What is the mechanism that causes Diabetic Fatigue?

[MacPhoenix]

What is the mechanism that causes Diabetic Fatigue?

I would like more information on how fatigue is caused. Its not sufficient to say poor glucose control is the cause of everything. People who have endured diabetes for many years (40+) are likely to have many conditions no matter how good their control is.

I would like to know if fatigue is connected to damage within the brains architecture, as with Diabetic Depression. and if so what is the process, is it neuropathic, vascular, is it due to the brains ability to store glucose, is the brains metabolism damaged?

Also I would like to point out that Diabetes is a leading cause of visual impairment and this site is not designed for altered (Inverted, high contrast black) computer settings. Some tabs are invisible.

 

[Patch13]

I'm afraid I can't answer your question entirely but glucose control is one of the reasons for tiredness in diabetes.

If your sugar is high it affects the red blood cells ability to carry oxygen so you feel more tired.
If your blood sugar is low then it makes you tired as you have less fuel available to your body for the things it needs to do.
See http://www.diabetes.co.uk/tiredness-and-diabetes.html

I definitely feel more tired when my blood sugar is high or low. However I accept this isn't perhaps the only reason so I hope someone else on here has more info.

You've put that even people with diabetes for many years and good control have got complications. Have you considered that this is due to targets being too high and not tight enough control ?
Dr Richard Bernstein argues that diabetics are entitled to the same sugar levels as non-diabetics which avoids complications. However few of us are achieving tight enough control and are often being told our sugars are fine when they are not. For example my Hba1c has always been acceptable (not perfect but not worrying) yet I was getting huge swings in it (high and low readings all over the place) which was making me tired.

Like I said I hope someone else has more info for you as I'm very interested in the reasons behind tiredness too!

Patch13


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[Patch13]

Sorry link hasn't a worked. Just look on diabetes.co.uk for tiredness


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[MacPhoenix]

Thanks Patch. Yeah I've already read most of the Diabetes UK info, which to be honest barely scratches the surface of conditions. The red blood cell thing is interesting. However, I experience mental fatigue but my body is restless. At other times I'm physically fatigued but my mind is on overdrive. Now if it were simply a case of blood cells exceeding their cargo limit then surely fatigue would affect both bodily and cerebral functions at the same time.

Its not just diabetics with our imperfect glucose control that endure fatigue, There are many conditions that lead to fatigue. Is it all down to those **** reds or is it more complicated than that. Is the a function in the body, an organ, a gland that is damaged by our lack of robotic perfection?

 

[anna29]

Hi .

Just an 'extra' thought to chime in here with .

Hypothyroidism can cause fatigue as it affects and slows down the bodies metabolism .
Energy source and drive is much slower with this condition .

Plus a few Diabetics can suffer with this condition as it is known to be linked .

I have it - and it does impact on your energy drive and levels .
Making them poor in supply - hence the need for thyroxine medication .

So diabetes 'plus' hypothyroidism can be a real reason or factor for low/poor energy levels .

Hope this can help .

Anna .

 

[Yorksman]

What is the mechanism that causes Diabetic Fatigue?

It seems that there are a number of reasons but one of the problems is definition. This from Fatigue in Patients with Diabetes: A Review
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2905388/

*******************************
Results
Diabetes presents many potential pathways for fatigue, but focused studies on this symptom are rare. Furthermore, research on diabetes-related fatigue is limited by fatigue's non-specific symptoms and because fatigue researchers have yet to agree on standardized definition, measurement or diagnostic criteria. Additionally, few diabetes randomized clinical trials included measurement of patient-reported outcomes, such as symptoms or health-related quality of life in their study designs, though one that did provided some the meaningful finding that symptom-focused education improved self-management practices, HbA1c levels, quality of life and symptom distress.

Conclusion
There is a need to standardized definition, measurement and diagnostic criteria of fatigue in diabetes. We present a model that can guide focused studies on fatigue in diabetes. The model capitalizes on the multidimensional phenomena (physiological, psychological, and lifestyle) associated with fatigue in diabetes.

*******************************

One of the problems is that the fatigue may caused by things like lack of exercise, which also contributes to the onset of diabetes. Fatigue is a result of several physiological and psychological conditions, so there probably isn't a single answer but you should find the section Fatigue in Diabetes of interest.

 

[anna29]

Hi All .

Severe illness can also be the trigger to onset of Diabetes .

We have a very interesting thread that throws this up .
Will add it in here - when have tracked it down .
Here it is - viewtopic.php?f=19&t=34555
Fatigue symptoms are frequently mentioned in many of the posts in this thread .

No-one suffering or getting over severe illnesses is going to hit the gym and exercise - are they?
Fatigue can affect both body and the mind/spirit/focus .

