Neuropathy - please tell me there's hope

[Zoeycat84]

Had a visit with the vet today. He confirmed that my kitty is in remission. However, he still has neuropathy. It seemed to be improving with B12 and then got bad again for some reason. My vet said it can fluctuate but also said it may or may not be irreversible.
Zoey was diagnosed with diabetes in late May but has been off insulin for at least 2 months. Neuropathy started as soon as insulin did. So he's had neuropathy for about 4-5 months now.
I need to hear success stories... actually those stories where neuropathy never improved too. I feel so bad for him. Anyone with similar stories? Any advice besides continuing the B12?

 

[Squalliesmom]

When was the last time he had bloodwork done? Low potassium levels can cause symptoms that look like neuropathy, and is easily treated with a supplement. Arthritis can also cause similar symptoms.

 

[Zoeycat84]

When was the last time he had bloodwork done? Low potassium levels can cause symptoms that look like neuropathy, and is easily treated with a supplement. Arthritis can also cause similar symptoms.

He had blood work done at the time of his diabetes diagnosis, so in may, they checked his electrolytes and it was fine

 

[JeffJ]

Leo had pretty bad neuropathy. I got him to a regulated state. And he was getting daily Zobaline (B12). Now he has almost no neuropathy. Both the BG regulation and the B12 contributed to the reversal. So there is hope. The condition does not always reverse, but with Leo we got lucky.

Since you don't have your spreadsheet online, I can't tell if your kitteh was regulated prior to remission. High BG levels cause the issue.

 

[Zoeycat84]

Leo had pretty bad neuropathy. I got him to a regulated state. And he was getting daily Zobaline (B12). Now he has almost no neuropathy. Both the BG regulation and the B12 contributed to the reversal. So there is hope. The condition does not always reverse, but with Leo we got lucky.

Since you don't have your spreadsheet online, I can't tell if your kitteh was regulated prior to remission. High BG levels cause the issue.

I haven't quite figured out how to do the spreadsheet lol the insulin dose was too high because he went into hypoglycemia which is what prompted me to start testing his BG at home (FORMER vet told me not to do it at home). I tested and realised he went too low on insulin and was normal without. He started at 1U twice daily then went up to 2U twice daily but I changed his diet to only canned and that resulted in me needing to go back to 1U twice a day.just before I stopped the insulin he was on 1U twice a day on caninsulin. At that point I started testingat home and realised he didn't need the insulin anymore.After that he was off insulin for good. I still check his BG and it's always in the normal range. Confusing? Lol

 

[Zoeycat84]

Leo had pretty bad neuropathy. I got him to a regulated state. And he was getting daily Zobaline (B12). Now he has almost no neuropathy. Both the BG regulation and the B12 contributed to the reversal. So there is hope. The condition does not always reverse, but with Leo we got lucky.

Since you don't have your spreadsheet online, I can't tell if your kitteh was regulated prior to remission. High BG levels cause the issue.

Also, how long did it take Leo to get regulated and ultimately for the neuropathy to go away?

 

[JeffJ]

Well, Leo had Acromegaly (pituitary gland tumor). His thread shows the details. In summary, he was impossible to regulate prior to getting SRT (radiation treatment) in Sept 2016. Neuropathy summary:
- Sept 2016 real bad, could hardly walk
- January 2017, pretty well regulated, insulin requirements down a lot, neuropathy slightly better
- March 2017, almost no neuropathy
- June 2017, no noticeable neuropathy

During that time, he went from 18 units/dose (twice daily) to 4.0-5.0 units/dose. That's because the tumor takes awhile to basically die off. He's a real trooper, and is doing pretty good now on the diabetes managemnet as well as the chemo for the small cell lymphoma.

 

[Zoeycat84]

Well, Leo had Acromegaly (pituitary gland tumor). His thread shows the details. In summary, he was impossible to regulate prior to getting SRT (radiation treatment) in Sept 2016. Neuropathy summary:
- Sept 2016 real bad, could hardly walk
- January 2017, pretty well regulated, insulin requirements down a lot, neuropathy slightly better
- March 2017, almost no neuropathy
- June 2017, no noticeable neuropathy

During that time, he went from 18 units/dose (twice daily) to 4.0-5.0 units/dose. That's because the tumor takes awhile to basically die off. He's a real trooper, and is doing pretty good now on the diabetes managemnet as well as the chemo for the small cell lymphoma.

Wow you're right he is a trooper! Sounds like the poor guy has been through a lot. Glad you've got it all stabilised now. So it sounds like it can take a really long time for the neuropathy to improve. That gives me some hope. Thanks for sharing

 

[JeffJ]

Glad I could help. There is hope. I'll repeat - that all cats don't respond to regulation and B12. For some cats it is not reversible. I hope Zoey recovers.

With Leo, he is a trooper. For SCL, it's similar to neuropathy. Some cats respond to chemo, and some do not. We take it one day at a time, and we don't take his longevity for granted.