Hi just not really sure where else to turn and needing some advice. I had gestational diabetes and then in February I got diagnosed with type two. I got told to diet and exercise which I tried but didn’t seem to help. I am 11 stone 6. I then got put on metformin which made my stomach really bad so came off that and now I am on the prolonged release metformin. I am struggling at the min and I have no energy at all I am feeling really sick and sometimes being sick. Also sometimes feeling dizzy when trying to sleep. I have to go urinate so many time also. My fasting blood sugars have been between 12/13.8 and after I am eating it’s between 15.8/20.8. The docs said they won’t do another blood test till I have been on the medication for three months. Does anyone else experience these symptoms.
Hi
Really sorry to hear you are going through this, I rarely post but you mentioned being sick and feeling sick if I were you I would tell this to the doctor or diabetic nurse at the doctors along with 2-3 days of readings and mention you are eating limited carbs. Nicole already mentioned could it be Type 1 LADA as you don't seem to be responding to the metformin slow release. I agree it's worth checking this. Your blood sugars should be between 5 and 8 most of the day certainly in single figures. The figures you mention are really too high. You need to correct this with the guidance of a diabetic nurse ideally.
IF and this is only IF you have been misdiagnosed high blood sugar and being sick is a sign of ketones which are dangerous for Type 1 diabetics. you need to have the GAD antibody blood test, if you have any GAD antibodies then you have Type 1 LADA diabetes (To answer one of your questions your doctor will not repeat the Hba1c blood test for 3 months, there is no point, you will just get a very similar result and you know you are diabetic you just need to be sure which type, as you are still having trouble) IF you have Type 1 LADA metformin will not work alone, you need insulin. I know this from experience as I was misdiagnosed briefly but became very ill with ketones whilst the confusion was sorted out.
So do definitely tell the doctor you have been sick (it may not be a side effect of metformin) with pretty constant high blood sugar and you are eating limited carbs so they need to investigate why the metformin is not working. Or maybe the dose is incorrect? Maybe worth recording all your food for a couple of days so you can show the doctors how many carbs you are eating.
Also did you know that skipping breakfast may not be the best thing A quote from google: Skipping meals
could potentially push your
blood glucose higher. When you don't
eat for several hours because of sleep or other reasons, your body fuels itself on
glucose released from the liver.
This is definitely the case with me if I have my breakfast late my blood sugar just rises the longer I am up and about without eating, have some scrambled eggs or similar early ( carb free breakfast - lots on-line) and see if this improves things for you. We are all different but worth a try.
Anyway please don't struggle on, do call the doctor and ask for some help with this. If my blood sugar goes up to around 12/ 13 I feel dreadful, blurry vision, headache, faint, dizzy, sick, going for a wee all the time, any higher and I am in danger of developing ketones, if this happens I am usually sick. You must be really suffering with such high blood sugar all the time so get it checked out and I hope it is type 2 as you can reverse it however if not this situation is easily corrected with insulin. Don't carry on like this. Let us know how you get on.