What were your symptoms?

[tingly]

What were your symptoms that prompted you to go to your doctor and get your diagnosis?

Hi, I am not diagnosed with diabetes, and have yet to make a doctors appointment about this (yes, I'll do it on Monday) but just wanted to run some things by you experts!

For the last few weeks I have had constant pins and needles in my arms, particularly my left arm and hand. It is worse at night time and during the night. For the last few days I have had a headache, which is unusual for me because I don't get them usually. I have been drinking sufficient water, and haven't felt especially more thirsty than usual. I have also felt really light headed and faint, particularly this afternoon, which has prompted me to go online and terrify myself through google self diagnosis. Never a good plan on a Friday evening.

I am 41, female and am overweight with a BMI of 29, and have a pretty poor diet and drink too much alcohol. This I WILL have to do something about, as it makes me a good contender for Diabetes 2, although it is easier said than done because I have zero will power... but either way, I was wondering if these symptoms, i.e. the tingling sensation in the hand, the feeling faint, & the headaches resonated with anybody before they were diagnosed?

Thanks if you can share any info.

 

[noblehead]

Don't Google and self diagnose!!!

I didn't have any tingling in the arm but instead had the classic symptoms of thirst, weight loss and frequent toilet visits.

Good luck for Monday and hope it isn't anything too serious.

 

[tingly]

Don't Google and self diagnose!!!

Lol! Too true. I am managing to terrify myself into an early grave here. There is something iffy going on in my body though and I'm just cross with myself for leaving it until Friday evening to decide to book a doc appointment..
Thanks for the reply. I'm not especially thirsty and no weight loss or especially frequent toilet visits so perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree. :mrgreen:

 

[MaryJ]

Agree with noblehead here re self diagnosis, it's hard not to - **** google, not always your friend lol

there was a recent thread on the same subject

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=31045

Mary x

 

[tingly]

Thanks for leading me to that thread Mary, it answers my question pretty much. The lack of change in my toilet habits seems to suggest that diabetes is not at fault here. I usually need to wee at some point during the night, but always have since having my children some years ago!! Anyway, I will come back to this thread and update people with what the doctor says because it may help someone else coming to this forum with similar questions.

Thanks again!

 

[MaryJ]

Good luck to getting to the bottom of it

Mary x

 

[truffles]

Hi,

I had no symptoms at all and still dont, mine was picked up by a blood test for an unrelated reason x

Sharon

 

[kentish maid]

i felt as if i had flu as i come from a family of diabetic's i tested my urine and that was positive i saw my docter next day and had it confirmed.

 

[SueR]

Continuous Thrush - a classic symptom - that the then GP didn't pick up on. Thanks to partner being diagnosed under a different GP and me doing some urine dipping, we realised my sugars were high. 3 blood tests later and I was diagnosed, more thrush and messing about, a change of GP and things were stabalised with medication.

 

[SandrafromOZ]

Like Sue, I had continous thrush as well

 

[BaliRob]

I went to the doctor because I was experiencing shortness of breath after exertion - not unusual you might think but I instinctively knew that this was different. I had not knowingly had any of the classic symptoms and it was only AFTER diagnosis that the sudden loss of weight (over one and a half stone in one or two months or so), without any dietary change, was obviously connected in retrospect/hindsight.

 

[catza]

Unfortunately none what so ever and I just wish I had had some other symptoms so that my GP would taken me a tad more seriously. During a routine eye test few miniscule blood spots were found by my Optician who thought them serious enough to advise me to have the cause investigated.

The Optician referred me to my GP who wouldn't even discuss what the Optician had found until she had the official letter from him, when she eventually deigned to see me she said there was no reason to follow up such a "minor" problem and wanted me go away and to wait for a repeat eye test next year.

After 'a heated discussion' she agreed to refer me to the Eye Hospital. After a 3 month wait for an appointment I saw a Consultant who queried whether I had high blood pressure and wanted to know what the blood tests to check for possible Diabetes had revealed.

Back to the GP were I refused to wait until the official letter arrived and, after a lot of huffing, the Doctor confirmed that as I didn't have HBP she was, reluctantly, and against her "better judgement", "letting" me have a blood test.

All in all nearly 6 months wasted when for the sake of the cost of a blood test I could have been diagnosed a lot earlier. Thank goodness she will not be the GP who I actually see as we now have a GP at the practice who will be taking over all the Diabetic patients.

 

[goose64]

I had no symptoms at all & was picked up at a series of blood test for unrelated reasons too