Diabetic Fatigue

[smkhan]

Hello all. I am 84 years old and have had diabetes for a couple of decades but recently I became a little careless with my diet and for the last year my blood sugar has been over 140 (7.8) - probably closer to 150. During this time I would use 2000mg of metformin to control the sugar. Unfortunately, this year of high sugar has made me extremely weak around the legs and particularly the hamstrings. I was able to walk 4500 steps last year. Now I am barely doing 2000 steps and that also with difficulty.

Over the last two weeks my doctor has put me on 6 units of Lantus and since then my sugar has comedown to less than 100. I am following a strict diet - more protein and less carbohydrates. I am trying to walk more but am still struggling and occasionally feel my legs buckling. I used to be able to go out for lunches and to pick up groceries. I am now confined to the home.

Does nay one have any advice on what I can do? Is it possible to build up my legs again or should I be looking at a wheelchair? Also how long with controlled sugar before I start feeling a little more energetic?? Any advice would help.

 

[Deleted Account]

Have you spoken to your doctor about your legs buckling.
There are many reasons why this may be happening (and not all diabetes related).
It is sad if it is restricting your social life so I would push to get some assistance. This may be physio, it may be building up your steps slowly or it may be something else.

 

[Alison54321]

Don't stop walking, you'll lose muscle mass if you stop exercising. Even if it's just short walks, try to keep on doing it. Instead of trying a long walk to pick up shopping, maybe a few shorter walks, just to build up your strength again.

Eating more protein sounds good. But keep carbs for energy.

Here is an article about it, there are loads of others

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/20...cise-older-age-maintain-health_n_5402267.html

It's good for health to keep exercising, at any age the more you do the better. But bear in mind now you on Lantus you have to be careful about hypos, which can be problematic as you get older. but try and get out and about. The weather is lovely at the moment, so just a short walk out, is a good start.

As Helen says, above, make sure your legs buckling aren't something else, by checking with the doctor.

 

[Alison54321]

............though having said what I said, it's reasonably cool where I am, so I'm not really thinking about this heatwave but if it's very hot where you are, only go out at cooler times, early morning, or evening, until the heatwave passes.

 

[smkhan]

Thank you so much for all the responses. Doctor said that the year of poor sugar has meant I have the equivalent of a year long fever but didn't say when I would start feeling better. Could be diabetic amyotrophy. Shall keep trying to build up steps.

 

[smkhan]

I am currently having the following for my diet: Half a cup of aspen with berries and half a banana for sweetness. Then a pear. For lunch I have a small salmon steak and greens. At night I am having a up of soup, a rye bread toast and half a cup of tuna. Not eating too much as I am trying to lose a couple of kilos.

 

[Alison54321]

I am currently having the following for my diet: Half a cup of aspen with berries and half a banana for sweetness. Then a pear. For lunch I have a small salmon steak and greens. At night I am having a up of soup, a rye bread toast and half a cup of tuna. Not eating too much as I am trying to lose a couple of kilos.

That sounds like a lovely dinner, it's making me hungry.

When we have high blood sugars it causes oxidative stress. I always think of my poor body as in crisis management mode when it has high blood sugars, and in routine maintenance mode, when it has normal ones.

So you've had a year of crisis management mode, but now you can look after your body and feed it well, lots of fruit and veg will make it happy too, and hopefully you'll be feeling better soon.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

I am currently having the following for my diet: Half a cup of aspen with berries and half a banana for sweetness. Then a pear. For lunch I have a small salmon steak and greens. At night I am having a up of soup, a rye bread toast and half a cup of tuna. Not eating too much as I am trying to lose a couple of kilos.

I am afraid I have to disagree with @Alison54321 . You shouldn't be eating carbohydrates for energy. Your meals that you list seem to be very high in sugars - "half a banana for sweetness" is not something a T2 diabetic should be aiming for. Sweetness is your enemy.

Mmmm...a pear is a bit sweet as well, and toast.....when you said aspen did you mean Alpen? That is carbohydrate heavy and some versions have a lot of added sugar.

Makes me wonder what is in the soup.

Berries, salmon, tuna, greens - yeah! All good stuff.

For the exercise, use it or lose it. If you need support to walk to the shops a Sholley is a wonderful thing.
https://www.sholley.com/
Gives you a bit of support and stability when walking and can carry your shopping as well.
If you could manage a bike, that is wonderful exercise and less stress than walking. Perhaps there is a cycling organisation near you which helps cyclists to build their confidence and fitness?

Swimming is also good for whole body fitness and there are often "early bird" sessions for people of a certain age. I really hope that you can avoid the wheelchair as that will not do much for your legs. Then again it is better than being house bound and the modern electric buggies can get you out and about and you can still walk around the shops, or in a local park, without having to worry if you will be able to get home gain.

