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Confused

S

Syl1

Member
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For about two-three years I have been experiencing some concerning symptoms. Mainly, not long after I have a meal I start feeling extremely tired, drowsy, and as if the blood in my body is burning (very uncomfortable).
I tested my glucose last year two times. First time it tested 5.6 and the second time 5.8. I also tested insulin with C-peptid and it came abnormally low (just below the normal range). So I have low insulin and high glucose.
I have been fasting a lot for a long time now because that’s the only way I feel normal. I also fasted for a period of time before these symptoms started, so I thought the fasting maybe caused these symptoms. But now I am fasting simply because if I eat anything, even a small bite of food, not to mention a proper meal for lunch, the rest of the day I am unable to function normally because I feel extremely tired and agitated and it takes me hours to feel balanced. I also crave sugar in that time.
Since I live in Sweden I haven’t been able to receive any diagnosis. I visited the doctor several times and complained about the symptoms but I was ignored. I told them that I tested my blood and fear I might have prediabetes but in Sweden they decided that prediabetes starts with 7.0 not with 5.6 so they ignored my test results.
My life has been hell, I’ve lost a lot of weight and only weigh about 45 kg now (around 100 pounds), but eating simply makes me feel extremely sick. I am hoping to get some medical attention in another country once I organize to go there.
Can anyone tell me if this sounds like diabetes or prediabetes or if there could be some other cause to this. To summarize, these are the symptoms/manifestation:
-feeling extremely tired and uncomfortable after eating
-high fasting glucose (5.8)
-low fasting C-peptide (overall low insulin production)
 
Last edited:
Syl1 said:
For about two-three years I have been experiencing some concerning symptoms. Mainly, not long after I have a meal I start feeling extremely tired, drowsy, and as if the blood in my body is burning (very uncomfortable).
I tested my glucose last year two times. First time it tested 5.6 and the second time 5.8. I also tested insulin with C-peptid and it came abnormally low (just below the normal range). So I have low insulin and high glucose.
I have been fasting a lot for a long time now because that’s the only way I feel normal. I also fasted for a period of time before these symptoms started, so I thought the fasting maybe caused these symptoms. But now I am fasting simply because if I eat anything, even a small bite of food, not to mention a proper meal for lunch, the rest of the day I am unable to function normally because I feel extremely tired and agitated and it takes me hours to feel balanced. I also crave sugar in that time.
Since I live in Sweden I haven’t been able to receive any diagnosis. I visited the doctor several times and complained about the symptoms but I was ignored. I told them that I tested my blood and fear I might have prediabetes but in Sweden they decided that prediabetes starts with 6.0 not with 5.6 so they ignored my test results.
My life has been hell, I’ve lost a lot of weight and only weigh about 45 kg now (around 100 pounds), but eating simply makes me feel extremely sick. I am hoping to get some medical attention in another country once I organize to go there.
Can anyone tell me if this sounds like diabetes or prediabetes or if there could be some other cause to this. To summarize, these are the symptoms/manifestation:
-feeling extremely tired and uncomfortable after eating
-high fasting glucose (5.8)
-low fasting C-peptide (overall low insulin production)
Click to expand...

Hi @Syl1
Welcome to the forums.

Are your blood glucose readings taken upon waking, before eating or after eating? The numbers aren't excessively high but knowing when you took the readings would help to add some context.

Regards
Urb'
 
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Thank you for the reply.
They were taken while fasting around mid-day (12-1 o’clock). So I did the tests before I ate anything that day.
 
That would probably be a good idea. It’s been difficult without doctor’s referral because tests are quite expensive to do privately. But according to this chart it looks like prediabetes. I wouldn’t think much of it if the c-peptid (insulin) wasn’t turning out low but I don’t know if that could be caused by something else.
 
Hello Syl1.
You said at the beginning that you also fasted before any of these symptoms began. Do you mind if I ask how long each fast lasted and over what time period did you do this? It is possible that you have disrupted your body's normal response to food generally.
 
Dr Snoddy said:
Hello Syl1.
You said at the beginning that you also fasted before any of these symptoms began. Do you mind if I ask how long each fast lasted and over what time period did you do this? It is possible that you have disrupted your body's normal response to food generally.
Click to expand...

Dr Snoddy, yes, this was my feeling. My meals were very scarce and irregular for a few months and I was literally starving for days. I read somewhere that fasting can lower insulin production.
After that I began experiencing this fatigue after I ate. I found that b12 shots helped me a bit but that was only temporarily. Now I don’t know if all that caused prediabetes/diabetes or if it’s still reversible with a good lifestyle and regular meals. Or of there is some kind of different damage that’s been done. Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to find out at the moment, but having this extreme fatigue after meals is extremely debilitating. If I had a diagnosis I could better address it and ask for help but here in Sweden doctors are very poorly trained and diagnose and treat only extremely acute illnesses that are clearly visible, like a bleeding head wound.
 
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