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Anyone Else Experienced This?

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damian6000

Member
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13
Sorry for the longish story, but want to give some background.

My fasting blood sugar (85-95) and H1C (5.0) are okay, but I have a big issue with spikes. For example, a small bowl of muesli with small amount of milk just put my BS to 10.2 (tested 20-min after eating)

Previously I had a bit of abdomen fat and was hugely sedentary for the last decade up until about 4 months ago. Other than the abdomen fat, I'm skinny as a rail, and my body appears to be shrinking. Friends think I've got some disease and everyone remarks how skinny I look. I've got the torso of a 10-yr old. Thin limbs, tiny hands.

Since beginning exercising have gotten even thinner and abdomen fat reduced significantly. I'm 6' and 68kilo, which is less than I weighed when I was a skinny 16.

***To the crux:
Over the last 4 years or so my skin on my shoulders, back and front of neck, face, scalp, over my biceps, abdomen, and unfortunately my groin, and somewhat on my feet and lower calves have progressively grown more and more numb. This is a constant, it's not something that's numb one day and fine the next. I'd say my privates are now 100% affected with over 60% not feeling touch at all (though some of this 60% can still feel scrapes).

There is no tingling or pain. Just progressively worsening numbness.

My theory is that due to lack of muscle, carbs are causing massive spikes which are damaging the nerves.

My good friend insists it's impossible that it's blood sugar spikes causing this, that this type of numbness isn't related to glucose spikes, but there is literally no other conclusion I can come to.

I guess my question is, anyone experienced this type of numbness? Growing worse slowly over the years and no tingling or pain, just skin going numb... I'm distraught.
 
You need to go to your doctors.
Everyone's BS level spikes a bit after food.
Numbness can be caused by a variety of things - you need to find out what is causing yours and yours does sound extensive.
 
Hi @damian6000
Sorry to hear your tale of woe . I agree it does sound worrying. I'm afraid I can't help much but I do feel it would be helpful if you could give some more information. Then, the more knowledgeable and experienced people may be in a better position to make suggestions

So, what type of diabetic are you?
What meds are you taking?
Have you seen any doctor regarding this numbness?
What blood tests, if any, have you had done? Please provide the ranges along with the test results
How long have you been diabetic?
What type of foods/diet do you eat?
Do you have any other symptoms?

Sorry for all the questions but I think they could be relevant. Thanks
 
can anyone tell me why my husband who is Type 2 has a high reading 9+ first test in the morning and 7 during the day ....we have dinner around 6/7 and he doesn't eat again until next day ....any suggestions or ideas ...thank you
 

Have you been to neurology and checked for diabetic neuropathy. I have this in my feet and fingers but it has improved immensely since cutting out bg spikes. If you are affected by this then your friend is at odds with studies in this area. The following article shows a clear link between neuropathic symptoms and short term bg spikes despite well controlled HbA1c levels.
https://dmsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1758-5996-6-139
You may not even have anything like this but it is sure worth checking out.
Have fun,
Glenn
 
jojo broadie said:
can anyone tell me why my husband who is Type 2 has a high reading 9+ first test in the morning and 7 during the day ....we have dinner around 6/7 and he doesn't eat again until next day ....any suggestions or ideas ...thank you
Click to expand...
Try a search for "dawn phenomenon". The body's way kickstarting the day.
 
Rokaab said:
You need to go to your doctors.
Everyone's BS level spikes a bit after food.
Numbness can be caused by a variety of things - you need to find out what is causing yours and yours does sound extensive.
Click to expand...
You mean it's relatively normal for someone's blood to spike to 10mmol after a small bowl of muesli? From my reading, this doesn't seem normal at all... But maybe I'm mistaken.

Yes, I have finally scheduled Dr for next week. After 4 years of it progressing. The last straw came this week when one tiny area of skin on my **** which still had most of its feeling has now progressed to numbness.

Thank you for your comment and suggestion.
I was/am pre-diabetic (115 fbs while taking 1700mg metformin daily). After beginning exercising my fbs is now 85-95. I take 850mg metformin daily now.

I have not seen any Dr about it. I know. Terrible. As it's been going on for 4 years now. I'm in Thailand and way in the countryside, but obviously, yes, I should have tried to figure things out long ago.

I can find no other possible diagnosis other than the spikes.

I've done CBC, H1C, FBS, Lipids. They are all more or less normal at the moment.

I've been eating lots of chicken, tuna, and chinese broccoli as staple. I binge on junk food carbs quite often. When I do this, I often take humulin r, which works great for controlling BS, but I don't take insulin all the time. Especially when traveling to the city where I don't have my insulin with me, but I'm like F it, let's eat a few brownies.

The numbness is progressing so quickly, I can easily tell the difference from now and just a month back.

I have other symptoms... Tingling and bitter tongue, shaking hands (has progressively grown worse over last couple years, I think unlikely related to the skin numbness, but who knows), I also have kidney stone issues which make it difficult to incorporate nuts/seeds/legumes as they are high in oxalates....bladder has gone progressively numb along with the other areas of my body.
 

Thanks for this link Glenn. This is my thought as well, that it's diabetic neuropathy. The reason he says it's not due to the spikes is because it [doesn't sound like classic diabetic neuropathy] which it doesn't (no pain and tingling in extremities), but then my body is not classic example of a diabetic. I am really tiny, almost no muscle and almost no fat. Looks like I have the body of a 10 yr old but i'm 6'.

I will check this link.

