Could I be diabetic?

[richardgomm]

Hi all,

Wondering if anyone could help - my GP isn't sure as to whether I could be diabetic and wants to charge me 150 euro for a blood test - so I want to be sure its a possibility before I cough up the cash.

I'm a 28 year male, 20 stone, 6'7'', 42 inch waist so slightly overweight but its never given me a problem. Usually I'm out and about during the day so light activity.

Over the past few months I've been getting daily headaches of various degrees - ranging from a slight dull pain to full blown migraines (by that I mean I can't stand any light, dizzy, nauseas and extreme pain - normally have to lie down in a dark room and take a good number of pink/yellow migraleve)

In conjunction with the headaches I've felt pretty run down, weak and light headed. Sometimes if I turn round to fast I feel dizzy and have to sit down. My appetite has decreased as well.

This all started after a change in my diet 3 months ago - I used to eat a large amount of chocolate and fizzy drink each day. But my weight increased quickly, 3 stone in 1 and half years, so I knocked them on the head - now I hardly have any. Although I have noticed that I have various degrees of success in short term treating the problem with doses of chocolate or sweet ham / tea with sugar in..... I'm now wondering if there’s any chance I might be diabetic?

Would it fit in with the other symptoms? I did check myself with a boots diabetes kit and I was always between 5.5 and 6.8, even after not eating for a good few hours I was still only down to 5.5... I did a fast overnight (12 hours no food / water) and it came back at 5.3 - these appear normal from the post (with the exception of the fast result)

is it possible that my body is used to higher levels of sugar? Up till the time this all started I used to drink coke and eat chocolate every day and apart from the weight increase I felt healthy. That was for the last 15 years or so. Since stopping them I feel weak and tired (having a 30 min nap nowdays in the afternoon - that’s just not right for a 28 year old)

any thoughts would be appreciated..

thanks

Richard

 

[FindingNemo]

Caffeine withdrawal symptoms?

Just a thought, but cutting out caffeine wich is fairly high in chocolate can cause horrible symptoms. With those readings, I wouldn't have thought diabetes was the cause.

 

[catherinecherub]

As FindingNemo says the chocolate has high caffeine levels and I have known people who drink too much coca cola having all the symptoms you describe when they stop drinking it. It is almost like an addiction .

 

[totsy]

i totally agree with the above posts, happy new year

 

[richardgomm]

hi all, never even considered caffine withdrawal - could make sense. The only thing against it is its been going for over 3 months - although i have chocolate / fizzy drinks in that time, so maybe a yo yo effect??

so would you suggest cutting all caffine or having a small daily amount??

cheers

RG

 

[catherinecherub]

Personally I would cut out all the fizzy drinks and chocolate and start eating a healthy diet. Try and include some daily exercise even if you only walk for half an hour a day. The bad headaches etc. should begin to subside.
Hope this helps.

 

[hanadr]

Dear Richardgomm
We're not all doctors and even those who are wouldn't make a diagnosos long range and with so little data. However,Fizzy drinks and chocolate are something you can live a whole lifetime without, so try totally without them for a bit. If you recover, you'll know they were contributing to the problem
As to your weight. Being utterly frank with you, you are not a little overweight. Unless it's all muscle and you're a body builder, you are a lot overweight.
I have a brother about your height, if not taller, and 3 stone lighter, who says he's overweight. He's a former Olympian, so should know a healthy weight even for an athlete.

 

[richardgomm]

yep - definately overweight, by about 3 and half stone if you go by the calculator above. Thats another reason I was considering diabetes - isn't type 2 linked with obseity?

I'm going to get some more test strips tomorrow and keep a better record of my levels, either that or get the ac1 test the doc mentioned (at 150 euro) - at elast it would rule it out completely....

 

[catherinecherub]

Yes there is a link between Type 2 and obesity.
I think 150 euros is a small price to pay for peace of mind and that like a lot of us this has been a wake up call for you to improve your health. It wouldn't take long to spend that on chocolate and coca cola.
Why do you have to pay for the HBA1c?

 

[richardgomm]

Just read another page with symptoms on for type 2 - it mentioed boils - I've suffered these for the apst 2 years,alwasy on my back - I thought they were bites but they could easily be boils too (got one at the moment.)

I know its easy to dignose yourself with all sort of things via google - guess I'll pay the doc for the a1c test. And control my caffine intake just in case

cheers all

RG

 

[fergus]

Hi Richard,

Your BG numbers sound a wee bit higher than ideal, but I'd expect them to fall to a normal level if you make a determined effort to cut out the empty sugars and lose a few pounds.

