• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Do I have diabetes or not?

I have been trying since Monday to speak to my doctor but when I get through and insist on a call back the nurse calls me back. On Monday When she called she said they would have to do the HbA1c test before I could see a diabetic nurse. I said ok book me in for the test, she said the next appointment wasn't until April the 6th! I said that wasn't good enough I didn't feel well so she told me to ring the practice and ask them if I could go to 'Taurus' who might do the test sooner and then hung up, they are in the same building! After another hour trying to get back through the receptionist didn't mention Taurus until I said I was told to ask for an appointment there. I went to the appointment at 6 pm and burst into tears when I was telling the nurse all about it. She said she would mark the tests urgent and I had to call my surgery Tuesday for the results. I spent all day trying to get through and when I did she said they weren't back and to try later and that they didn't close until 6pm. I waited until 5:45 and when I called I got the answer machine saying the reception was closed at 5pm and to call out of hours! Called this morning took nearly all day to get through and they didn't have the results said that Taurus had them. Eventually she agreed to ring the hospital and was given the results over the phone. I then had to ask for another call back to discuss the results and low and behold the nurse called me again! When I said I wasn't happy to be told I had diabetes then I didn't, she advised I could go and see my doctor but I would need to call the receptionist and make an appointment and hung up again! It's been a nightmare! However I think I got off lightly, how awful of them to treat your mum so badly, and awful that bleach in her eye actually brought on a diagnosis. I really hope she's ok and is starting to feel better.

As I said earlier I will stop the Metformin tomorrow as advised by the 'wonderful Diabetic Nurse' and begin monitoring my bloods without any medication or change to diet and see how I go, if she thinks I am fine I need to behave fine and see what happens. Little bit scared those high levels really made me feel poorly and zapped my energy, I didn't have the energy to walk up the stairs without feeling wacked out and I have felt a lot better taking the Metformin. I will also make an appointment with my Doctor if I can get through on the phone... I have been reading some other forums and someone else had a similar problem to me with clear monitor tests showing high levels but a low HbA1c and she is definitely diabetic. Thank you for your kind advice ... Take care
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rosserk said:
Hi
Thank you it's certainly worth considering. Not sure I want to incur the wrath of the Diabetes nurse though, she was so angry and adamant that I should forget about it and not test again, it's not her organs that are at risk though. I felt so stupid and ashamed and I was only doing what the doctor told me to do. I didn't perscribe the Metformin myself the Doctor did!
Click to expand...
Say to her what was suggested to me...Would you drive a car without a speedometer....
 
Paul59 said:
Have you considered changing your practise? I would if it was me being treated that way.
Click to expand...


No I will not change practice, once I get to speak with my Doctor I am confident someone's head will roll! He's been my Doctor for 25 years and has taken very good care of me. He will be very angry about what's happened! He's a partner in the practice, so I think the DNs in for a shock! I wont go to the DN no matter what happens. There seems to be a lot of confusion at my surgery with the new system Taurus, there seems to be some tension between the practice and the new provision.
 
This is awful, I'm so sorry. We will support you of course but for the moment we can only conjecture. Sounds like you have a plan, so good luck with the doc and the testing. @Brightside made some good points about eliminating as many variables as you can.
 
I am not an expert but you do say you are very stressed and you have recently been through a lot with your sister and now maybe that is why you have got such erratic BG levels. You really do need to see a doctor and tell them just how you are feeling stress or depression can really mess with your body and cause all kinds of strange things and the more stressed you get the worse it can be. I think the constant testing of your blood is just causing you more stress and perhaps you need to stop until you have a proper diagnosis You are not overweight and your diet sounds fine you don't eat sugar stuff and it is not to high in starchy carbs so that is really good
 
DeejayR said:
This is awful, I'm so sorry. We will support you of course but for the moment we can only conjecture. Sounds like you have a plan, so good luck with the doc and the testing. @Brightside made some good points about eliminating as many variables as you can.
Click to expand...

Hi think I'm in trouble and I really don't know what to do!

I took my blood sugar at 11:30 last night and it was 4.9. Woke up at 4 am felt really poorly I was hot and clammy and very thirsty. I had a large drink of water put a fan on the bedside table and eventually got back to sleep. My alarm went off at 9 and I really struggled to wake up and get out of bed. I have an appointment in Birmingham or I would have gone back to sleep.

I tested my blood sugar it was 5.2. At 9:30 I had a bowl of Special K with skimmed milk and a cup of tea. Within about 5 minutes I started to feel really sick like I was going to vomit. I took my blood sugars again @ 9:53 They are 10.2! I haven't taken Metformin, not sure what to do!
 
I think in this case we start urging you to bypass the surgery and get to an A&E department. Unless you have a hot line to your trusted GP, in which case speak to him urgently.
 
I would also try and meet the practice manager when you are able to, to go over all of this palaver.
 
in my humble opinion I still think there is an issue with your BG meter.....you say you feel feeble and sick....sounds more like low blood sugar ....hypo.... at a BG of 10.5 you should not feel anything....I had 19 when I was diagnosed and apart from being thirsty I was perfectly fine....of course different people react differently ....but Hyperglycemia is not normally associated with feeling weak/sweatiness (only after prolonged cases).