Bottom line; use whatever aids you can to get you out of the house, but try to keep walking for part of any trip out if possible.

 

[Alison54321]

I am afraid I have to disagree with @Alison54321 . You shouldn't be eating carbohydrates for energy. Your meals that you list seem to be very high in sugars - "half a banana for sweetness" is not something a T2 diabetic should be aiming for. Sweetness is your enemy.

Mmmm...a pear is a bit sweet as well, and toast.....when you said aspen did you mean Alpen? That is carbohydrate heavy and some versions have a lot of added sugar.

Makes me wonder what is in the soup.

Berries, salmon, tuna, greens - yeah! All good stuff.

For the exercise, use it or lose it. If you need support to walk to the shops a Sholley is a wonderful thing.
https://www.sholley.com/
Gives you a bit of support and stability when walking and can carry your shopping as well.
If you could manage a bike, that is wonderful exercise and less stress than walking. Perhaps there is a cycling organisation near you which helps cyclists to build their confidence and fitness?

Swimming is also good for whole body fitness and there are often "early bird" sessions for people of a certain age. I really hope that you can avoid the wheelchair as that will not do much for your legs. Then again it is better than being house bound and the modern electric buggies can get you out and about and you can still walk around the shops, or in a local park, without having to worry if you will be able to get home gain.

Bottom line; use whatever aids you can to get you out of the house, but try to keep walking for part of any trip out if possible.

Ofgs, there is a time and a place for LCHF. If @smkhan now his/her blood sugars under control, then eating the right amount of carbs is the right thing. It is not really appropriate to turn to a ketosis diet at this stage, therefore burning carbs for energy is the right thing.

Perhaps when they are feeling better.

 

[KK123]

Ofgs, there is a time and a place for LCHF. If @smkhan now his/her blood sugars under control, then eating the right amount of carbs is the right thing. It is not really appropriate to turn to a ketosis diet at this stage, therefore burning carbs for energy is the right thing.

Perhaps when they are feeling better.

Alison, I wholeheartedly agree with you in this particular post. I know people want to be healthy at any age but to get to 84 and not to be able to eat some flipping fruit for example is ludicrous. I note this gent is on basal insulin as well, that will no doubt give him a boost to get his levels a bit lower. That diet sounds perfectly ok to me and to be honest (and this is my own opinion) I would not give much of a monkey's whether half a banana and some toast is good for me or not when I'm 84. Keep up the exercise and live well!

 

[bulkbiker]

@KK123 @Alison54321
If the problem is neuropathy then eating a heap of carbs will not be helping.
@smkhan wants to get better not worse!
The higher carb intake is highly likely to not be helping so advice to lower it is good.
Sounds like you have just gone on to insulin so be very careful if you do follow what you say and go lower carb just in case of hypos but as you yourself say more protein and fewer carbs will probably do you a lot of good.
I'm guessing you are on other medication as well as the Lantus? If you are happy to share then please do.
Hello and welcome to the forum too.

 

[Deespee23]

I am afraid I have to disagree with @Alison54321 . You shouldn't be eating carbohydrates for energy. Your meals that you list seem to be very high in sugars - "half a banana for sweetness" is not something a T2 diabetic should be aiming for. Sweetness is your enemy.

Mmmm...a pear is a bit sweet as well, and toast.....when you said aspen did you mean Alpen? That is carbohydrate heavy and some versions have a lot of added sugar.

Makes me wonder what is in the soup.

Berries, salmon, tuna, greens - yeah! All good stuff.

For the exercise, use it or lose it. If you need support to walk to the shops a Sholley is a wonderful thing.
https://www.sholley.com/
Gives you a bit of support and stability when walking and can carry your shopping as well.
If you could manage a bike, that is wonderful exercise and less stress than walking. Perhaps there is a cycling organisation near you which helps cyclists to build their confidence and fitness?

Swimming is also good for whole body fitness and there are often "early bird" sessions for people of a certain age. I really hope that you can avoid the wheelchair as that will not do much for your legs. Then again it is better than being house bound and the modern electric buggies can get you out and about and you can still walk around the shops, or in a local park, without having to worry if you will be able to get home gain.

Bottom line; use whatever aids you can to get you out of the house, but try to keep walking for part of any trip out if possible.

Agree agree agree.

 

[Alison54321]

Agree agree agree.

This is tyranny. Leave him alone. Pears are extremely good for you, they contain lots of fibre, vitamin c, vitamin k, lots of minerals, and they lower inflammation.

It's ok to restrict your diet on an LCHF if you doing it amongst consenting adults, but the OP has not asked for information on an LCHF diet, they asked about exercise.

Stop the tyranny.

 

[bulkbiker]

This is tyranny. Leave him alone. Pears are extremely good for you, they contain lots of fibre, vitamin c, vitamin k, lots of minerals, and they lower inflammation.

It's ok to restrict your diet on an LCHF if you doing it amongst consenting adults, but the OP has not asked for information on an LCHF diet, they asked about exercise.

Stop the tyranny.

" I am following a strict diet - more protein and less carbohydrates."
Quote from the OP who is not a Type 1 (or at least he has posted in the Type 2 area).

 

[Alison54321]

" I am following a strict diet - more protein and less carbohydrates."
Quote from the OP who is not a Type 1 (or at least he has posted in the Type 2 area).

Well exactly, the OP is eating a higher protein diet, and reduced his carbs. So shall we therefore assume that the OP knows what they want to eat.

 

[bulkbiker]

Well exactly, the OP is eating a higher protein diet, and reduced his carbs. So shall we therefore assume that the OP knows what they want to eat.

As he started out by saying he had become a

little careless with my diet and for the last year my blood sugar has been over 140 (7.8) - probably closer to 150.

I would suggest that some dietary advice is exactly what he is looking for.

 

[Alison54321]

As he started out by saying he had become a



I would suggest that some dietary advice is exactly what he is looking for.

But he says that he has now sorted out his blood sugars.

Good nutrition is very important for older people. The LCHF diet is useful for people who want to lose weight, and it is useful for diabetes. But there are issues around it, people have talked about the need to take mineral supplements, and it's not good for people with kidney damage, it can be low in fibre, and the reduction in fruit takes out important phytonutrients.

To be honest with you, I wouldn't go anywhere near it, I believe that the anti-oxidants in fruit and veg are absolutely essential for countering the complications of diabetes, and most of you barely seem to hit 5 a day.

But anyway.

Let's assume the OP has made the correct choices to meet their own needs. it sounds like a well balanced healthy diet to me.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

But he says that he has now sorted out his blood sugars.

Good nutrition is very important for older people. The LCHF diet is useful for people who want to lose weight, and it is useful for diabetes. But there are issues around it, people have talked about the need to take mineral supplements, and it's not good for people with kidney damage, it can be low in fibre, and the reduction in fruit takes out important phytonutrients.

To be honest with you, I wouldn't go anywhere near it, I believe that the anti-oxidants in fruit and veg are absolutely essential for countering the complications of diabetes, and most of you barely seem to hit 5 a day.

But anyway.

Let's assume the OP has made the correct choices to meet their own needs. it sounds like a well balanced healthy diet to me.

As T2s we are aware that you are posting as a T1 who may not have experience of using LCHF for BG control.
You do seem very committed to refuting LCHF for T2s.
You are welcome to assume the OP has chosen a healthy diet.
Others may chose to disagree.
So I, for one, see no reason to assume that the OP has made the correct choice and will continue to respectfully advise that there may be better options available.

 

[Alison54321]

As T2s we are aware that you are posting as a T1 who may not have experience of using LCHF for BG control.
You do seem very committed to refuting LCHF for T2s.
You are welcome to assume the OP has chosen a healthy diet.
Others may chose to disagree.
So I, for one, see no reason to assume that the OP has made the correct choice and will continue to respectfully advise that there may be better options available.

Older people tend to have smaller appetites, and therefore need nutrient dense food. The LCHF diet is great for those who need it, but it leaves out quite a few important food groups, such as cereals, fruits, root vegetables, and legumes.

Those are all nutrient dense foods, with high folates, minerals, and all sorts of other healthy stuff.

The LCHF diet has many benefits, but when someone is 84 you have to be a little more cautious about advocating it, then you might be with someone younger. OK.

 

[Alexandra100]

Is it possible to build up my legs again or should I be looking at a wheelchair?

I am 76, so I take a great interest in exercise and aging. There have been numerous research studies showing that it is possible to get stronger at absolutely any age. IMO you could benefit enormously by guidance from a physio or trainer who is interested in seniors and people regaining strength after illnesses and operations. If that isn't possible, there are quantities of books and Youtube videos available to help you gradually get stronger. I haven't time to look properly just now, but a very quick search threw up this NHS video:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-exercises/
If you don't like the look of this exercise programme, just search and you will easily find some more. The important thing is to be patient AND persistent. Initially, if you are nervous that you may fall why not try walking in the house where you have things you can hold on to when needed? Using the stairs might be particularly helpful, assuming there are bannisters you can grasp to keep you safe. Above all, don't be discouraged if you can only manage a little at first. What matters is to keep on doing that little every day and you will progress.

Meanwhile, so as not to be socially isolated, could you also have outings in a wheelchair just for now, until you have built up your strength and confidence again?

If you would like to chat more about exercise, do pm me.