October 12, 2006
Complications, Other
Question from Cohasset, Minnesota, USA:
Our daughter has been complaining of her feet falling asleep when she sits for long or short periods of time. We’ve just noticed it recently, but she said it’s been happening for awhile but didn’t think if was something to tell us about. She’s nine years old and has had type 1 diabetes since the age of four. She has to really move around and repeatedly step up and down to get the feeling back in her feet. We were told that they don’t start checking for side effects until she’s had diabetes for seven years. Her A1cs have always been in the 6s and low 7s. Could this already be a side effect even though she has had diabetes that long and has had pretty good control?
Answer:
It would be extremely rare to have diabetic neuropathy show up after such a short duration. especially with the excellent control/A1c numbers you indicated. However, there are several other things that can cause such numbness or tingling sensations and these should also be checked out: celiac disease with vitamin and mineral deficiencies, thyroid and adrenal problems and other problems that cause nerve compression. Circulation problems would be even more rare. Either way, please go and discuss this with your diabetes team so that they can review this in more detail, do a detailed neurologic exam and laboratory tests and consider consultation with a neurologist.
SB
