Did your GP fail to diagnose diabetes?

[kev-w]

I was 17 feeling ill and I was never ill so mother sent me to the drs as I had the symptoms of 'sugar', he said I had a virus, but took a blood sample and sent me on my way, the following Friday I had a phone call at work ordering me to the local hospital as my blood was in the hi 30's.

I remember Wham being at number one in the charts and getting up very early for 3 months till I got my licence back as 07.30 starts were hard work on a pushbike, I also remember being advised to drink Diet Pils, which being served in a half pint glass when my mates had pints of bitter felt uncool, so buying two bottles a time and waking up in hospital on a glucose drip....

It's a steep learning curve

Edit, I'd only known two diabetics at this point, and they were both quiet lads and I couldn't accept having the condition as I was a real gobsh*te.

Edit x 2, I'm chuckling remembering a booklet with pictures of boiled potatoes in actual size with the carbs value next to them, this is before nutritional info was on food packaging and the nightmare I had back then trying to put weight back on with mothers cooking.

 

[Robinredbreast]

My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter was seen by our Gp and he needed a urine specimen. She was taken, quite unwell, to hospital because parents were worried about her, the doctor dismissed it as a viral infection. Later that night dad rushed her to hospital, in his works van, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and was on the HDU fighting for her life, tubes coming out of her body, she had an oxygen mask on, she was lying there with just a nappy on and her chest was going up and down so quickly, I was so scared and upset most of the time.. If she wasn't taken in that night, my granddaughter wouldn't be here, even though dad told the doctor at the first visit their concerns about her having type 1 and their Gp requested a urine sample, she had so many symptoms too, which also progressed very quickly in a matter of days, then hours. My granddaughter was failed terribly by professional medical incompetence.

 

[Wowsap18482]

No they did a blood sugar test on me 27.4 and ketones 5.4 :/ so leading to me getting put into A&E

 

[jaywak]

I was 17 feeling ill and I was never ill so mother sent me to the drs as I had the symptoms of 'sugar', he said I had a virus, but took a blood sample and sent me on my way, the following Friday I had a phone call at work ordering me to the local hospital as my blood was in the hi 30's.

I remember Wham being at number one in the charts and getting up very early for 3 months till I got my licence back as 07.30 starts were hard work on a pushbike, I also remember being advised to drink Diet Pils, which being served in a half pint glass when my mates had pints of bitter felt uncool, so buying two bottles a time and waking up in hospital on a glucose drip....

It's a steep learning curve

Edit, I'd only known two diabetics at this point, and they were both quiet lads and I couldn't accept having the condition as I was a real gobsh*te.

Edit x 2, I'm chuckling remembering a booklet with pictures of boiled potatoes in actual size with the carbs value next to them, this is before nutritional info was on food packaging and the nightmare I had back then trying to put weight back on with mothers cooking.

Hi Kev

Yes I remember the Diet Pils! still drink them now they seem to be making a bit of a come back, they used to have a little sticker on them saying recommended by the BDA but I don't think them saying recommended went down well with some people and they removed it later on, They cost 27p back in 75 and were one of the strongest you could buy.

 

[Lampman]

I was both unlucky and lucky. I knew something was wrong and on visits to the doctor over a few years I mentioned symptoms, but as I never had the well known thirst and frequent urination, presumably because my BG was not quite high enough and I worked in a very hot place where I needed to drink a lot anyway, we all failed to spot the connection in the other symptoms. The lucky bit was when by chance a test was added to my usual annual mot. The doctor that added it was the diabetic specialist in the practise and it was all very plain and dealt with after that. It does mean I was several years along the road before it was spotted, but it seems I was again lucky in that the damage was not serious.

 

[MaxineC10]

