Question
I have been diagnosed as a Type II Diabetic and am taking Glucophage for about 4 months now and also check blood sugars twice a day.  Recently my pharmacy company sent me a letter reminding me to maintain the Glucophage doses and to keep checking the blood sugars.  My question is this, they also advised me to check my feet daily.  This was not mentioned by my physician and I don't know why they suggest checking my feet, and what it is I should be looking for.  Do you have any idea what the pharmacist is saying?

Answer
Hello and thank you for writing,

I'd be happy to explain the foot issue for you. You see one of the unfortunate side-effects of having Diabetes is poor circulation.  Circulation is strongest for everyone closest to the heart (it's strongest closest to the original "pump") and weakens as it gets further away from the heart. So our feet have the weakest circulation in our body and therefor the feet are more prone to slower healing. As Diabetics can have compromised circulation, one of the outcomes is poor healing. So we always advise Diabetics to watch their feet for any cuts/sores and make sure they're healing at a normal rate (but you also want to monitor ANY cuts/sores you amy have to ensure they're healing normally and see a doctor if they're not).

It is usally recommended that Diabetics see a Podiatrist on a regular basis for proper foot care too. A Podiatrist can do regular checks to make sure you don't have hangnails and ensure your nails are cut properly (it may sound simple, but it IS IMPORTANT for all Diabetics to do regularly).

The trick to avoiding these problems is maintaining your Bloodsugar within the normal range. If you allow your Bloodsugar to flucuate wildly and be out of range a lot you will have more problems like this. This usually happens for older Diabetics and people who've had Diabetes for a long time, but it's VERY IMPORTANT to start the good habits now and avoid potential problems later.

I would advise you find out if you have a Diabetic Clinic in your area and go for some basic Diabetes teaching. These clinics have qualified Nurses who can teach you all about Diabetes. You really need to be aware of issues this important so you'll know how to avoid serious complications in the future. Try phoning the local Diabetes Association, I'm sure they'll be able to steer you in the right direction.

I'm glad you wrote, by knowing what to do and what to watch for you can avoid unnecessary and painful complications. I normally work with Seniors and I can't tell you how many older Diabetics I've met who thought we were just "Worry Warts" so they let a simple thing like a blister on their toe go unattended for months; by the time we see them it's so infected and out of control we occasionally need to amputate the toe(s). This is the extreme, but it's not that uncommon either.

Knowledge is the key to not allowing Diabetes to cause you any problems - just be aware of the facts and do a few small things to care for yourself and you'll lead a happy and healthy, long life.

Good luck and please do call the Diabetes Association and find out about Clinics in your area - it will be an invaluable resource for you for the rest of your life.

Sincerely,
Margot