Sorry, do you know what the typical checks are for diabetic neuropathy? So I can lead the Thai Dr along if need be... I mean, how do they tell diabetic vs other types... What tests..?
 
damian6000 said:
T2 prediabetic, possibly diabetic. Before beginning exercise, was 115fbs with 1700mg metformin daily. I suspect it would have been 125 without the metformin...
Click to expand...
If you are prediabetic may I ask why you're on insulin. The Thai doctor should understand what neuropathy is. Something like 70% of diabetics cop it eventually. You may not have it at all but you need referral to a neurologist pronto.
 
damian6000 said:
I'm skinny as a rail, and my body appears to be shrinking. Friends think I've got some disease and everyone remarks how skinny I look. I've got the torso of a 10-yr old. Thin limbs, tiny hands.
Click to expand...

damian6000 said:
Sorry, do you know what the typical checks are for diabetic neuropathy? So I can lead the Thai Dr along if need be... I mean, how do they tell diabetic vs other types... What tests..?
Click to expand...

Do remember that not everything is caused by diabetes, so be open to other suggestions, it could be something else entirely.
You do sound like you're underweight.
 
Crocodile said:
If you are prediabetic may I ask why you're on insulin. The Thai doctor should understand what neuropathy is. Something like 70% of diabetics cop it eventually. You may not have it at all but you need referral to a neurologist pronto.
Click to expand...
I couldn't control my carb binges. So I started taking it myself. Unfortunately, this promoted even more binging. Well, I've got the insulin, and it works fantastic, so... let's eat more carbs. But, as I said, even small amount of carbs sends it skyrocketing to 10, and the insulin I only take infrequently.

I know that the Thai Dr should understand neuropathy, but I mean, are there some specific tests that can determine the difference between diabetic and otherwise?

From all of my searching there's no other diagnosis that comes close to my neuropathy...Anyways, this week, will move forward in trying to get a diagnosis. But how do they diagnose this? My H1C is normal, my FBS is normal, how do they determine it's diabetic neuropathy or some other thing?

Just hoping to find someone else that has experienced this body wide areas of skin going numb. Mostly in the torso...
 
As you've been on Metformin for a while, it might be useful to have Vit B12, Folate, Vit D and Ferritin checked. As you don't mention other symptoms, I very much doubt Vit B12/Folate would be the cause of such neuropathy but there is a condition known as Subacute Combined Degeneration of the Spinal Cord, caused by Vit B12 deficiency. It would be as well to eliminate, or possibly treat (B12 isn't toxic) to see if your neurology improves at all.

As I said, what you describe doesn't sound like this so please don't get concerned but I would feel dreadful if your issue couldn't be identified, not treated and later discovered to be something like Vit B12 deficiency, which the treatment is B12 injections. Unfortunately, medics are noteably poor at recognising B12/Folate deficiency so you may have to be persuasive to get this checked. Having said that, in Thailand, the Medical staff could be excellent

Good luck
 

A neurologist would order a swag of blood tests looking for antibodies such as ANCA, PR3 and inflammatory markers etc. They will try and rule out other causes or look for possible causes. This is what my neurologist did when I first presented. There are many causes of neuropathy and many show up as specific agents in blood work.
 
Thank you so much. Another friend recommended this as well, B12. Actually the metformin was started years back in response to the numbness starting, so I doubt that's it either, but it certainly can't hurt to check/supplement.

Thank you Croc. This is perfect (ANCA, PR3 recommendations)
 
damian6000 said:
For example, a small bowl of muesli with small amount of milk just put my BS to 10.2
Click to expand...

Muesli is 79% carbohydrate. How much does a small bowl of muesli weigh?

damian6000 said:
You mean it's relatively normal for someone's blood to spike to 10mmol after a small bowl of muesli? From my reading, this doesn't seem normal at all... But maybe I'm mistaken.
Click to expand...

Some might say that their BG would go up even more after a small bowl of muesli, unless on a drug that encourages insulin production or taking insulin. Metformin alone may not have the effect you might expect, but then it doesn't affect insulin production.

damian6000 said:
I'm 6' and 68kilo, which is less than I weighed when I was a skinny 16.
Click to expand...

A six foot man should weight 72 to 89 kgs.

damian6000 said:
Over the last 4 years or so my skin on my shoulders, back and front of neck, face, scalp, over my biceps, abdomen, and unfortunately my groin, and somewhat on my feet and lower calves have progressively grown more and more numb.
Click to expand...

After 4 years I think a visit to the doctors is the answer. Early treatment can improve outcomes. Eliminating the underlying cause can prevent future nerve damage.

damian6000 said:
My theory is that due to lack of muscle, carbs are causing massive spikes which are damaging the nerves.
Click to expand...

I would suggest that insulin resistance or insufficient insulin is why carbs cause spikes. Eliminating the underlying cause can prevent future nerve damage.
 

So then, you believe the glucose spikes are what's causing the damage?
 

How are you able to get insulin when you say you have not visited a doctor in 4 years how did you get it when you are not a diagnosed diabetic or the Metformin a prescribed drug for diabetes but you have not been diagnosed with it surely that is dangerous
You say your HbA1c and fasting blood glucose is normal so thats good. It sounds to me like your problem is just over binging on the carbs even non diabetics can spike to double figures when eating a lot of carbs but as for your skin problem that needs to be investigated as to other causes that it could be
 
DavidGrahamJones said:
A six foot man should weight 72 to 89 kgs.
Click to expand...

I'm 6-foot-4 and weighed 81KG when diagnosed with T2D 1.5 years ago.

After going on the low-carb diet, I am today between 69KG and 70KG. This is still a healthy BMI, but only just; it hovers on the edge of "underweight."
 
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