About one in five type 2 diabetics develops a chronic, painful nerve condition called diabetic neuropathy.
Nerve tissues absorb sorbitol and cease to function. The exact mechanisms of diabetic neuropathy are hard to describe, but as nerve cells die, remaining nerve cells constantly tell the brain: "We're here! We're here!" by sending signals of burning pain 24 hours a day.


The downside of antidepressants is that they encourage weight gain and they have unpredictable effects on mood. Many type 2 diabetics look at ways of controlling the pain of neuropathy without the expense or side effects of antidepressant medication.