Newby :-)

[Harry R]

Hi everybody I’m new here, please forgive me if I’m posting this in the wrong place as I don’t know what I’m doing lol (hope springs eternal). I have had diabetes type 2 for a year or two (I’m on Metformin) and notice I’m starting to feel rather fatigue, I understand this is caused by either from a lack of the insulin hormone or from insulin resistance. So my question is now do you know which one is the cause? And those of you who have suffered from fatigue how have you managed to turn it around so you feel something like your old self? Many thanks for reading any advice or insight would be gratefully received.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi everybody I’m new here, please forgive me if I’m posting this in the wrong place as I don’t know what I’m doing lol (hope springs eternal). I have had diabetes type 2 for a year or two (I’m on Metformin) and notice I’m starting to feel rather fatigue, I understand this is caused by either from a lack of the insulin hormone or from insulin resistance. So my question is now do you know which one is the cause? And those of you who have suffered from fatigue how have you managed to turn it around so you feel something like your old self? Many thanks for reading any advice or insight would be gratefully received.

Hello Harry,

Fatigue in T2's can have a few causes... Considering you've been on metformin for a year, which inhibits the uptake of B12, you could well be deficient -you probably are, sorry- and that can cause a lot of fatigue indeed. Try getting a supplement and see whether that makes a difference for you. (You could go through your GP, but I understand a lot of people have trouble getting anything done due to overtaxing. Dunno if that's still the case in the UK though). Also, prolonged high-ish blood sugars can cause downright crippling fatigue as well. As a T2 you're likely to make a whole lot of insulin, you just can't use it properly, so blood sugars remaining high could be the main problem. Do you have a meter, and do you know what your blood sugars are up to? Or do you have a relatively recent HbA1c? If those are still in the diabetic range, that could also explain the fatigue. Getting them down could make one heck of a difference as well. Of course, both high blood sugars AND Vit B12 deficiency could be at play, and that would just basically floor you. So both are worth looking in to. The B12 can be solved with over the counter supplements, the high-ish blood sugars could be fixed with a low carb diet. Have a read, maybe it'll help somehow: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/

Good luck, hope you feel better soon!
Jo

 

[Harry R]

Thank you Jo for taking the time to reply to my post, so kind. The information you shared is so enlightening I will indeed looking to taking vitamin b12 and the truth is I must be much more diligent with my diet the sugar cravings I get am sure would rival any junkie in a crack house lol If you have any remedy for that I would be very grateful but you speak the truth a low cab diet would assist my situation considerably. Many thanks again for your thoughtful contribution.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you Jo for taking the time to reply to my post, so kind. The information you shared is so enlightening I will indeed looking to taking vitamin b12 and the truth is I must be much more diligent with my diet the sugar cravings I get am sure would rival any junkie in a crack house lol If you have any remedy for that I would be very grateful but you speak the truth a low cab diet would assist my situation considerably. Many thanks again for your thoughtful contribution.

Well... The junkie analogy works here, believe it or not! You can either wean yourself off sugar, or go cold turkey (I'm a cold turkey kind of person, all or nothing), and after a while, the cravings go away. Your body tends to demand more carbs. Always more, more, more, especially when you've already put some in. But when it's not used to them any more, the demands go away as well. It takes a little while though. Give it a few weeks. When you do have a craving, try just having some cheese or something. Go for a low carb to no carb snack if you have to still the cravings. Or just have something to drink, like tea, or coffee with some full fat cream in. (Or even butter! It froths up really nice if you have one of those little twizzler thingies.).

After a while your palette changes too, flavours will be a whole new experience really. Kind of like when you stop smoking and everything stops tasting like ashtray. Take it from someone who used to put 5 spoons of sugar into her tiny little espresso. You won't miss sugar at all.