Pain being blamed on my Diabetes

[JamesW2612]

Hi All,
For the last year i have had pain in my joints and muscles on and off, but the last few months i have had a lot pain. My joints hurt, my fingers and toes, my knees and my left hip, my back and my neck and shoulders. Even had rib pain. Another symptom is i am SOOO tired. To the point i cant drive when its bad. I am really struggling with all this, and have seen 3 different GP's in my surgery.

Each of them have said "Badly managed diabetes will cause problems" - but surely this isnt a result of diabetes. I am doing a LCHF diet and my sugars have come right down.

Is this diabetes or am i going mad? (I have had a load of blood tests over the last month and nothing has shown up!)

 

[pleinster]

Hi. I too am on low carb diet and have had good success so far in lowering my sugar levels. Ideally, if my diabetes could be reversed (you never know, as it was brought on/caused by steroids taken post transplant), I would up my carb intake again (but not by much) just to keep the diet more balanced. Evidently, the jury is still out on the pros and cons of strict low carb diets and much depends on how well you balance what you are eating with the right fats and fibre etc. One theory is that ketones which naturally build up in the body can, if excessive create uric acid build up as a by-product. Uric acid causes joint pain and the like...and in extreme cases, arthritis. But - this is not conclusive..it's a view. I am prepared to take certain risks to get my sugar levels down because - who wants diabetic complications? That said, i have to be careful ketones don't cause difficulties for my new kidney. There are a lot of "experts" out there...you need to do what works, keep thinking about general health as well as sugar levels. DON'T get paranoid about ketones...investigate and be in control. And - it may be nothing at all to do with any of this!! make sure you drink enough fluid too. Good luck. Paul

 

[Indy51]

I would check into your vitamin D3 status as your symptoms sound very much like classic Vitamin D3 deficiency to me. Vitamin B12 is also another to check.

 

[dawnmc]

Are you on any other meds? Statins for example?

 

[JamesW2612]

Hi,
Thanks for all your replies
I have had this over a year i think, so it shouldnt be anything to do with my low crab diet. But maybe i need to keep an eye on my Ketones.

Hi Indy51 - Funny you mention that, i was tested for them both and they was normal.

Hi dawnmc - No i am not on statins.

 

[Ianmc1]

Hi,
Thanks for all your replies
I have had this over a year i think, so it shouldnt be anything to do with my low crab diet. But maybe i need to keep an eye on my Ketones.

Hi Indy51 - Funny you mention that, i was tested for them both and they was normal.

Hi dawnmc - No i am not on statins.

I also have s lot of aches and pains shoulder fingers feet not sure why my feet hurt more if I cheat !!!!

 

[devans]

Hi All,
For the last year i have had pain in my joints and muscles on and off, but the last few months i have had a lot pain. My joints hurt, my fingers and toes, my knees and my left hip, my back and my neck and shoulders. Even had rib pain. Another symptom is i am SOOO tired. To the point i cant drive when its bad. I am really struggling with all this, and have seen 3 different GP's in my surgery.

Each of them have said "Badly managed diabetes will cause problems" - but surely this isnt a result of diabetes. I am doing a LCHF diet and my sugars have come right down.

Is this diabetes or am i going mad? (I have had a load of blood tests over the last month and nothing has shown up!)[/
I have had similar pain and after been fobbed off the with Diabetes is the cause excuse I insisted on a referral to a Rheumatologist. He diagnosed osteoarthritis. Still get some pain but now know what the real cause was and how to manage this better. I would ask for tests and xrays.

 

[Michael.b]

Hello, before I started suffering with diabetes some fourty years ago I started having all the body problems you mentioned.
I lived in Africa for 12 years and while over there the doctors got really fed up with me and started treating me as if I was an hypochondriac, One even tried to send me to a mental hospital but I read the letter before I went so didn't go. Now what I'm getting at is this when I came back to the UK I went to the doctors with my aches and pains and once again they started treating me like they did in Africa. Ii wasn't until a new doctor came into the area and I went to see him, he was very concerned and made an appointment for my local hospital where I saw a specialist in rheumatism and unknown to me he did certain tests on pressure points all over my body and straight away diagnosed Fibromyalgia. I am now diabetic but it has nothing to do with my decease, there is also no cure for Fibro so they tell me. So I just have to put up with it and soldier on. I think it is worth you going to see your doctor and see if you can get tested. I you have got it I realise nothing much can help you but at least your mind would be settled knowing what your problem is. I so sorry you are suffering this way and wish you all the best in your struggles.

 

[JamesW2612]

Hi Michael,

I know how you feel. I have been doctors a few times and am beginning to feel like i am pest to them. They keep telling me there is nothing wrong that they can see. My last appointment he did mention i have had a lot of appointments lately and i wanted to shout at him "ITS BECAUSE I AM IN PAIN ALL DAY AND EXTREMELY TIRED AND NOT SLEEPING WELL!!!"

I think i will make an appointment and ask to be referred. Something has to happen soon, its getting too much.

Thanks again Michael for your response.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Hi,
Thanks for all your replies
I have had this over a year i think, so it shouldnt be anything to do with my low crab diet. But maybe i need to keep an eye on my Ketones.

Hi Indy51 - Funny you mention that, i was tested for them both and they was normal.

Hi dawnmc - No i am not on statins.

Do you eat any foods or drinks with aspartame in? Or sweeteners?

