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Ten years on No Symptoms

S

scribbler

Member
Messages
18
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Other
Hi everyone, not sure where to post this, so mods please feel free to move it!
Ten years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after I started feeling tired at three o'clock every day. I watched what I ate for a bit, it went away and has never returned. My DN and doctor have been monitoring what's been going on ever since, and over time my stats have been rising slowly my HbA1C now at 13.1
Apart from the initial symptoms I have had no symptoms at all and lead a busy, sometimes stressful life. I have tried over the last three years Metformin, Gliclazide and Sitaglyptin and Ramipril. Which is when I started having problems, usually within two weeks of starting the medication I started feeling really rough, the Metformin/Ramipril combination left me feeling really nauseous, wretching, thirsty and I suffered a personality change too which was interesting! I went straight onto Gliclazide which didn't help much, and then the Sitaglyptin at a later date which gave me such bad indigestion that I was scared to eat anything. Once I stopped the medication I went back to feeling fine again.
I went to the doctors last night and was told that basically I had a choice medication or death, which was how it was put to me. So I'm not in the greatest mood to be honest!
I am understandably hesitant about trying medication again, the doctor said that I'll have to live with the side effects and they will treat them with medication. Having been vegetarian for over twenty years and avoided all medication, even headache tablets, my future is looking pretty bleak at the moment. I would appreciate comments/observations, I am in the position at the moment of feeling absolutely fine, about to take medication which will more than likely make me feel ****** for the rest of my life.......
 
So by no symptoms you mean you have no physical signs like tiredness or needing the toilet all the time. That is not quite the same as having no symptoms. Your HbA1c of 13.1% equates to average blood glucose levels of 18.2 so you must be doing huge amounts of damage to your body. I understand the doctors comment about drugs or die.

You don't say what your diet and lifestyle is like and if there is any room for improvement there. If there is then the people on the forum will gladly help you.

Reading your story I think you need to heed your doctors advice. Managing your diabetes is not just about keeping the outward symptoms at bay. It is about making your body behave as though you do not have it at all. That is the only way we stave off the long term complications.

Whatever you decide to do good luck and we are all here to help in your decision even if it is only to vent your frustrations.
 
Hello scribbler. I was prescribed metformin while taking rampiril too. It had the same effevt on me! I felt dreadful and definetly nauseus. They changed me to the Slow release metformin and after a couple of days I was absolutey fine and have been since. Have you tried this?
 
Yes that's what I mean about no outward symptoms and I fully accept that I have diabetes, the issue for me is that anything I have tried in the way of medication has made me really sick, to the point I can't function, I'm worried I'm going to lose my job unless I can get on top of the medication issue, because so far what I have tried has affected my concentration and mental clarity, my job isn't totally sedantry, I work on building sites and up scaffold so there is no way I can be woolly headed, I also drive approx 20,000 miles a year. I'm not entirely sure how insulin might affect me either, I'm willing to try but concerned. As for trying other versions of medication, I wasn't given the option. I appreciate all comments, my father was diabetic too, so I'm not entirely new to all this, but I have real trouble relating to a lot of the information about diabetes that is given out so far as I don't seem to 'fit' as it were.
 
There are lots of type 2's on this forum who have managed to come off medication altogether by getting their levels down to normal non-diabetic levels, purely by changing their diets and adding a bit of exercise. It is possible. What sort of diet are you following? Can we help you with this?
 
Hi scribbler, I am also a vegetarian, and take a stack of med's for my heart condition. When I was told I had diabetes in Jan this year I was told to take 4 Metformin tablets a day .gosh they made me unwell. .. I am now down to one Metformin a day with no side effects and my bs are in the high 5's to low 6 so holding steady as my weight drops so do my blood sugars. I find that eating the low carb high fat diet works for me.. All my blood tests came back in the normal range .. First time for many years .. As a vegetarian it is taking a little imagination to create tasty meals .. But that's the wife's department :) Could you suggest to the doc that you try diet first to lower your sugars ? I do understand your not wanting to take meds.
 
Hi scribbler
What's the Ramipril for ? Blood pressure I presume.
I was diagnosed with blood pressure years ago the dr put me on Ramipril at the time I had to go back to see him after a week I couldn't take them they made me feel out of sorts, not at all alert as you say wooly headed, I'm a steelworker welder there was no way I could risk the machinery we use feeling like that it was an accident waiting to happen. The dr didn't argue the point changed me to candestartin and I have no problems with that.
It's worth considering
 
Thanks everyone, it's appreciated. Diet is something I can look at, I try to follow healthy eating guidelines, which may not be the best for diabetics perhaps? I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction on that one. I've done the xpert course for diabetics and found it interesting but was a bit lacking when I said I was a vegetarian as my questions were met with blank faces......
 
That's interesting with regards to the Ramipril, my blood pressure is 'a bit high for someone with diabetes' but within range for someone without, I'm trying lisinopril 2.5mg at the moment, I think I'm going through a period of adjustment to the medication at the moment but it's nothing drastic so I'll keep on with that, I also understand it's a sort of kidney protection measure as well.
 
Thanks enclave, I appreciate the information, but if something works in terms of medication, it takes precedence over my ethical beliefs! I'm nothing if not a conundrum wrapped up in an enigma!
 
Did you talk to your doctor about the woolly headed and if so did he give you any advice to help?

