Diabetes Abdominal Pain

While many people associate the pain caused by diabetes with discomfort of the feet and legs, abdominal pain is another possible symptom of the disease. There are a number of causes for abdominal pain in diabetics, though what makes people with diabetes susceptible to these conditions is not fully understood in all cases.

Significance

• A study conducted by Jens Brøndum Frøkjær and published by the American Diabetes Association in 2009 revealed that diabetics are more likely to have stomach problems, like abdominal pain, than other people. Additionally, 75 percent of diabetics report some type of gastrointestinal problems, according to an article published in the Clinical Diabetes Journal by Dr. James Wolosin in 2000.

Expert Insight

• The American Diabetes Association speculates that the cause for abdominal pain in diabetics is related to neuropathy, a condition that occurs when excessive levels of blood sugar in the body damage nerves.

Causes of Abdominal Pain

• Gastroparesis, or delayed digestion, is a common cause of abdominal pain in diabetics, according Wolosin. The susceptibility of diabetics to bacterial and fungal infections also leads to painful gastrointestinal ulcers and yeast infections in the throat in some patients.

Medicine

• Cisapride and Metclopropamide are often used to treat the effects of gastroparesis, while yeast infections are commonly treated with antifungal medications like ketocanazole. For gastrointestinal ulcers, doctors usually rely on a combined treatment of acid-controllers like Zantac and antibiotics like Amoxil to reduce the acid that exacerbates ulcers and treat the bacteria that is frequently the cause.

Self-Care

• Eating small meals and keeping blood sugar levels at a normal range often helps with abdominal pain. Limiting alcohol and smoking also contribute to digestive help, limiting abdominal pain caused by diabetes.