10 years ago I suffered a stroke, which left me with numbness on left side. So I was assuming it was stroke, after a couple years I kept going to go, with different ailments like tingling numbness worse, pain in feet, and extreme fatigue only to be told stroke which I do have fatigue but it was getting worse! And I was feeling worse than ever, my left eye started going blurry and gritty in 2014, so I went optician who sent me to hospital only to be told I have a birthmark at back of eye and to take eye drops for dry eyes and a eye mask! I’ve been going back and forth to go for 6 years! Had endoscopy gastroscopy ct scans numerous blood tests...... ..I’ve not been diagnosed with diabetes, my mum has it type 2. My old gp said he thinks I have some kind of hypo about 7 years ago, then my gp got taken over , I was getting numbness in feet, pains in feet and legs! It go so bad I took myself to a&e only to be told my trousers too tight, they were jeggings!!! Ive also now lost weight in last few months from 15st.1lbs to now 13st.9 lbs without dieting??? They done test thinking it’s cancer..... I believe it’s diabetes ... had hb1aictestwas 4.6mmol .....gpsaid it’s good I told her to do breath test, her answer was it’s fine you don’t have diabetes! So I bought myself a blood sugar meter 1 test was 8.7, morning test was 8.7? ..... 2 hours after porridge was 8.4, this morning was 8.4 2 hour after was 6.8? ... my symptoms are, dry mouth constant dry eyes chronic fatigue, numbness, pain in legs, if I don’t eat sugar or carbs after 3hrs I’m shaky, heart palpitations, irritable, angry, weak. I do believe I have diabetes My go takes like I’m going mad.... talking to me that it’s my mind .... I’m so angry I’m being treated like this and I’m scared for my health now... so I’m doing blood sugar levels to prove I’m not imaging this. I feel I’m being ignored as she keeps referring to stress anxiety!!! She is causing this stress by not believing me and causing me to worry instead of doing breath test etc! Also some strokes can cause diabetes, and she refused this too, I also get pain in my right flank constant worse at night?.. she thinks it’s in my head, even the man who did scan asked if I suffer urine infections? Which is another indication?.. I’m doing my homework, I know there’s something wrong...I’m so frustrated I’m fighting my corner I’m driving my family mad I’m now starting a diabetic diet, to see if things improve ... sorry to rant but it’s so frustrating

 

[Lamont D]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

The main problem you have is getting the right tests you need to get a true diagnosis.
I had the same problem for over ten years, my surgery and many doctors misdiagnosed me with diabetes.
It wasn't until I was finally referred to a specialist, that the appropriate tests were done.
The best advice is usually something that you have already spoke about, which is using a glucometer, your monitor is a really useful tool and the information you can get can make a huge difference in how to approach whatever you have.
Along with your testing, you can use a food diary to record what you eat, portion size when you eat and how you feel and symptoms. The best way to do this is to test pre meal, then two hours after first bite. This will give you an idea, of wether you have a problem with food and the response of certain foods like carbs and sugar. It will also help with your doctor's to recognise along with your symptoms.
Keep battling, don't give in, you know you are not right.

Keep safe

 

[KennyA]

Sort of. I'd had diabetes-type symptoms for about ten years - oedema, kidneys, burning feet, blurry vision, no energy, that sort of thing. I had regular A1c test and was told I DIDN'T have diabetes because the A1c results were in the low 40s. Last year the A1c reading came back at 50 and suddenly I did have T2 diabetes after all. LCHF worked very quickly and all the symptoms have either gone or are in the process of going. A1c at 35 (IIRC) when measured last April.

Partly my fault. I was actually relieved to get the diagnosis as it meant I could do something about it. Previously I'd thought there was no point doing LCHF as the symptoms I had weren't caused by diabetes. Lesson in this is I think that the A1c is a guide, but shouldn't be taken as the only consideration. I had severe diabetic problems with a high but "non-diabetic" A1c score and I would guess there are people with no symptoms whose A1c is over 50.

 

[JohnEGreen]

My GP at the time following an A1c in the 50's and then a subsequent A1c of 64 refused to diagnose diabetes even though I pointed out repeatedly that my results were in the diabetic range.

My next GP diagnosed me literally within five minutes of meeting him.

There are GPs and then there are GPs some really good others not so good.

 

[RuffsTheShake]

My first doctor did fail to diagnose diabetes. I had all the classic symptoms and I embarrassed to say I had actually completed a nursing degree and was in denial a little so was somewhat happy/relieved when the doctor initially didn't recognise it.
I presented to a GP with a reoccurring thrush infection and I was doing everything you were meant to. I took the medication correctly, I swapped my clothing to loose fitting natural fibers, didn't wash with soap etc etc but it just kept coming back. I had lost a lot of weight, was hungry, thirsty etc. However I was also very stressed due to recently losing my father, a long term relationship ending (5 years), struggling at university (actually a result of brain fog due to diabetes) etc. My GP decided I must be lieing about how I was treating my thrush and told me to redo the treatment from the pharmacy. I felt so embarrassed.

It wasn't until a friend prompted me to get a second opinion (months later) I was diagnosed. I was still loosing weight after the initial distress of everything had subsided. He said I felt wrong physically when he hugged me and really encouraged me to go see someone else. I did and a couple of days later I got a call from a very distressed receptionist telling me to go to an emergency room asap. I was almost dead (according to my blood test results).

 

[ert]

My GP picked it up straight away with only severe stomach cramps as the symptom. My specialist was surprised they even considered testing for it.