or to an endocrinologist, a specialist in the field.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Living with Diabetes”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
About Dr. Gott