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Constant discomfort

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flashrabbit

Member
Messages
5
Hi all,

This is my first post & the first time I've ventured to discuss my diagnosis with a community.

After being diagnosed with diabetes I did very well to control it & my glucose levels began to fall with a combination of tablets & diet. However 6 months ago my wife and I had a baby & I have begun my own photography business so my focus changed somewhat. My prescriptions are delivered by the new "EPS" system & I missed my collection date, then completely forgetting about it. Before I knew it a couple of months has passed. Sounds crazy I know but honestly, I don't know where time has gone recently!

Anyway, as a result my glucose went up, I got a telling off from the GP & carried on with medication.

I have always had aching muscles & joint pain from early - mid teens & I have been able to live with it but recently things are getting so bad that it's interfering with everyday life. I've had two arthroscopies on both knees & one on my left elbow. At the moment I finding that my knees, lower back & hips ache severely after walking or activity & I can't hold my arm up for more than a minute with getting severe aching. I also seem to be getting recurring tendonitis or the likes.

I've approached the gp about this and he tells me to take paracetamol, I have and it doesn't work, I ve also tried cocodamol without success. I've now been given 400mg Ibuprofen tabs, so I'll give that a go but it's still not dealing with the cause, I don't think.

Has anyone else experienced similar problems? :?:
 
You don't say which medications you are on, but the muscular aches and pains sound suspiciously like the side effects of taking a statin. That's one possibility.

Tendon issues are very common in diabetics with high BG levels - the pain may lessen once you get your BG levels under control again. Dr Bernstein writes about some of the common complications here:

http://www.diabetes-book.com/articles/bernstein.pdf

Another suspect in my mind would be gluten sensitivity (not necessarily full-blown coeliac disease) - many people experience a huge relief from various bodily aches and pains by eliminating wheat from their diets. It might be worthwhile trying. Here is an article about it and some of the comments are eye-opening as to the side effects wheat can cause:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-comm ... z2ANHrbmGq

All the best and welcome to the forum,
 

Thanks so much for your reply!

The medication I currently take daily is:
Metformin @850mg x2
Gliclazide @ 80mg x2
glizofar @ 30mg x2 (Recent addition)
Atorvastatin 40mg x1 (Recently changed from simvasatin)

A recent raft of blood tests did come back clear & a test for Celiacs disease was included. :thumbup:
 
I think you need to read up on statins to see what effect they can have on your body. Also look around the site and read up on low carbs it may reduce your need for so many tablets.
 
Hi Flashrabbit, and welcome to the forum. I take 40mg simvastatin and have done for 2 and a half years with very little side effect, when they put me up to 80mg then I had terrible aches and cramps in my legs and feet though. Has your doctor mentioned the possibility of neuropathy? I don't have this but understand that continued high BG levels can cause nerve damage which then gives pain, particularly in feet and toes. The good news is that if you can improve your levels the pain can lessen and be more manageable.

When I was first diagnosed in March 2010 I did really well at controlling my BG and then fell off the waggon and went back to some of my bad habits - life got in the way. But since I found this forum in July I have found such great support, comradeship and help from likeminded people that I have managed to change my diet, reduce my BG and very recently, reduce my Metformin which I am thrilled about.

You have come to the right place!
 
Hi

when I was diagnosed I didn't have massively high levels but i noticed 6 weeks into low carbing that my aches in my hands in the morning went.

Mary x
 

In terms of managing my diabetes after I was diagnosed I have been pretty much left to my own devices. It was pretty a case of "You're diabetic, here's some tablets, read these leaflets & see you in 6 months." I do have an appointment with a diabetic nurse every 12 months as well but again, it's blood tests & no real discussion.

I managed to get my BG under control with diet & meds but like you fell off the waggon recently because my normal routines have gone out of the window. I've now adjusted & take regular meds again but I still have a problem with diet due to lack of appetite, although my wife does make sure I get something to eat, even if I don't feel like it.

I've also lost a stone in weight recently too, which concerns my wife. Although I have been to the GP several times complaining of severe muscle aches, joint pain & weakness not one doctor has mentioned that the cause might be statins. Although they have suggested that it might be because I'm getting older (I'm 42!) This week I took my mum on a shopping trip & was out of action for two days after because I was so physically exhausted & sore.