The Doctor is the guy to see....
 
rosserk said:
The Doctor did diagnose me the nurse over ruled him. I'm totally confused I thought that was a good reading because I would consider that an unhealthy meal. I had one sausage and three pieces of bacon quite a bit of liver and tomatoes. I thought I was supposed to do them after 2 hours not 3. I am grateful for all the advice everyone has been extremely kind advising me and whilst I know none of you would call yourselves Doctors you are all definitely more experienced than the professionals I have spoken to so far. I Would never normally eat liver. Can I ask, are you saying the rise should have been no more than two points I.e. 5.1 - 7.1 and that would have been acceptable for someone without diabetes? Both my husband and my daughters were back to what they were before they ate, they are done with being my control now so I will have to trust the meter is right, and mine are definitely better than they were before the Metformin. But I am not going to take any more see how I go tomorrow.
Click to expand...
For type 1 diabetics DAFNE recommends testing 4 HOURS after a meal when on insulin because it can take 4 approx 4 hours for the insulin to do its stuff. I used to do 2 hour testing and correct if I was more than 2 mmol higher than the before meal test.....I then used to hypo later in the day and DSN never knew why, but DAFNE explained why.
 
Apparently an excess of Vitamin C and E and high cholesterol levels, can also have an effect on the HbA1C test.
 
Ambersilva said:
It is, when you are in DKA
Click to expand...
Oh heck.....I get those sweaty hypo feelings regularly, and my readings are all still high....I just thought they were "false hypos", because my body has been used to readings in the high 20s for so long.
 
DebbieAnnW said:
Oh heck.....I get those sweaty hypo feelings regularly, and my readings are all still high....I just thought they were "false hypos", because my body has been used to readings in the high 20s for so long.
Click to expand...

I am talking about the feeling of weakness in hyperglycemia when blood sugar is high and ketones are present in DKA. Sweaty hypos are different.
 
Brightside said:
in my humble opinion I still think there is an issue with your BG meter.....you say you feel feeble and sick....sounds more like low blood sugar ....hypo.... at a BG of 10.5 you should not feel anything....I had 19 when I was diagnosed and apart from being thirsty I was perfectly fine....of course different people react differently ....but Hyperglycemia is not normally associated with feeling weak/sweatiness (only after prolonged cases).

The Doctor is the guy to see....
Click to expand...


Hi I didn't go to the drop in the other day I managed to convince myself it was all in my imagination and the glucose monitor was broken. I can now confirm it isn't its giving the same readings as the new one I bought. So that theory is now null and void! I have made an appointment with my doctor for Thursday and have been taking readings before and after meals. Today my BG was

6 before breakfast
11.5 one hour later
10.9 two hours later
8.4 three hours later
4.9 five hours later
4.3 six hours later

I know the above seems a bit obsessive and I only continued taking the readings because I wanted to see how long it took them to come down to a normal range. I have been monitoring my blood glucose levels for about 5 weeks now and they have never gone as low as 4.3. I also know from what I have read that the 5 hours to come down to a normal range is not a good sign. I have also noticed something else that seems strange and that is my finger nails seem to be getting a yellowish tinge. I am getting a bit hyper sensitive about every little symptom but I've been under considerable stress and I haven't got the energy to go into battle with me Doctors Surgery. The other contradictory symptom is I can go from extreme exhaustion to being wide awake and unable to sleep, I am surviving on about 3-4 hours sleep it's crazy !
 
rosserk said:
Hi I didn't go to the drop in the other day I managed to convince myself it was all in my imagination and the glucose monitor was broken. I can now confirm it isn't its giving the same readings as the new one I bought. So that theory is now null and void! I have made an appointment with my doctor for Thursday and have been taking readings before and after meals. Today my BG was

6 before breakfast
11.5 one hour later
10.9 two hours later
8.4 three hours later
4.9 five hours later
4.3 six hours later

I know the above seems a bit obsessive and I only continued taking the readings because I wanted to see how long it took them to come down to a normal range. I have been monitoring my blood glucose levels for about 5 weeks now and they have never gone as low as 4.3. I also know from what I have read that the 5 hours to come down to a normal range is not a good sign. I have also noticed something else that seems strange and that is my finger nails seem to be getting a yellowish tinge. I am getting a bit hyper sensitive about every little symptom but I've been under considerable stress and I haven't got the energy to go into battle with me Doctors Surgery. The other contradictory symptom is I can go from extreme exhaustion to being wide awake and unable to sleep, I am surviving on about 3-4 hours sleep it's crazy !
Click to expand...
What did u eat for breakfast?
 
Special K... And yes I know diabetics aren't supposed to eat Special K .. But don't forget the Diabetic Nurse said there is nothing wrong with me and to behave normally. I have to behave normally until I get a diagnoses ?.
 
Back
Top