Your woolly headed could well be just a sign of a false hypo from your body.... It has run with high sugars for so long that is where the bar sits, so when you go below that bar the brain panics and you go into, what it considers, a hypo. Unfortunately, it isn't a hypo just a false alarm. There is only one way through it (and most have had to do it) and that is get on with it. It doesn't take long for the brain to accept the new state of lower levels. If you find you can't function safely whilst in this state then take a holiday and start the tablets at the beginning of the holiday period. I know the building trade isn't the best for sick or holiday pay so that just makes it harder :(

Just for information you will get the same (if it is a false hypo) if you change your lifestyle and manage to lower your levels that way.
 
scribbler said:
Thanks everyone, it's appreciated. Diet is something I can look at, I try to follow healthy eating guidelines, which may not be the best for diabetics perhaps? I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction on that one. I've done the xpert course for diabetics and found it interesting but was a bit lacking when I said I was a vegetarian as my questions were met with blank faces......
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If you are following the NHS healthy eating plan, then this isn't the best for diabetics because it encourages you to eat carbs, including starchy ones. These are not diabetic friendly I'm afraid. Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, batter and pastry are particularly difficult for us, so maybe you could start by reducing these drastically from your diet. My first question is, have you got a home testing monitor? If not, I recommend you get one very soon. You can then test yourself before and 2 hours after eating, look at the rise in blood sugars, and look at what you ate, then work out what might have caused that rise. Keep a strict food diary of everything you eat and drink, and alongside this record your before and after levels. If a meal with carbs has spiked you, reduce the portions of those carbs and try the meal again, keep doing this until you arrive at a sensible portion. You may find you have to leave that food out altogether, or you may find you can cope with the reduced portion. We are all different in this. It takes a while, but is well worth it in the end. You could also go cold turkey if you wish and cut out those starchy carbs completely. There are various ways of doing this lower carb diet, but the end result must be to reduce them as low as possible.

Try to remember that for diabetics Carbs = Sugar because they ALL turn to sugar once in your system.

Have a good read round this forum, there are lots of recipes, tips and advice. Ask as many questions as you like.
 
scribbler said:
That's interesting with regards to the Ramipril, my blood pressure is 'a bit high for someone with diabetes' but within range for someone without, I'm trying lisinopril 2.5mg at the moment, I think I'm going through a period of adjustment to the medicaion at the moment but it's nothing drastic so I'll keep on with that, I also understand it's a sort of kidney protection measure as well.
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My husband takes Ramipril and Amlodopine for blood pressure also SR Metformin 2 twice a day and he does not have any problems with either.
 
Scribbler I totally understand your fear of the medication. This week I have had to change mine because I couldn't tolerate the Metformin side effects and I too hope the new one will be okay as having to try one after the other isn't pleasant. Do you self test? Apologies if you've mentioned this but I couldn't see it while reading. That way you could see which foods spike your blood and which don't. It would help you find the best diet. The LCHF diet is great once you get into the swing of things. Good luck.
 
Thanks once again for all your comments and advice, I'm paying attention to it all! I hadn't considered the false hypo scenario, although to be honest that was a few years ago now, but it seems a valid point to me, shame my doctor couldn't have thought of that.......As for self testing I used to, until my kit broke, apparently I'm not allowed a new one until I take medication........I'll be honest I don't have the best relationship with my doctor, I have a science degree and like to understand the logic behind what I am doing or attempting to do, and she doesn't seem to want to work with me on this, for example a false hypo scenario seems to make scientific sense to me, but my doctors attitude seems to be 'shut up and take the pills'. I am not afraid of medication per se, more afraid of what it seems to do to me thus far. It is very difficult to accept that I might have to make myself really really sick to make myself better.
 
AnnieC said:
My husband takes Ramipril and Amlodopine for blood pressure also SR Metformin 2 twice a day and he does not have any problems with either.
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Thanks, I guess we are all different, although I did have a very strange reaction to the metformin/Ramipril combo.
 
scribbler said:
Thanks, I guess we are all different, although I did have a very strange reaction to the metformin/Ramipril combo.
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Just to clarify my earlier post when I had my problems with Ramipril I was on no other medication this was years ago well before I was diagnosed with diabetes. All drugs can affect different people in different ways.
 
scribbler said:
It is very difficult to accept that I might have to make myself really really sick to make myself better.
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Yes and in your shoes I would struggle with that too. As a fellow scientist you know to change one thing at a time and also try multiple things independently. So you could try the diet for a couple of weeks and see what happens and then the meds for a couple of weeks. I am amazed if you get a meter and test strips; most have us have to buy our own and go for the code free one - http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
 
Andrew Colvin said:
Yes and in your shoes I would struggle with that too. As a fellow scientist you know to change one thing at a time and also try multiple things independently. So you could try the diet for a couple of weeks and see what happens and then the meds for a couple of weeks. I am amazed if you get a meter and test strips; most have us have to buy our own and go for the code free one - http://www.homehealth-uk.com/medical/blood_glucose_monitor_testing.htm
Click to expand...

I had a free meter originally and strips, I'm only repeating what it was told! :-) I think I'm going to experiment a bit as you suggest, although I'm doubtful what the doc is going to think of the results, whatever they are! I would add at this point that my partner is a nurse, although not a diabetic specialist, so I have an observer to verify what's going on! :-)
 
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