Lupus Cause of Neuropathy

By GermanShepardMom

1 min read

Almost 5 years ago when I was 50 (55 on Thursday the 29th), I was diagnosed with diabetes.

Neuropathy that doesn't quit

Two years later I started having tingling and burning pain in my feet. I was told it was neuropathy due to diabetes. My primary Dr. at one point did not understand why my neuropathy was so bad when my A1c was controlled, she had said she has patients that had higher A1c with neuropathy not as bad as mine.

Learning about my diagnosis

Well my feet got worst, I have very little feeling in my feet. When they started swelling and the pain was so bad a different Dr sent me to a neurologist for more test. And thank God he did because after running a blood test I am ANA positive and diagnosed with lupus. The pain is not so bad now, now I deal with extreme fatigue.

Thanks for reading.

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Racquel H. Dozier Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="GermanShepardMom" user-id="9803180"/> thanks for sharing your story. I’m so glad that you were able to find a doctor that helped get a firm diagnosis. I feel like fatigue in one of the worst for sure. ~Racquel~ Team Member
Racquel H. Dozier Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="GermanShepardMom" user-id="9803180"/> i forgot to add that lupus can cause neuropathy in some. Here is a great article that explains it a little further. https://lupus.net/living/neuropathy ~Racquel~ Team Member
Christinesusername Member
Hi I just have been thinking about submitting my own story, or parts of it because, for me anyway, I always feel like everything I start to do is too much for me to follow through with, which I am working on. But I am 58 and was also diagnosed officially 5 years ago. But (and this is part of my story that I may submit) I was sick and I am quite sure it was lupus since at least age 34 or so. It is in retrospect that we often see clearly. It’s as if when we face things happening that throw us off, we also lose the backwards looking glasses. Due to the combination of the difficulty with getting a clear diagnosis, and research /medical progress catching up less than a decade ago, or more recently, I went undiagnosed for over 15 years when it is no so obvious, clinically. My sister also has lupus and she was diagnosed at 15. I also have neuropathy. I was diagnosed with that even before it was obvious I was sick. Diabetes does cause it for sure, but so do autoimmune diseases (which I believe also is common in people with diabetes… but not with any factual data.) I am responding personally because, while there’s not much that can be done about it in general, I am starting to thing a fair amount of people who are diagnosed later but can see a clear change in health in retrospect, were probably having symptoms of lupus when the diagnostic cretiera was different. ‘Sorry this was long.. I mean.. it’s almost as if I did my lupus experience here on a comment. 
1. Doreen H Community Admin
 Hi <inline-mention username="Christinesusername" user-id="8571331"/>, Thanks so much for chiming in and sharing a bit of your story. Your journey is not an uncommon one. So many in this community can relate to the many years of going undiagnosed (or misdiagnosed), yet in hindsight can put the pieces together of a much longer struggle. Juggling diabetes, lupus and neuropathy can certainly be challenging. I'm sharing this article that you may find helpful: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lupus.net/living/neuropathy">https://lupus.net/living/neuropathy</a> . In addition, if you'd like to continue to share your story, please feel free to do so here: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lupus.net/stories/new">https://lupus.net/stories/new</a> All my best, Doreen (Team Member) 
2. Racquel H. Dozier Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Christinesusername" user-id="8571331"/> thank you for sharing some of your story. Hindsight is 20/20and when we look back, like you did, we can definitely begin to see the pattern as to where it started. You are right When there was no full criteria many most likely got overlooked and dismissed for sure. We are glad you are here to share your story and give others hope. ~Racquel ~ team member