 

[donnellysdogs]

I was diagnosed with palindromic rheumatism, fibromyalgia and pernicious anaemia... All undiagnosed and all now due to be thought of as linked to intolerance to anything that is made of artificial sweeteners or preservatives...
Had pain for 20 years and numerous wasted tests and diagnosis.
The correct diagnosis (no tests for this besides eliminating everything from diet) had been missed off my records in 2003....and I wasn't informed so had all this pain needlessly.

Only by eating pure, natural food can I stay out of pain. Even tablets that NHS give for vitD and calcium have aspartame in.

Certain drugs can also give pain. I was put on Anastrazole and within 2 days I was crippled. Put on tamoxifen instead and fine...

Just a thought...

 

[JamesW2612]

Hi Donnellysdogs
I used to enjoy diet coke and probably drunk too much of that. Since coming off carbs my tastes have changed so much that i find diet coke too sweet now and so i havent drunk it in a while.
The pain and the tiredness is getting to much, i think i need to be reffered by my GP to some who knows more. The blood tests have shown nothing yet i am in all this pain. Driving mad!


Thanks again!

 

[donnellysdogs]

Worthwhile asking to get referred to possibly a pain clinic.. But do check contents of all food anyway.. Just try for a week.. Check to see what artificial ingredients are in say chewing gum, cakes, any diet drinks at all, yogurts, anything. Really examine labels if buying anything processed...

Saying this, I think I am quite rare!!-lol. However, I do believe that this pain that so many people feel wasn't felt by people years ago.. Unless it was true arthritis or rheumatism.. So it comes from our modern world somewhere...

 

[Cothy]

Some years ago I had similar pains in arms, legs, fingers toes etc. I even took up to 30 mins to get out of bed and even then I had more often than not to roll out.
I STOPPED MY SIMVOSTATIN!
ALL THE PAINS gradually went away within weeks.
I then told the doctor we tried Rosvostatin and within days it took my breath away. Stopped them right away. Reported this to my doctor who then put me on a different drug and logged me as being allergic to Statins.
So far I am pain free after many years.
I was on simvastatin for years previously with no pain and these pains came on gradually and it was by reading the WEBMD (American site not the british one) site that gave me the clue to side effects of the statins.

 

[Totto]

Hi @JamesW2612 Have they checked you for psoriasis arthritis? Any family members with psoriasis? Or RA?

 

[Silvery Sheila]

Hi All,
For the last year i have had pain in my joints and muscles on and off, but the last few months i have had a lot pain. My joints hurt, my fingers and toes, my knees and my left hip, my back and my neck and shoulders. Even had rib pain. Another symptom is i am SOOO tired. To the point i cant drive when its bad. I am really struggling with all this, and have seen 3 different GP's in my surgery.

Each of them have said "Badly managed diabetes will cause problems" - but surely this isnt a result of diabetes. I am doing a LCHF diet and my sugars have come right down.

Is this diabetes or am i going mad? (I have had a load of blood tests over the last month and nothing has shown up!)

Hi All,
For the last year i have had pain in my joints and muscles on and off, but the last few months i have had a lot pain. My joints hurt, my fingers and toes, my knees and my left hip, my back and my neck and shoulders. Even had rib pain. Another symptom is i am SOOO tired. To the point i cant drive when its bad. I am really struggling with all this, and have seen 3 different GP's in my surgery.

Each of them have said "Badly managed diabetes will cause problems" - but surely this isnt a result of diabetes. I am doing a LCHF diet and my sugars have come right down.

Is this diabetes or am i going mad? (I have had a load of blood tests over the last month and nothing has shown up!)

Hi JamesW2612, your problem sounds very much like my pains last year, which were a mystery to the GPs at my surgery. In May last I was diagnosed at hospital with polymyalgia rheumatica (rheumatism of the muscles). It takes a CRP blood test to confirm, and the treatment is steroids. Relief was almost instantaneous but the downside is that steroids increase the blood sugar levels! You can also get temporal arteritis with polymyalgia, which can affect your eyesight, so you need to get it checked out and it will mean a temporal biopsy to see if you have it. Steroid treatment has to be decreased gradually and I was doing fine until we changed gliclazide to sitagliptin in October which brought back the polymyalgia. However, I am now on decreasing steroids again (30mg daily),the pains have mostly gone and I've gone back to gliclazide. Go and ask your GP if it could be polymyalgia and ask for an ESR and a CRP blood test - surely they want to get you cured? Good luck.

 

[JamesW2612]

Thanks for every one's sugestions.
I plan to take this information to my GP - With any luck they can find something.
I am starting feel like i am going mad!

 

[Kimberley70]

Hi, I'm type 2 diabetic and I have the pains you have and the tiredness no sleep, I was sent for tests and was told I had got peripheral Neuropathy. Look it up and have a look as there are different ones. Hope it helps.

Kim

 

[JamesW2612]

Hey,
Thanks Kim - I have taken a look online at that and it does sound like some of my symptoms.
What treatment did you get for it? Is it treatable?

 

[JaniceMacleod]

Hi All,
For the last year i have had pain in my joints and muscles on and off, but the last few months i have had a lot pain. My joints hurt, my fingers and toes, my knees and my left hip, my back and my neck and shoulders. Even had rib pain. Another symptom is i am SOOO tired. To the point i cant drive when its bad. I am really struggling with all this, and have seen 3 different GP's in my surgery.

Each of them have said "Badly managed diabetes will cause problems" - but surely this isnt a result of diabetes. I am doing a LCHF diet and my sugars have come right down.

Is this diabetes or am i going mad? (I have had a load of blood tests over the last month and nothing has shown up!)