This research was recently published in the American Diabetes Association journal called Clinical Diabetes. Nerve damage is a common side effect of long term diabetes. Sugar is toxic to nerves, and over the years, elevated blood sugar can cause permanent harm to nerves in the body. Nerves in the extremities are most at risk. Common symptoms include numbness, tingling, burning or pain in the feet or legs.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 can greatly increase the risk of nerve damage (neuropathy). Metformin is one of the most commonly used drugs in type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood sugar well but it can cause vitamin B12 deficiency.

Drugs used for heartburn, reflux or GERD are referred to as proton pump inhibitors or H2 receptor antagonists. Common examples of these drugs include Tagamet, Nexium, Somac, Zoton, Pariet. These drugs can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency, thus magnifying the risk of neuropathy.

Diabetics who take both metformin and a stomach acid blocking drug are at significantly increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency and subsequent nerve damage. Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include fatigue, depression, rapid heartbeat and easy bruising.

If you are taking any of these medications, it’s vital to ask your doctor to check your vitamin B12 level, in order to protect your nerves. You may also not be aware that the herbal remedy berberine is as effective as metformin for lowering blood sugar, and it doesn’t cause B12 deficiency. There is a great deal of research to support berberine’s effectiveness for type 2 diabetics. It also helps to lower blood fats and makes weight loss easier. There is so much helpful information for diabetics in our book Diabetes Type 2: You Can Reverse It.

Please discuss with your doctor before stopping any medication. You may want to show your doctor the references at the bottom of this article.

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

References:
https://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/content/33/2/90
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25498346