Struggling and worried

[Rosieroo]

Hi all its been nearly a year since I was diagnosed and I am still struggling.

I am on 2000mg of metformin
90mg of gliclazade
And now I am starting on 5mg of linagliptin

My levels have been a lot better then the were during the day but can be high sometimes. My morning fasting is always high between 9 and 13 . I am suffering with neuropathy in my arms and I can feel starting in my legs.

I saw the gp again following a blood test and he said my levels are improving but they are not in the "normal range" he said if the linagliptin doesn't work the next step will be insulin.

I don't eat to badly I have Greek yoghurt and raspberries with a few oat flakes for breaky (maybe I should take the flaked out) salad for lunch , dinners I can struggle with as it's hard hard having a small baby and cooking in the evening but I try and keep it low carb.

I don't really know what to do, I'm hungry all the time but am scared to eat , I hate this neuropathy t thing .

Also is there a link between coldness and diabetes . I.e we get colder more

Thank you for any feedback given I just need to get this of my chest as it's getting me down

 

[azure]

Hi @Rosieroo Am I getting muddled or were you being considered as possibly having Type 1/1.5?

It must be awful feeling hungry and being afraid to eat : ( That's not right. I guess you're nervous about insulin but if it can help get your levels down and allow you to,eat more as well as feel better in yourself, then it might be a good thing.

ETA - the coldness - have you had your thyroid checked?

 

[Rosieroo]

Well I saw a specialist and yes they said I was possibly type 1.5. They just told me to check my keystones and if they were high to call them and I would start insulin. I had to do more bloods and they were sending them off for special tests which take months apparently for results to see if I was another type of diabetes. I'm due to see the specialist again end of march
In the meantime I am just carrying on as if it was type 2 I guess and seeing my regular gp.
I'm very confused myself , my mother in law has diabetes and she is in a low dose of met and can still eat fairly well.

I did also have a under active thyroid but this has got alot better I am slowly coming of the medication for this now.
All this started when I had a baby . I got gestational diabetes whilst pregnant . I had to take insulin then , I don't really like taking all this medication and do feel worried if I had to take insulin but if it helped more I would.

 

[azure]

Ah, yes - I remember now. Thank you for,explaining again. It's good you're seeing a specialist soon. As I think I said before, pregnancy sometimes brings Type 1/1.5 to light, so it's reassuring the specialist is considering that too. If you do have 1/1.5, early introduction of insulin can help preserve your remaining beta cells, so it's a good thing on that count.

You've said your fasting levels are high. What are your daytime levels like?

 

[lowedb]

First thing I can say, is since diagnosis, starting meds, and low carbing, I'm really feeling the cold. Fingers and feet are particularly noticing it which isn't nice when defrosting the car. I did start a thread on this but didn't find anyone else feeling the same, though.

I'm a bit surprised about the hunger, going on my experience. I'm making sure I have some fat with meals so its LCHF (low carb high fat) and it works. Saying that after dinner tonight I realised there was very little fat in the curry I had because for the first time in ages, I was hungry. Small piece of cheese soon fixed that, though.

 

[Rosieroo]

My daytime levels are at best around 5.6 at worst they are 9. But they have been at the lower end a lot more lately.
I asked my regular gp about taking insulin now but he didn't think I needed to now so I'll wait to see the specialist I did see a dietician and even she hinted she thought some insulin maybe of help.

Re the coldness I went for a walk today and even though I had gloves on my fingers were frozen and it was quite painful

 

[daisyduck]

My daytime levels are at best around 5.6 at worst they are 9. But they have been at the lower end a lot more lately.
I asked my regular gp about taking insulin now but he didn't think I needed to now so I'll wait to see the specialist I did see a dietician and even she hinted she thought some insulin maybe of help.

Re the coldness I went for a walk today and even though I had gloves on my fingers were frozen and it was quite painful

Are you eating enough ? If I cut down too much I feel really cold

 

[azure]

Did you mention the coldness to your GP? It certainly was cold today, but if you're feeling unusually cold perhaps mention it if you haven't already.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

Of course mention it to your GP.
But I too noticed the lower my BG has gotten and the more pounds I loose the colder I am.
I think when my BG was higher I was always hot because my body was trying to burn it off. Now I always wear socks and a few layers of clothing.
Mr Hotpepper likes it though, he's not cold any more because the temperature of the house is higher.

