One of the most painful potential consequences of diabetes is peripheral neuropathy—nerve damage in your extremities (arms, legs, hands and feet) caused by elevated blood glucose levels. Neuropathic pain is widespread in people with diabetes, but until recently, treatment options have been very limited and often not targeted to this specific condition. Furthermore, some potential treatments, like anti-seizure drugs or antidepressants, carry significant risks or side effects.
But there may be a cheap, widely available pill that can help reduce neuropathic pain in some people with diabetes, according to the results of a recent study: vitamin D supplements, in people who lack enough of this vitamin in their blood. The study, published in the journal Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, looked at 43 people with type 1 diabetes who had neuropathy…