What's this low carbing that people have mentioned? Could someone post a ink to info please? :thumbup:
 
Ok, found the info on low carb diets on this site. Thank you for suggesting that, I will give it a go I think. It has to be worth a try, right? :roll:
 
Here is a very simple, easy to understand site on low carb: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

I agree with the suggestion to do a bit of research on statins. Personally, I'd never consent to taking them again. I had so many side effects from taking them that my quality of life made taking them any longer completely out of the question.

One thing though - apparently if you are low in Vitamin D, that can make the side effects even worse. I was tested and was low - now I'm back to normal levels, but I still don't want to taken another statin. If you are going to stay on them, then I would definitely get your Vitamin D level checked. And if you aren't already doing so, start taking a Co-Q10 supplement, as the statins deplete the body of it - and it is an essential enzyme for muscle health, particularly heart muscle. Pointless to take a statin to help your heart if one of the side effects screws it up :crazy:

Also, you can be cleared for coeliac disease and still be gluten sensitive. Like Mary J, so many little niggling aches and pains have disappeared since low carbing (and avoiding wheat). I've also stopped needing reflux medication (which I'd been taking for 9 years) plus stopped my IBS symptoms. All in all, I probably feel in the best shape of my life
 
Oh and a P.S.

One of the good side-effects of the LCHF diet is that it usually makes a huge difference to lipid profiles - in particular, lowering triglycerides, increasing HDL and decreasing the bad LDL.

For the first time I'm actually looking forward to my next lipids profile - but if it's still bad despite my LC efforts, I still won't take a statin again.
 

I know this is probably completely my fault but looking at your post I can see your HbaC1 results etc & you talk about Lipids, triglycerides etc. I have absolutely no idea what any of these things are! I know that every 6 months I have a blood test that is HbaC1 but my doctor doesn't discuss or share results in details. I need to take a more proactive approach I think, rather than just taking the "little" information I currently get at face value! :?
 
Hello again Flashrabbit. The main tool to fight this pesky disease is a blood glucose monitor. I'm guessing your Doc didn't give you one of these. You can try to ask for one - different surgeries have different policies on giving these out, but if you cannot get one on the NHS you are recommended to buy the SD Codefree from Amazon. The meters are often cheap but the testing strips are ridiculously expensive, but the SD Codefree is very reasonable.

People on here suggest that you test before and 2 hours after your meals to see what effect the food you are eating is having on your blood glucose levels. You should aim to be no more than 7.8 2 hours after meals (can be called post prandial reading).

Below is the info usually given to new members which has a lot more info (I think you missed this because you posted in 'Diabetes Discussions' and Daisy - who wrote this great post is not the moderator. So here you go - ask lots of questions when you have had a read ...

 
I believe you are entitled to ask for copies of any tests doctors run. I always ask for copies of mine and keep a file - it makes life so much easier if you see a different doctor or specialist.

I find it amazing that the doctor has put you on a statin without even discussing the reasons for doing so - and especially if you haven't had a lipid profile done. More "let's treat a risk factor with a dangerous drug" - I call that witch doctoring, not valid medical practice. Sheesh. But sadly it seems to be routine with diabetics.

I think all diabetics need to be proactive about their own health - after all, we're the ones who end up with the complications and possible amputations - not the doctor or nurse or dietician handing us their drugs and flawed dietary advice.

OK, down off my soapbox now :shh:
 
Sounds a bit like food intolerance or food allergy.

I cannot drink cows milk, it gives me some wind/loose stools/and brings on rhinitus!

Things like cheese, yoghurt, butter etc. made with milk are OK, I don't know why, but it's just the milk.

So it might be worth checking what you have eaten on the nights you get it, even milk in tea can set me off.

H
 
I also suffer from aching joints etc after moderate exertion and no longer take statins (gave up 3 years ago), I have found that taking large doses (10mg) of Omega 3 on a daily basis helps substantially but cannot give you a reason why (unless its the anti inflammatory effect), might be worth a try.
 
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