Anyone With Pad?

[amj27]

I was wondering if anyone here has peripheral artery disease? Is this something that is common in diabetics? 4 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and slightly elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. I got my blood pressure completely under control and my cholesterol is still slightly elevated but not too bad. My last a1c was a 7.3, up from a 5.2. I’m working hard to get it back down. For the past 5 years I’ve been having pain in my calves when walking up hills that goes away with rest. Just recently I’ve been getting pain in my feet when walking and sometimes at night while at rest they get a slight burn and I get aching toes and top of the feet where they meet the legs. I also get deep pain in my right heel and at times my feet are cold to touch. I’ve also been back and fourth to the doctor about trouble breathing and irregular heart beats that my blood pressure monitor keeps detecting when I’m feeling unwell. They did ekgs, holter monitors, chest x-rays and ct scans and found nothing. They tell me other than the diabetes I am healthy. But I’m not convinced because I feel unwell too often and weak and tired. I’m only 27 and after doing my own research I’m all freaked out thinking this could be peripheral artery disease. I was reading how horrible the outcome is for younger people diagnosed with this and I just had a baby 7 months ago. I had some fluid in my lungs after I had the baby but it went away, but they never found what caused it so now thinking back to that I think for sure there’s something with my arteries. I’ve been so depressed the last week thinking about this. I’m afraid to mention it to my doctor because a lot of the time I get turned down when I want testing done because of my age. They say I’m too young and there’s no need for certain tests. So I guess I’m just hoping to hear from someone who’s going through this and could tell me more. Does this sound like pad?

 

[Jo_the_boat]

Firstly, don't be frightened about going to the doctor and getting answers.
I do have PAD but I'm 30 years older than you. You are very young to have it (T2 diabetes too I think).
Of course for your peace of mind you need to find out. We on here can not diagnose, only make suggestions.
I believe there are other possibilities for your symptoms, peripheral neuropathy for example. BUT, don't take my word for it, go and see your doctor.
One thing is for sure, whatever is causing you trouble, glucose control is important. You say you're working to get your HbA1c down, there really is masses of help on here to do that. You'll find people very supportive and helpful.
Well done with your blood pressure and I suggest you don't worry too much about your cholesterol being up a bit, if you believe the latest research, it is not important at all.
My specialist said to me that good sugar control, plenty of exercise, good diet and no smoking were the best things I can do. This applies to anyone but especially someone with T2 and other potentially related conditions.
Good luck and don't be alone with it.

 

[amj27]

Firstly, don't be frightened about going to the doctor and getting answers.
I do have PAD but I'm 30 years older than you. You are very young to have it (T2 diabetes too I think).
Of course for your peace of mind you need to find out. We on here can not diagnose, only make suggestions.
I believe there are other possibilities for your symptoms, peripheral neuropathy for example. BUT, don't take my word for it, go and see your doctor.
One thing is for sure, whatever is causing you trouble, glucose control is important. You say you're working to get your HbA1c down, there really is masses of help on here to do that. You'll find people very supportive and helpful.
Well done with your blood pressure and I suggest you don't worry too much about your cholesterol being up a bit, if you believe the latest research, it is not important at all.
My specialist said to me that good sugar control, plenty of exercise, good diet and no smoking were the best things I can do. This applies to anyone but especially someone with T2 and other potentially related conditions.
Good luck and don't be alone with it.

Thanks for the reply. I made an appointment with my gp and a podiatrist, trying hard not to worry too much until then. I know I’m young to have any of this, but unfortunately almost everyone on my dads side has type 2 diabetes and on my moms side there is early heart diseases. Lifestyle choices I have made o we the years certainly didn’t help, and now that I have a baby I am kicking myself for not taking better care of myself. I’m going to start walking every day and eating as good as I can to control whatever is happening. I’m praying it’s just neuropathy at this point. But if it is PAD I’m reading the life expectancy is not great for someone younger. How long have you had this? Do you know if someone can still live a normal long life if it is controlled?

 

[Jo_the_boat]

Good for you for making the appointments.
I was only diagnosed about 6 months ago although, looking back, I probably had the symptoms for about 5 years before that.
As regards life expectancy I'm afraid I've no idea.
What I can say is that, despite a worrying time, you have recognized that you have a problem, whatever that may turn out to be.
There are thousands of people walking (or sitting) around as ticking health bombs, not realizing that bad lifestyle choices are basically killing them.
I think it's also fair to say that by not smoking, exercising and eating well you will give yourself every chance to manage your condition. Smoking and exercise are easy to identify but eating well is far trickier.
When you say you eat well, what do you mean? Many people feel that low or ultra-low carbohydrate is the way to go but you should investigate and make your own mind up. Some things I used to perceive as healthy are not - many breakfast cereals for example. The other point about this is that you will be learning valuable lessons you'll be able to pass on to your child, particularly with your family history.
Have a good look round this site to find examples of healthy eating (and living). Also perhaps discuss it with your doctor and diabetic nurse.

 

[Jenny15]

They did ekgs, holter monitors, chest x-rays and ct scans and found nothing. They tell me other than the diabetes I am healthy. But I’m not convinced because I feel unwell too often and weak and tired.

Hi @amj27 and welcome to the forum. I will tag @daisy1 who has some introductory info about diabetes that she posts in threads for people new to the forum.

I don't have PAD but I have experienced similar kinds of symptoms and had tests like you, along with having T2 diabetes and hypertension.

I used to have deep pain in one of my heels and it was diagnosed as plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the plantar ligament, which is the main flat ligament that goes along the bottom of the foot. In my case it was caused by injuring the ligament, and with stretches and orthotic shoe inserts, eventually it got better. Your heel pain could be caused by one of many things but I mention my case because I was twice misdiagnosed, and PF is very common. Most podiatrists would consider the possibility when they examine you so I'm glad to hear you have made an appointment.

My feet are always cold and I wear socks all year round, even in warm weather. I think that is just diabetic neuropathy from before I was diagnosed (9 years ago).

It saddens me that your doctors so far have not been taking your concerns seriously, because you are so young and have your whole life ahead of you. If they put some effort into helping you now, you will prevent problems later. Keep fighting to get the care you need and deserve.

The four cardiac tests you've had are good for detecting a range of things but there's a couple of fairly obvious ones that I'm surprised they haven't suggested: echocardiogram (ultrasound scan) and exercise stress (treadmill) test. Neither of them are particularly expensive compared to say, an MRI.

There's another test they could do, called an overnight sleep study, to check for sleep apnoea and a number of other possible sleep disorders. If a person has T2, hypertension and some other disorders, there is an increased chance of sleep apnoea, which can lead to depression, weight gain and other issues. I was diagnosed in my 30s and people of any age can get it. Do you ever fall asleep during the day when watching TV, reading or sitting in a car as a passenger?

If a thorough set of tests rules out cardiovascular disease, there is still the possibility of being diagnosed with one of the disorders that is a "diagnosis by exclusion" of other things. It would be based on symptoms. Chronic fatigue syndrome is an example. I was diagnosed with that when I was younger than you. Although I didn't know what my future would hold, it was a relief to finally have a possible explanation for my tiredness, and it meant I could focus on finding out what things would help. CFS can get better on its own or it can stick around, and sadly there is no way to predict it. It's just one example out of many possible things that a doctor *might* diagnose after doing a really thorough set of investigations.

For a T2 diabetic, the first thing to consider with tiredness is blood sugar levels. I know I am bone tired whenever my levels are above normal, so that is the first thing I work on addressing. I use low carb, high fat eating, and medications to keep them under control.

 

[daisy1]

@amj27

Hello amj27 and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful and interesting. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

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