Insulin and WED - Relationship?

[alice]

I have a question about Blood Sugar and Diabetics. Does high BS worsen RLS? And, has anyone had RLS worsen with the Lantus Pen? Alice

[alice]

Does anyone one have trouble with insulin and RLS getting worse. Alice

[ViewsAskew]

In general, diabetics have a higher risk of RLS/WED. But, I'm not sure why. If it's inflammation, the blood sugar, the neuropathy....

I haven't seen much published about this, but then again I haven't been looking, either.

[rthom]

Alice would you think the insulin is making the symptoms worse or the sugar? I have often assumed that if I have too much sugar (especially days in a row) my WED is worse--but have never been able to be sure of it as it always happens along with other things (stress, more/less meds etc.). I am hypoglycemic so it comes with bad shakes and weakness etc.

[alice]

thank you for the above comments. I am Type II Diabetic and I us the Lantus insulin pen plus metformin and the doctor is wanting to add a pill to help control the Blood Sugar through out the day. the problem has been that the pills for diabetics that we have tried seem to exacerbate the RLS. I have tried Amaryl which causes my sodium to go too low, and the others I have tried worsen the RLS, so that is why I was wondering if any RLS /diabetic friends out there used a pill that works for them or have had any trouble with the pill forms to control Blood Sugar. I am trying Glucotrol right now and it is a question too. It seems that when I am on a new pill , it takes about 3 days for the RLS to worsen and then I know that is the only thing I have changed. Thanks Again, Alice

[rthom]

good luck with it, I hope something works well soon.

[ViewsAskew]

My brother-in-law has mild RLS/WED, and is a Type II diabetic. My husband has mild RLS/WED and is prediabetic. Neither have said anything to me about the meds making it worse. Hubby has only used meformin, though. My BIL has used many things - he currently injects insulin, but used pill form medications for many years. Doesn't mean anything - it's a small sample - but that's all I'm aware of.

I don't recall many of our members saying they are diabetic. Since people who are diabetic often get WED, I wonder why so few members have mentioned it? maybe they tend to visit diabetes forums and talk about WED/RLS there.

[badnights]

I have three siblings, all of whom have Type 1 diabetes. None of them take pills to control blood sugar, they are all using insulin, so no help for you there, sorry.

One brother has mild WED (if he takes OTC cold meds it goes nuts. I've tried to tell him to avoid first-generation ant-histamines. I think he's finally getting it.) The other brother's WED was worse, but his recently-diagnosed OSA might have been making it worse. My sister had WED during each of her three pregnancies, but has thankfully been free of it since (so far).

I don't have diabetes, but I've been nailed with vicious WED. I think I would rather the diabetes, because I would not have been robbed of my cognitive abilities.

[mistral27]

There are two issues here.
Firstly Insulin purely mimics that which the pancreas was supposed to provide. Lantus is a basal insulin which means the pancreas is under producing.

Secondly, type 2 diabetes is all about insulin resistance. That means that the blood sugars are not getting into the muscles. Now there may be some connection here as WED not only is muscle related but affects extremities (legs and arms), and diabetes also causes peripheral neuropathy. Metformin is the best pill for insulin resistance help but can affect digestion.