Why does a diabetic patient have numbness and tingling sensations in his feet at night?

Question

Hello doctor,

I checked with a glucometer four days ago and found my diabetes under control, but I have numbness and tingling sensations in my feet at night when I lay down. Are the glucometer readings reliable? Should I undergo a laboratory test for my diabetes? Why do I have this tingling sensation? My glucose reading was 75 mg/dL before eating and 81 mg/dL two hours after food.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

The glucose levels mentioned are excellent, and your diabetes is under control. Today most of the standard glucometers are quite reliable. Many patients are using those for self-management of blood glucose (SMBG). However, numbness might happen due to peripheral neuropathy, which is usually seen in some diabetics even if the glucose levels are under control. Therefore, I suggest you get fasting, post-prandial, and HbA1c (hemoglobinA1c) levels checked in the laboratory and consult a diabetologist for further evaluation. Also, ask the diabetologist if medicines like Vitamin B12 or Pregabalin will help you.