I had an autoimmune disease, then the disease had me (2013)
I have an autoimmune disease; type 1.5 diabetes, formally called LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults). I&#x27;m insulin dependent, like type 1, but the disease didn&#x27;t manifest until my 40s, like type 2.<p>I suffer from moderately severe diabetic foot pain. My doctor prescribed some medication that provided marginal, at best, relief. About a year ago, I had a persistent fever. I took some aspirin to knock down the fever (I almost never took aspirin before that) and discovered that it provided significant relief from the foot pain. More recently, I had a bad cold, and I took some cold medicine that includes acetaminophen, something that I also almost never took before that. It seems to help even more than aspirin. I am wary of taking acetaminophen regularly, because of the warnings about liver damage, but it is something I am considering for those times when the foot pain is severe.<p>What I would recommend for people suffering from these kinds of problems is that they embrace the idea of Quantified Self. Start keeping a diary of <i>everything</i>. The things you eat, the things you do, and the symptoms you experience, in excruciating detail. Then start looking for patterns and correlations. Put the data into a spreadsheet, generate charts. Learn statistics, learn about correlations. Learn Bayesian Probability. You may be able to find the specific triggers that cause your symptoms, and maybe the things you can do (or avoid) to reduce your symptoms.