Diabetes Nerve Pain May Worsen at Night

Diabetes Nerve Pain May Worsen at Night: People with diabetic peripheral neuropathy report worst pain at 11 p.m., study finds. People with diabetes-related nerve damage may experience worse pain in the evening hours, preliminary research suggests. If confirmed in larger studies, the findings suggest that people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy might need more pain medication late at night. "It could be that patients need more [pain] medication at night or that if they are taking a once-a-day medication, it should be taken in the evening," says Brett Stacey, MD, medical director of the Comprehensive Pain Center at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Results showed that average pain scores were highest at 11 p.m. and 8 p.m., when they were 4.65 and 4.53 points, respectively. They dropped to their daily low at 11 a.m., when they averaged 4.21 points. The new findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Pain Society.