Eight-hour heating pads not for diabetics?

Factual Questions
1

I am having a battle with a sore shoulder so I went out and bought one of those eight hour heating pads that activate when it is exposed to the air (and then you stick it to your shoulder, neck or whereever) and put it on. Then my wife began reading the instructions (I think that is a woman thing) and she came running in saying, “Take it off, take it off!” I was a little upset. My first reaction was that she was referring to my clothes and she wanted to have sex, but the pain in my shoulder was so intense this would not really be possible, but being a guy, I was willing to try (I think this is a guy thing).

As I stood there in my boxers socks and shoes (I was in a hurry), she explained that the instuctions on the box said diabetics were absolutely not supposed to use the product. I am a diabetic. I don’t understand why.

The instructions say to contact my doctor, but he is on vacation in Peru, skiing or something so rather than bother the back up doctor his service said will take his emergency calls, I bother you - you aren’t in Peru skiing are you? Why can’t I use this product for my sore shoulder?

p.s. I have not died yet.

2

AINAD, but my understanding is that diabetics can have a) nerve damage, so you can get burned and not feel it and b) poor circulation, leading to increased risk of burning.

3

I think beowulff has it. I’ve used those pads and ended up with burns (small blisters) if I wasn’t paying attention. Because it happens so slowly, you don’t realize it. It tends to be spots where the heat gets concentrated (clothes pressing on the pad, pad gets folded into a skin crease, etc.).

I’d imagine there could be problems in diabetics with poor circulation and/or nerve response. In today’s paranoid society, that translates into DIABETICS MUST NOT EVER EVER USE THIS.

I’d say be very careful and check periodically (or remove it periodically for a bit) to be sure the area is not overheating. I believe you can also flip them and attach them to clothing rather than your skin to decrease the effects if you have trouble with overheating. IANAD or other health professional, nor diabetic, so I have no idea what you should do.