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Suggest Medication For Severe Tingling In The Hands And Feet

Posted on Wed, 14 Oct 2015

Question: I am a type 2 diabetic with severe tingling. Lyrica is out. Is there anything on this planet hat can stop this? Just the term tingling, doesn't do the pain justice. Its more like an electric current going thru my toes, or metataursal of the foot.To make matters worse.that electric current litteraly cycles up and down every few seconds. This keeps me awake & sometimes get only a couple hours sleep at nite.I might live with it if it were a steady pain but not with the cycling. My Internest of 15 years says control your blood sugar. Testing every AM, I run between 110 and 130

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (5 hours later)

Brief Answer:
CYMBALTA may help together with Good sugar control.

Detailed Answer:
Good day.
You seems to have diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
Good diabetes control is very essential in controlling the symptoms of neuropathy. If lyrica is not working, we could use alternate drugs. I would suggest Cymbalta. Ideally it should be taken with the main meal. Start with a small dose and go up the dose.
It is worth doing a Vitamin B12 and Thryroid blood works as well. There are several other causes other than diabetes to cause such symptoms and I presume your internist would have ruled out those causes.

Good diabetes control is very essential. What medicine are you taking now for diabetes. Addition of Insulin at night is helpful to bring down the sugars.
You need to talk to your Internal medicine specialist or Endocrinologist about the prescription of Cymbalta.
Regards
Binu

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (12 hours later)

Thank you. I've never tried Lyrica but have been told it causes swelling & this I don't want. Do you know if Cymbalta reacts the same way? If not I'll check with my Dr. Presently I'm taking Januvia 100 mg. and Byduron 2 mg/vial once per week. I also control thyroid with Synthroid. Yes I will check with my Dr on Cymbalta.

Thank you and regards, XXXXXXX

Answered by Dr. Binu Parameswaran Pillai (4 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Cymablta and lyrica

Detailed Answer:
I have used Lyrica in numerous patients and to be XXXXXXX i have not seen swelling as a side effect. But existance of neuropathy itself cause swelling in ankle ( neuropathic edema).

Cymbalta doesnt cause swelling in ankle. It is used for treatment of diabetic polyneuroopathy and it effectively treat depression as well. You will have to start a low dose with the main meal and slwoly build up the dose over 2-4 weeks.

Wish you a speedy recovery

Regards
Binu

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar