I think I have diabetes but my doctor doesn't seem to care

[AlexaNo]

I have no idea why I wrote this all down. I don't really have any questions. I guess I just need to vent because nobody will listen to me in real life.

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I asked my GP to send me to take a blood test because I'm pretty sure I have diabetes (insulin resistance).

Here are the symptoms I have (had them for about 6-7 years now!):

1. I am CONSTANTLY hungry.
It doesn't matter what or how much I am eating, I get hungry about an hour later. If I don't eat for more than 2-3 hours, I start shaking and sweating and become really moody and easily irritated.

2. I lost weight lately.
I lost about 7-8 kg in a few weeks. My BMI dropped from 20 to 17.

3. I often wake up with low blood sugar levels.
I never tested my levels at home but I'm pretty sure it's more often than not low in the morning because: I wake up really hungry, drenched in sweat, shaking. I feel really weak, fatigued until I eat breakfast.

3. I pee A LOT.
I pee about 12-13 times a day. I have to pee about once every hour even if I only drink 2 or 3 cups of water that day. Sometimes I have to wake up several times in the middle of the night to pee even if I don't eat or drink during the night.

4. My eyesight is blury and it keeps getting worse.
I went to an optical store a month ago to get new glasses because I can barely see with my current ones. I asked for a vision test but when the woman put the lenses on me and asked me if I see any better, I did not. She kept changing the lenses, but no matter which lenses we tried, everything was blury. In the end she told me I should go see an eye specialist because she can't help me, so I couldn't buy new glasses.

5. I get extremely sleepy after I eat a meal.
About an hour after I ate, my head starts to feel heavy and I start yawning a lot. I feel like I took a sleeping pill or something, it's really hard to stay awake.

6. I have an untreatable yeast infection.
It's resistant to any kind of treatment. Had it for years now. My doctors are clueless, so both them and I kind of gave up trying to get rid of it. :-/

7. I probably have PCOS.
I say "probably" because I don't have an official diagnosis. I have ovarian cysts, my period has been irregular my whole life, I'm overly hairy for a woman, I have super oily skin, acne, and male-type baldness.

8. Problems with my vascular system.
My legs and hands are always always cold, but it becomes especially bad if I did not eat for a long time. My hands become ice cold and my nails turn dark blue/purple. It stays like that until I eat something.

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So those are the reasons why I am sure I have diabetes and asked for a blood and urine test.

However, I just got the lab results back and the glucose levels were in the normal ranges (fasting glucose: 3.7 mmol/l, HbA1c: 5.7%). The only thing that was abnormal is ketones in my urine.

Now I'm hesitant to go back to my GP with these results because I know her; she will say these results are good and I don't need any treatment. That's the kind of person she is: she really doesn't care about any kind of symptoms you have -- if the numbers on the test results are not extremely high or low, she is convinced that you are fine.

I can definitely feel that I am not fine but nobody seems to care. Not the doctors. Not my family. No one. I feel like no one will take any of my health problems seriously until I die of some complication or something.

 

[eventhorizon]

Go back to your GP. Sounds like something isn't right, maybe not diabetes judging by those 2 blood results but you shouldn't be feeling like that. The weight lose alone (if you aren't trying to loose) sounds worrying enough to warrant further investigation.

 

[EllieM]

High blood sugar after meals followed by reactive hypoglycemia??? I wouldn't completely rule out diabetes, and if that is the case then the ketones are a concern. I'd be tempted to get a blood testing meter and do some testing, but the weight loss is serious and something that needs immediate treatment.

Assuming that you haven't changed your eating habits (the GP may try to fob off the weight loss as an eating disorder) you need a referral to someone who can work out what is going on. Possibly an endocrinologist but I honestly don't have much of a clue. Don't let your GP fob you off.

Good luck.

 

[miahara]

I think you should push for an appointment with an endocrinologist. Many of your symptoms are associated with diabetes, but there may well be other factors involved. The majority of GPs are not all that good at understanding and/or treating the complexities of diabetes. A good endo' should be able to sort you out.
Good Luck!

 

[Marie 2]

Buy a meter and start testing! You will really fast realize if there are any issues!

When I first had issues, I had a meter just because I thought it would be nice to have, So at my first fluctuation after a few years I ran into the doctors and I had a completely normal level, next year worse, go back to the doctor I was still in the "normal" range, but it had gone up. I was told it's just fluctuations. It turns out that was the start of my type 1 diabetes.

You can test in the normal ranges because at the beginning you still make insulin, years in fact. It just will keep getting worse. Weight loss is usually a sign of type 1 not type 2. But if you get a meter you'll be able to tell what your levels are when you first get up and 2-3 hours after eating and have a better picture if something is going on. One of the best investments you could make!

But I would also try a different doctor, or a endo, or get insistent and see if that works!

 

[AlexaNo]

I forgot to add that 4 years ago I had an oral glucose tolerance test done because I already had most of these symptoms back then.

The results were:
Fasting glucose 5.4
1 hour later: 11.1
2 hours later: 8.7

I thought that was too high so I went to consult an endo. But she only had one question: am I trying to get pregnant?
I told her no. Then she said “well, then all you have to do is make sure not to drink 75 gramms of liquid carbs again” (That's the ammount they used during the test.) and she sent me home.

I was discouraged to go back after this.

My biggest problem is, I don't have much money. My GP＆ the endo I've been to are free but if I decide to go to another one, I have to pay. I wouldn't mind paying if they took me seriously but I'm afraid that even if I go to a private clinic and pay for new tests, doctor's visits, etc. they will say the same thing. And then I'm just wasting money.

 

[AlexaNo]

I used to have a meter but my doctor said they are not reliable enough so she only cares about the official blood test results.

I'll still buy a new one and test at home for a week or two before I go back to the doctor with my blood test results. Maybe this time she will believe me if I get high readings.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi, and welcome.

Cos there is no question, I won't use any answers!
Only suggestions!

I would ask for a referral.
I would ask for another glucose tolerance test, preferably, an extended tolerance test.
I would ask for hormonal tests.

There is definitely something going on, not only the symptoms but the test results.

There is other conditions, that mirror your test results, that is non diabetic.
There is a possibility, that your hormonal response to your current lifestyle is causing your symptoms.

But no one will know until you get those tests, and probably other tests as well!

Keep asking and fighting for your health, it took me a long, long time and many doctors to get a true diagnosis, and I don't have diabetes!

Best wishes

 

[Resurgam]

I used to have a meter but my doctor said they are not reliable enough so she only cares about the official blood test results.

I'll still buy a new one and test at home for a week or two before I go back to the doctor with my blood test results. Maybe this time she will believe me if I get high readings.

Meters have to conform to rules on their accuracy - many Type ones rely on that to be able to calculate their insulin requirements - so I think that your doctor is not talking sense - it you can get hold of a meter with cheap test strips it will mean that you can test after meals and/or when you feel that something is wrong, and have a record of the results to show.

 

[Marie 2]

A meter will be your best investment right now. Start testing when you first get up, 2-3 hours after you eat. At first maybe 2 hours, then try some 3 hours. Log the carbs you eat with your meals. This is the sort of thing you would be doing if you had diabetes anyway to get a handle on control of BG’s. Just a couple of days will give you a picture of what is going on. You can even add some testing after not eating for a little while to see what happens. These logs will be extremely helpful to show patterns.

I think the endos response might be because they give pure glucose which is the fastest spiking and it’s not unheard of for “normal” people to spike higher with a very high carb meal. The difference is they usually drop back down to a normal range in a proper time frame.

But a meter will tell you.

 

[AlexaNo]

I bought a meter but I can't use it because I can't make my fingers bleed enough.

I set the lancing device to the highest setting and tried 4 different fingers but no luck. I tried the sides of my fingers and the fingertips. I even tried holding my hands under hot running water for a couple of minutes in hope of better circulation but that didn't help either. I tried massaging blood out of my fingers right after I pricked them but almost no blood will come out.

I wasted 10-11 test strips, every time the meter said "LO" because I wasn't able to get enough blood on the strips.

 

[Marie 2]

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear that you are having such a problem.

I'm not sure which meter you have and how it works, but if there is not enough blood mine always says err/error. Lo means Lo, it's also possible to usually calibrate your meter with testing it with a solution, but the okay range is pretty big. And make sure the needle is placed properly in the lancet device. So it is actually ejecting right.

Are your fingers heavily calloused? I've never heard of that issue with a high setting. This can hurt more, but maybe not if your fingers are calloused, if you just use the lancet and stab your finger, then to get blood instead of squeezing you run/push your finger towards where you stabbed. So pushing/massage from the base of your finger towards the puncture. And massaging beforehand is supposed to be better.

Plus if you are well hydrated it helps. That's just really strange to me, maybe someone will come along that has had a similar issue. I would be tempted to tell the doctor or make an appointment with a diabetes team that could show you how they do it and that way if they have the same problem they might be able to provide a solution? There are lancets that have deeper settings for the arms and palms. Whenever I tried my arms I just ended up with bruises though.

Plus the other thing people commonly do when first using a meter is to push the stick into the blood and it then actually goes on top of the stick instead of being drawn into the proper spot. So you want to hold the stick just barely into the blood and slide into it slowly so it enters the slot.

I hope you figure out a solution!

 

[JMK1954]

When I can't get any blood out in winter, I make a hot drink and hold my fingers against the side of the mug. I find that works better for me, as I can move my fingers away and replace them every few seconds until they feel warm to touch. If you put them in hot water, you keep having to take them out and dry them before you try doing another test. Just a suggestion.

 

[LittleGreyCat]

You can get different thicknesses of lancets.
Perhaps you have a very thin one?

 

[DCUKMod]

@AlexaNo - You seem to be struggling somewhat at the moment.

What are you actually eating? Could you describe a day's food intake?

Secondly, have you had any other blood tests done, like testing your thyroid, or adrenal. Both of those, plus several other things can imapct your metabolism, and give rise to various symptoms. Do you ever have an upset tummy? If so, how often does that happen?