Hunger

[Glink]

Hi folks,

I've felt quite well managed and haven't been thinking much about my pre/diabetes for the past couple years, which has been lovely. My sugars have been okay (in prediabetic range both FBG and HbA1c) and I've been steady on 500 of metformin 3x daily for about 3y now. I still make some (lowish) amount of insulin, and don't seem to have autoantibodies, so I'm classed as "prediabetes" even though I don't seem to have the usual "metabolic syndrome" experience. The pandemic has actually made it easier to remember to take my meds because I work from home now so I actually eat lunch at a regular time. Last summer at my endocrinologist's urging I increased by daily carbs (to around 100-150g/day, when I had been eating around 75/day) due to tummy troubles with fats (had to stop doing sausages/eggs for breakfast; subbed in 1/3 c oats with unsweetened almond milk, which has gone remarkably well).

BUT, lately I have been hungry a lot. I haven't gained or lost any weight (I've always been fairly thin), and I think I'm eating pretty much the same amount as before, but I am just famished by meal time or if I'm late for my mid-morning snack (aka "10:30 nuts" in my world). I haven't been testing my sugars lately b/c things have been so steady and the strips are expensive, but it's nearing suppertime and I'm famished again and got to wondering what was going on today: sure enough it's an 8.0 before eating. Ugh.

I just had a blood draw less than a month ago and it was fine (FBG and HbA1c both just in "prediabetes" range with my meds & diet) so I don't think this is anything urgent, but I'm just wondering about the hunger. Any insight about what I could do to not feel so darned hungry!?

Thanks for any perspective folks have to share.

 

[EllieM]

I just had a blood draw less than a month ago and it was fine (just in "prediabetes" range with my meds & diet) so I don't think this is anything urgent, but I'm just wondering about the hunger. Any insight about what I could do to not feel so darned hungry!?

Hmm, I seem to remember some LADA folk saying that the change to needing insulin can be fairly rapid.... Low insulin sounds a lot more like LADA/T1 than T2 to me, in which case you need to test for ketones... (You can get urine testing strips which would at least indicate if they are high - you won't be anywhere nutritional ketosis on those carbs.)

Hunger is a symptom of diabetes, so I suspect that you need to take some bg readings to your doctor.

Tagging @Antje77 and @Daibell who are both LADA and might be able to shed some insight on that possibility...

Good luck.

 

[Glink]

Thanks. This whole thing started after I had mono/EBV about 6y ago now (was very symptomatic with classic diabetes symptoms), and I've had low c-peptide every time I've been tested, but it's been steady and not deteriorating, although my need for metformin has increased over the years. I was told at the time I was probably type 1.5, but my clinicians then didn't want to test for antibodies. I finally got tested for antibodies a year or two ago after I moved and got new healthcare providers and nothing was positive, so I've just been holding the course unless/until things take a turn, with the exception of backing off on the LCHF diet because of gastro issues starting up with fats.

I've been so stable for the past couple years that, combined with the negative antibody tests, I started to think maybe EBV just damaged my pancreas when I was ill, but not in a way that would continue to be progressive; however my constant hunger these days is making me worry a bit again. I wake up hungry, get hungry by 10am, am absolutely famished by 5pm, and sometimes am hungry again as I am going to bed at night (which I try to ignore). It's all a big mystery, but my FBG (usually my real Achilles' heel) haven't been too bad (around 6) this week since I've started testing again, so I'm not super worried about an immediate crash. Just hating this hungry thing—I used to get really bad "hanger" before I was diagnosed with blood sugar problems and do not want to be that person again!