Hi everyone. I was only diagnosed with diabetes yesterday after a blood test to see if I had arthritis. I don’t really understand what my doctor was talking about and I am waiting for a referral to a clinic. I have very bad pain in my feet and legs and also pain in my hands elbows and hips hence the blood test. My doctor said that the diabetes could be causing the pain. Anyone else suffer from this?
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The pain
- Thread starter Bsh
- Start Date
Hello and welcome,
Uncontrolled diabetes has a number of possible complications. We really can't tell you whether the pain is related or not. The said- I'm one of a number on here who have had other conditions lessened or go away after following a low carb diet. I follow a very low carb diet to keep my blood sugars under control- a side effect is that my asthma has disappeared completely.
while waiting for a referral my advice is to get a meter and test regularly. Be aware that the fasting blood test- first thing in the morning is often the last one to reduce. It is suggested that you test before a meal and two hours after and if the test reveals an increase of more than 2 the meal didn't suit your body and had too many carbs.
My other suggestion is to read around on this forum and also to reduce the amount of carbs you eat. You should find that will result in lower blood sugar levels.
There is a lot to take in but you have found the best place in the world to get help, advice and support.
Good luck and welcome.
Uncontrolled diabetes has a number of possible complications. We really can't tell you whether the pain is related or not. The said- I'm one of a number on here who have had other conditions lessened or go away after following a low carb diet. I follow a very low carb diet to keep my blood sugars under control- a side effect is that my asthma has disappeared completely.
while waiting for a referral my advice is to get a meter and test regularly. Be aware that the fasting blood test- first thing in the morning is often the last one to reduce. It is suggested that you test before a meal and two hours after and if the test reveals an increase of more than 2 the meal didn't suit your body and had too many carbs.
My other suggestion is to read around on this forum and also to reduce the amount of carbs you eat. You should find that will result in lower blood sugar levels.
There is a lot to take in but you have found the best place in the world to get help, advice and support.
Good luck and welcome.
Thank you for the advise.
KK123
Well-Known Member
Hi there, I get that for some people, the instinct to immediately go low carb is a strong one and IF you have definitely been told type 2 for example, then that is one option. If not though, and if you are waiting for further tests/info at the clinic then be aware that if you do drastically change your 'normal' diet/routine in the interim period, it may affect your eventual diagnosis or stretch it out longer. Your post is brief so we don't even know what type you are on about or whether you are on any medication so none of us can give much advice about what to do next as it could prove dangerous. Can you give us more info? x
JoKalsbeek
Expert
- Messages
- 6,712
- Location
- The Netherlands
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Could be anything, really... For diabetic neuropathy you've had to have had diabetes for a while, walking around undiagnosed and untreated. Do you happen to know what your HbA1c was? If it is a nerve damage related pain, vitamin B12 might help heal things up, especially when combined with a low carb diet, which should prevent further damage and reverse what's already been harmed. Also, statins are known to cause joint and muscle pains as a side effect, and quite a few of us are put on those, whether we actually need them or not. For me, that got so severe I didn't sleep a wink any more, so not just a little background pain: It's very much an at-the-forefront thing. And some forms of rheumatism are a-typical and can't be found in the usual bloodwork. So if there is no clear answer to the source of your pain, keep asking for tests, referrals and whatnot, because you shouldn't have to live with this. Also, dairy is inflammatory to some people (much like carbs, actually), usually due to the casein in it. My rheumatism (Sjögrens) got a whole lot better when I left cow dairy alone and switched to goat's milk/butter/cheese etc. Also: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- that should help you get your blood sugars under control, and give your nerves a chance to heal, if you are indeed facing diabetic neuropathy.
Hope this gives you a few leads!
Jo
Thank you all. The doctor said my blood reading was 51. It was a very short telephone conversation so I am still a little confused as I wasn’t expecting diabetes I was expecting arthritis. I don’t take statins as I was given them about ten years ago and they made my legs and feet hurt a lot. My doctor wants me to follow a low sugar low carb diet for 3 months then she wants to test me again. Having never denied myself anything in the way of food this has come as a bit of a shock. I have been reading various articles on this site as to what foods I should avoid. It seems that everything I eat should be avoided. I’ve been to the supermarket this morning to buy water and dust, sorry that should read meat and vegetables It took twice as long as usual as I was reading the labels. It’s surprising how much stuff is packed with sugar and carbs. This site has been wonderful as I had no idea what I should and shouldn’t eat and the fact that I shouldn’t snack. My downfall is Jelly sweets but I just avoided the sweet aisle completely. I have this (I think)
Ronancastled
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,234
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
You'll find 51 is your HbA1c reading, 48 or over will confirm you with diabetes. As someone who was 52 at diagnosis I know you're only just over the threshold. It's meant to reflect your bodies average blood sugar over a 3 month period. Good to here you already reading labels, that skill is invaluable. Get a meter & start testing upon waking & then 2 hour after meals. The meter will tell you how your body reacts to different types & portions of carbs. The low carb diet should help you lose weight & this in turn helps your insulin sensitivity. Good luck.