All the best,

fergus

 

[richardgomm]

thank everyone - I've been keeping a full record today using a boots accu-chek aviva monitor. Not sure if the results are what I'd expect:


1030hrs (12 hr fast) - 5.6

1030hrs breakfast - wetabix no sugar, pint of semi milk

1100hrs - 7.0

1130hrs - 7.0 - can feel small pressure above left eye, light headed

1200hrs - felt dizzy for a second and hungry

1201hrs - 5.1

1205hrs - low fat bacon sandwich with cheese on white bread. Cup of tea, semi milk, no sugar

1235hrs - 5.9 - still light headed but no headache

1315hrs - 1415hrs - walked around town for an hour, and a bottle of water

1420hrs - 5.1

1510hrs - 45 mins housework, had a few cherry tomatos

1520hrs - 5.0, still light head and pressure has spread across the forehead but still not painkiller level

1630hrs - light headache comming on now

1635hrs - - 3.9 !!! (did a second just to be sure it was 4)

1640hrs - had 3 chocolate digestive biscuits and cup of tea with 2 sugar

1700hrs - Yop yogurt drink, headache and pressure gone, still light headed thou

1701hrs - 5.8

My immediate concern is the 3.9 seen when the headache came on. It was gone half an hour after chocolate and tea... was it the sugar or caffine that helped? Is 3.9 too low?
thanks

 

[totsy]

i am by no means qualified but i certainly wouldnt worry too much, a non diabetic persons levels is between 4/6mmol, yours doesnt seem to rise much after eating at all and does seem to go down, 3.9 will not harm you either, try not to worry

 

[Trinkwasser]

If you can eat Weetabix and milk and only hit 7 then you aren't diabetic! You may have the beginning of "prediabetes" in that your numbers are marginally more variable than a true "normie" but that would be controllable at your stage by controlling your carbs and losing weight, both of which might be connected.

I'd be looking elsewhere for the source of your symptoms, particularly I'd get your blood pressure tested and a lipid panel would do no harm as a reference. I'd also consider a thyroid test. A1c would probably be a waste of money as you'd almost certainly be in the fives: spend the money saved on test strips if you want!

Migraines and cluster headaches can have many causes, I'd run your symptoms past your doctor again and see what other tests he suggests.

 

[richardgomm]

full day - I normally only have a glass of water between now and bed at 11. I'll post a pre sleep reading and pre breakfast/fast level tomorrow. Thanks everyone.

0930hrs - got up - feeling well.

1030hrs (12 hr fast) - 5.6

1030hrs breakfast - wetabix no sugar, pint of semi milk

1100hrs - 7.0

1130hrs - 7.0 - can feel small pressure above left eye, light headed

1200hrs - felt dizzy for a second and hungry

1201hrs - 5.1

1205hrs - low fat bacon sandwich with cheese on white bread. Cup of tea, semi milk, no sugar

1235hrs - 5.9 - still light headed but no headache

1315hrs - 1415hrs - walked around town for an hour, and a bottle of water

1420hrs - 5.1

1510hrs - 45 mins housework, had a few cherry tomatos

1520hrs - 5.0, still light head and pressure has spread across the forehead but still not painkiller level

1630hrs - light headache comming on now

1635hrs - - 3.9 !!! (did a second just to be sure it was 4)

1640hrs - had 3 chocolate digestive biscuits and cup of tea with 2 sugar

1700hrs - Yop yogurt drink, headache gone, still light headed thou

1701hrs - 5.8

1720hrs - 7.2, lightheaded, still feel the pressure on head but no pain.

1750hrs - 6.9, feeling very tired, light headed, pressure all across forehead

1810hrs - became very light headed, felt nausea, but hungry at same time. strong sickly taste in my thoat. starting dinner early.

1815hrs - 5.1

1835hrs - 6.8 ?? I had nothing in between so why the increase; bad read??

1840hrs - dinner. chicken breast, green beans, sweetcorn, cherry tomateos and a little butter. Large glass of fresh orange juice.

1910hrs - 7.8 (15 mins after finishing dinner) Feel well again pressure now only above left eye but not painful

1930hrs - 7.6 - feeling good apart from the pressure above left eye.

1945hrs - 6.3

1950hrs - wife found a vienetta so add one small slice of chocolate vienetta / ice cream

2000hrs - 6.2, all symptoms gone. Feel fine, first time today since I got up that all symptoms have gone

2030hrs - 6.2

2045hrs - glass fresh orange

2130hrs - 6.1

2215hrs - 5.0

 

[totsy]

you certainly dont seem to be diabetic, stop worrying, the anxiety can be causing your symptoms

 

[richardgomm]

Hi all,

thanks to everyone that gave a reply. Turns out nothing was wrong with me (yet)

We had some friends over and they all complianed of headaches within a few hours - turns out we have a leak on oil central heating system, the fumes were causing me to feel light headed and casing the headaches. Had it repaired and been troubl free for 2 days now.

thanks again everyone nice to know I haven't got diabetes, although I guess I need to lose the weight quickly otherwise I might be back in a few months.

cheers

Richard

 

[sugarless sue]

Good luck,Richard.