 

[miahara]

@Rosieroo , have a look at this, it may help explain your cold feeling.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-complications/poor-blood-circulation.html

 

[kokhongw]

My daytime levels are at best around 5.6 at worst they are 9.

These are reasonably good numbers. But you could be feeling cold and hungry because of low carbing AND taking glicazide. it may be causing you to experience hypo symptoms.

Perhaps you can check your glucose level when you feel hungry and see how low that is...then discuss these readings with your GP.

 

[Rosieroo]

These are reasonably good numbers. But you could be feeling cold and hungry because of low carbing AND taking glicazide. it may be causing you to experience hypo symptoms.

Perhaps you can check your glucose level when you feel hungry and see how low that is...then discuss these readings with your GP.

Thank you
Can I ask if these are reasonably numbers why could I be getting the neuropathy feelings aswell

I did a non fasting blood test and the gp said even the results showed my levels coming down they were not in the normal ranges

 

[Hotpepper20000]

It might not be neuropathy. Check with your GP.
It could be a vitamin deficiency like B12

 

[Ross.Walker]

hello. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate (sorry no pun intended). It looks like things could be linked, but not a doctor so take this as a view nothing more.

Hound your specialist, get the tests done, if they show you need to change your meds then you know what needs to be done and you will have an answer which may help to relax you, this helps so much with general health.

Do you have an idea what foods cause you to go/stay high?
Can you have 5 smaller meals in a day to spread the tummy being full feeling?
Drink more water.
I have a small soup and a salad for lunch, warm food is good.
How active are you? For me it is cold if I have a less active time and when more active it does not occur, however I still dress for success. It's never too cold, only the wrong clothing is a great thing to think about. It was -35 (including windchill) at 13500ft last weekend.

Question. has the cold feeling reduced as you have managed your weight or increased?



Ross

 

[kokhongw]

Thank you
Can I ask if these are reasonably numbers why could I be getting the neuropathy feelings aswell

I did a non fasting blood test and the gp said even the results showed my levels coming down they were not in the normal ranges

The neuropathy feelings may not be directly related to your post meal glucose reading in this case. Your doctor will have to investigate the possible causes of those pains.

With the high fasting glucose you describe, it is unlikely that you will be in the normal HbA1c range.

By maintaining good post meal glucose reading as your have reported, it will eventually help to bring down your fasting glucose as well. Personally I find that having light early dinner has the most direct sustained improvement for fasting glucose reading.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Just ask for insulin.... a type 1.r needs this. Dont struggle...

 

[donnellysdogs]

You may just be reacting ref neuropathy to all the meds they piling you with.

Ask for a basal bolus regime...

 

[Rosieroo]

hello. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate (sorry no pun intended). It looks like things could be linked, but not a doctor so take this as a view nothing more.

Hound your specialist, get the tests done, if they show you need to change your meds then you know what needs to be done and you will have an answer which may help to relax you, this helps so much with general health.

Do you have an idea what foods cause you to go/stay high?
Can you have 5 smaller meals in a day to spread the tummy being full feeling?
Drink more water.
I have a small soup and a salad for lunch, warm food is good.
How active are you? For me it is cold if I have a less active time and when more active it does not occur, however I still dress for success. It's never too cold, only the wrong clothing is a great thing to think about. It was -35 (including windchill) at 13500ft last weekend.

Question. has the cold feeling reduced as you have managed your weight or increased?



Ross

I seem to be very sensitive to most carbs like potatoes pasta and rice more so than the sweet stuff like cake or chocolate.

I try to eat little and often but by lunchtime I realise I haven't eaten since breakfast sometimes . I am pretty active my job is pretty active and on my days off I'm out and about with my little boy.

I lost a lot of weight last year but this was due mainly to under active thyroid .

Water is defiantly something I need to drink more of.

I looked at the symptoms of vit b12 deficiency and it is a lot like the symptoms I'm getting so I will ask to be tested

Also someone mention that gliclazade makes you feel like you have low sugars even when numbers are normal and yes this does happen to me , this afternoon I felt I had low sugar and when I tested it was 5.6

 

[Rosieroo]

Can taking supplements for b12 be enough to help

 

[donnellysdogs]

Depends how deficient person is..