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What tests are used to detect poor blood circulation due to Diabetes?

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
Hi,
I have many of the symptoms of poor blood circulation due to Diabetes,
I want to ask my Doctor to test me for poor blood circulation but am not aware of a test to ask about,
Does anyone know which test(s) is performed to detect poor blood circulation for Diabetes?
Thanks so much,
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
@Peyt - I don't know what test would detect poor blood circulation for diabetes.

However, I urge you to read about thiamine and benfotiamine (a special form of thiamine) which can help prevent or lessen some diabetes complications. Here's one article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21564442 and there's a lot more info out there.

I don't have diabetes but thiamine helped increase my energy (in addition to a good B complex)
 

Butydoc

Senior Member
Messages
790
Hi,
I have many of the symptoms of poor blood circulation due to Diabetes,
I want to ask my Doctor to test me for poor blood circulation but am not aware of a test to ask about,
Does anyone know which test(s) is performed to detect poor blood circulation for Diabetes?
Thanks so much,
Hi Peyt,

People with diabetes have much higher incidence of vascular disease especially if they are poorly controlled. This vascular disease can show up in many parts of the body. Peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart attach etc. Many of these problems can be diagnosed by clinical exam. If a high concern that narrowing of the arteries is present by clinical exam, non-invasive and invasive test can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Many different options for treatment of above confirmed.

Best,
Gary
 
Last edited:

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
Hi Peyt,

People with diabetes have much higher incidence of vascular disease especially if they are poorly controlled. This vascular disease can show up in many parts of the body. Peripheral vascular disease, stroke, heart attach etc. Many of these problems can be diagnosed by clinical exam. If a high concern that narrowing of the arteries is present by clinical exam, non-invasive and invasive test can be performed to confirm the diagnosis. Many different options for treatment of above confirmed.

Best,
Gary

Hi Gary,
Is there a specific type of Doctor that would be more familiar with testing the narrowing of arteries?
Would a G.I. Doctor be appropriate?
and what is the test called? do you know?
Thanks so much,
Peyt
 

Kati

Patient in training
Messages
5,497
Hi Gary,
Is there a specific type of Doctor that would be more familiar with testing the narrowing of arteries?
Would a G.I. Doctor be appropriate?
and what is the test called? do you know?
Thanks so much,
Peyt

Hi @Peyt if i may answer, tests depend on the area which is a problem. If it's the heart than a cardiologist would be the best person. Brain- neurologist. But perhaps an internal medicine dr would be the best person to take a look at 'the whole picture'.

A well controled diabetes and blood sugars, a little bit of exercise and careful attention to the eyes, feet and lower extremities is the best prevention of circulation-related complications of diabetes.
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
Hi @Peyt if i may answer, tests depend on the area which is a problem. If it's the heart than a cardiologist would be the best person. Brain- neurologist. But perhaps an internal medicine dr would be the best person to take a look at 'the whole picture'.

A well controled diabetes and blood sugars, a little bit of exercise and careful attention to the eyes, feet and lower extremities is the best prevention of circulation-related complications of diabetes.

Hi Kati,
The biggest problem is constant headaches that I get which go away when I use supplements that dilate blood vessels such as Amino Acid L-Arginine. Besides that, my feet, back and legs are also in pain.(and again the pain goes away as soon as I take L-Arginine)
The problem with L-Arginine is that after a week of use it gives me mouth sores, so I have to stop it because of that side effect.. I wish I knew a cream or medicine that would help dilate blood vessels for diabetes.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
The problem with L-Arginine is that after a week of use it gives me mouth sores, so I have to stop it because of that side effect..

You might consider nitrates as an alternative means of raising NO and dilating blood vessels. Dietary nitrates raise NO levels. High levels of nitrates can be found in beetroot juice.

By mouth sores, do you mean sores inside your mouth (canker sores), or cold sores around your mouth? If the latter, then you can try taking lysine with your arginine, as lysine helps inhibit the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores. Refs: 1 2
 

Peyt

Senior Member
Messages
678
Location
Southern California
You might consider nitrates as an alternative means of raising NO and dilating blood vessels. Dietary nitrates raise NO levels. High levels of nitrates can be found in beetroot juice.

By mouth sores, do you mean sores inside your mouth (canker sores), or cold sores around your mouth? If the latter, then you can try taking lysine with your arginine, as lysine helps inhibit the herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores. Refs: 1 2

Hi Hip,
I mean canker sores inside my mouth. I will try to find a NO cream. Thanks for your comment.
 

Jonathan Edwards

"Gibberish"
Messages
5,256
Hi Hip,
I mean canker sores inside my mouth. I will try to find a NO cream. Thanks for your comment.

I think you need to put your problems to a physician in detail Peyt. The brief description you have given does not sound like symptoms of poor circulation. If there is a genuine problem I would not start trying drugs like nitrates until you know there is a good reason. The main side effect of nitrates is very bad headache.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
If there is a genuine problem I would not start trying drugs like nitrates until you know there is a good reason. The main side effect of nitrates is very bad headache.

Sorry, I was not never clear: I meant dietary nitrates such as beetroot juice, rather than nitrate drugs.
 

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,851
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Hi,
I have many of the symptoms of poor blood circulation due to Diabetes,
I want to ask my Doctor to test me for poor blood circulation but am not aware of a test to ask about,
Does anyone know which test(s) is performed to detect poor blood circulation for Diabetes?
Thanks so much,
A Doppler Ultrasound of the carotids would be the obvious starting point with headaches but chances are it could be Diabetic Neuropathy causing issue with the microvascular network from an impaired vasodilation response for which it is not easy to be tested for from a blood flow abnormality aspect. Talk to your Physician, a peripheral artery vasodilator might be appropriate.