- Messages
- 33
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
I thought I would post this to see if anyone else identifies with these symptoms. I am male, 65 next March, never smoked, and almost non-drinker.
I was diagnosed Coeliac (gluten intolerant) about 25 years ago, although I probably had the symptoms for at least a decade before that. I immediately went onto a fully gluten-free diet. Symptoms, which I had not linked to gluten, i.e. psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy, disappeared within two weeks, and have never substantially returned. Obviously a gluten-free diet has its problems, especially eating out, but I would never go back.
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I was put on Metformin, although after about 8 months, with the agreement of the diabetic nurse, I discontinued it. At this year’s annual check-up, I again showed a high figure for Ferritin, a measure of blood iron level. I was outside the usual range on earlier tests, but this time I was asked to speak to a doctor about it. Although still being investigated, it seems likely that this is due to Haemochromatosis, where the liver puts too much iron into the bloodstream. Increased iron intake from food is a known aspect of celiac disease. Haemochromatosis in turn triggers type 2 diabetes. I have suffered chronic constipation for many years, which I ascribed to both the gut damage due to celiac disease and the diabetes. Speculatively, the high level of iron in the blood, combined with low magnesium due to malabsorption might be the actual mechanism.
Recent relatively high HBa1c readings have put me back on Metformin, which I have found fairly trouble-free apart from sudden episodes of low blood pressure. I do find that my blood pressure goes up in a Doctors surgery, not uncommon, although my GPs and the Diabetic nurse are all excellent and understanding. When they have persuaded me to take various blood pressure medications, I found them all unacceptable as I had near-fainting episodes due to very low blood pressure at least twice a week.
All of the symptoms described above are clearly genetic, and closely linked. The most likely train of events was Psoriasis – Psoriatic Arthropathy – Coeliac disease – Haemochromatosis – Diabetes. My late father, who died at 66 years old, had Psoriasis, bowel problems, probably celiac disease, untreated and undiagnosed in those days, and then a major heart attack. While in hospital he was diagnosed diabetic, but died shortly after from a second heart attack. He too drank very little, but did smoke, the one action that is known to delay or disguise celiac disease. His father died from a heart attack at 33 years old.
Any comments?
[In heavy drinkers, Haemochromatosis is put down to liver failure and ultimately cirrhosis due to alcoholism, and is presumably the basis for the well-known assertion that type 2 diabetes is brought on by drinking too much. In my own case, 5 or 6 units of alcohol per year was clearly not the issue.]
I was diagnosed Coeliac (gluten intolerant) about 25 years ago, although I probably had the symptoms for at least a decade before that. I immediately went onto a fully gluten-free diet. Symptoms, which I had not linked to gluten, i.e. psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy, disappeared within two weeks, and have never substantially returned. Obviously a gluten-free diet has its problems, especially eating out, but I would never go back.
Two years ago, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I was put on Metformin, although after about 8 months, with the agreement of the diabetic nurse, I discontinued it. At this year’s annual check-up, I again showed a high figure for Ferritin, a measure of blood iron level. I was outside the usual range on earlier tests, but this time I was asked to speak to a doctor about it. Although still being investigated, it seems likely that this is due to Haemochromatosis, where the liver puts too much iron into the bloodstream. Increased iron intake from food is a known aspect of celiac disease. Haemochromatosis in turn triggers type 2 diabetes. I have suffered chronic constipation for many years, which I ascribed to both the gut damage due to celiac disease and the diabetes. Speculatively, the high level of iron in the blood, combined with low magnesium due to malabsorption might be the actual mechanism.
Recent relatively high HBa1c readings have put me back on Metformin, which I have found fairly trouble-free apart from sudden episodes of low blood pressure. I do find that my blood pressure goes up in a Doctors surgery, not uncommon, although my GPs and the Diabetic nurse are all excellent and understanding. When they have persuaded me to take various blood pressure medications, I found them all unacceptable as I had near-fainting episodes due to very low blood pressure at least twice a week.
All of the symptoms described above are clearly genetic, and closely linked. The most likely train of events was Psoriasis – Psoriatic Arthropathy – Coeliac disease – Haemochromatosis – Diabetes. My late father, who died at 66 years old, had Psoriasis, bowel problems, probably celiac disease, untreated and undiagnosed in those days, and then a major heart attack. While in hospital he was diagnosed diabetic, but died shortly after from a second heart attack. He too drank very little, but did smoke, the one action that is known to delay or disguise celiac disease. His father died from a heart attack at 33 years old.
Any comments?
[In heavy drinkers, Haemochromatosis is put down to liver failure and ultimately cirrhosis due to alcoholism, and is presumably the basis for the well-known assertion that type 2 diabetes is brought on by drinking too much. In my own case, 5 or 6 units of alcohol per year was clearly not the issue.]