I got diabetes immediately after pneumonia then battled off a septis infection.
Was told originally I was Type2 - till I pushed/insisted for further investigation into things .
They have told me since that I am more Latent - slow onset Type1 diabetic .

I am still learning more about this 'currently'
There is so much to learn and discover :eh:

Diabetes is a very complex and often confusing condition/disease .

Hope this can help .

Anna .

 

[MacPhoenix]

Thanks Anna. Had my Thyroid tested recently as I also suffer from chronic depression which that gland can cause. But no its fine WOO HOO something still works! :/

Thanks Yorksman. Vely intelesting. Certainly confirms some of my theories and makes sense. The brain issues it mentions are affected by diabetes and therefore its common sense that it would also lead to fatigue. So many well established diabetic problems such as muscle wastage and circulatory problems line up side by side with causes of fatigue I cant see why it remains such a mystery. It should at least be accepted as a probability.

Rather than the tired old 'its all your fault' specialists waging fingers at our imperfect glucose control. Yes that is behind it all but its about time they got real and offered more support for the inevitable consequences.

 

[oldeboy]

MacPhonenix

I have mitochondria diabetes which is also known as maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD). It accounts for 1% of diabetics and is often mis-diagnosed as type 2 or even type 1.

Exhaustion, fatigue, and low energy, are all classic symptoms. You won't necessarily be deaf but you may notice some loss of hearing or none at all.

As the name suggests it is inherited through the maternal line. It is generally progressive.

I just looked at your profile and see you are marked down as type 1 - is this definitely the case i.e. were anti-bodies found in your pancreas? If so then you have type 1 but if not and you inherited your diabetes from maternal line you may wish to investigate whether you have mitochondrial diabetes.

Co-enzyme Q-10 and b vitamins may help with dealing with the symptoms such as fatigue if you have mito diabetes.

 

[Barrie Smith]

The fact that Diabetes is an autoimmune condition gives the clue , I was diagnosed in 1960 and had 20 yrs trouble free Diabetes
using Bovine Insulin . But in 1980 was converted to "Human" Insulin which within a month I was ill and is the cause of my 33yrs
of continually declining health , the diabetes networks are dedicated to Novo , they have the controlling interest in everything
diabetes (google "relationship with NHS and Novo Nordisk and up pops Oxford University with 7 Novo contact phone numbers ) .
I had to battle with NHS who were totally in denial of any problem , yet in 2006 it all came to a head ,my GP specialising in Diabetes refused me a 2nd opinion on the NHS , and after a 20 min stand up argument had to pay £150 to find out I had suffered
Poly Glandular Auto immune damage to 5 glands , the Chronic Fatigue was Thyroid destruction , the Pernicious Aneamia (GP said
blood tests showed I was perfectly well ) yet my Dentist got me a referral to Maxillio Facial which said it was serious , and most
important the cause of the 229 insulin coma`s destruction of digestive part of my Pancreas ,my Adrenal gland did recover after a year . Yes G/M Insulin does cause irreversable damage to certain patients , ( I was given a Derby news paper asking if you were having problems with the insulin would you be prepared to fill out a questionaire to assist 2 patients who had legal aid to fight a case , I did and was shocked hear I was 1303 to do so ,on asking how my symptoms compared she said you are all exactly the same , so its just you no longer stood up .

 

[hanadr]

I get tired too. but my blood glucose is NEVER above about 7. In my case I put it down to age. However my mum, who has the same diabetes gene as I do and who is 95 said she felt especially tired, so I checked her blood glucose and it was 14.? So high sugars inhibiting oxygen transport could be the case.
Hana

 

[MacPhoenix]

Thanks oldeboy. Hmm, well they think it was caused by rubela. I was 18 months old, don't know if they were able to do such tests back in 1966. I'll have to mention it to my GP next time we prepare for battle.

 

[MacPhoenix]

I remember that Barrie, it killed my Brother-in-law. The diabetic specialist was always blaming him for bad control. The autopsy revealed his organs had failed and were in a bad state. The concluded that he was allergic to the synthetic insulin. He was 21. Many diabetics complained of shortening hypo symptoms - less warning time. Doctors just dismissed it all, I mean what do we know, we just have to live and die with it. Sorry to hear you were a victim of all that.

 

[Erin]

I think the deterioration of the pancreas progresses to more and more fatigue as time goes on. While it is true that I asked my dr. to glyclazide diabetes drug, the fatigue is still there though a bit less than last year. I am vigilant about eating much less in case I have less fatigue because I would rather have fatigue with eating a bit more that getting hypoglycemia, which gives me heart pain and all the other nasty side effects which can last more than a day.