Doctor not listening

[Margox10]

Hi, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes around 3 years ago. It was a surprise as I always thought I eat correctly, exercise enough etc. I am slightly overweight. Over the past few months I have been telling the doctor I’ve been feeling really poorly. My blood is up and down and it seems to rise immediately after eating. I can’t always eat regularly but surely after having a slice of wholemeal for breakfast, then going for a quick swim I shouldn’t be getting a reading of 1.2? That was yesterday and today, only an hour after having a tuna salad, cup of tea milk no sugar, a reading of 9.4? I am completely lost. During 7 out of 10 nights I am waking with soaking wet nightdress or pyjamas! How do you get your doctor to listen? I recently had more bloods taken just to be told again that am pre-diabetic and no treatment is required. My HBA1C level was 44 mol/mol abnormal. Can anyone give me any advice please. Thanks

 

[Jaylee]

Hi, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes around 3 years ago. It was a surprise as I always thought I eat correctly, exercise enough etc. I am slightly overweight. Over the past few months I have been telling the doctor I’ve been feeling really poorly. My blood is up and down and it seems to rise immediately after eating. I can’t always eat regularly but surely after having a slice of wholemeal for breakfast, then going for a quick swim I shouldn’t be getting a reading of 1.2? That was yesterday and today, only an hour after having a tuna salad, cup of tea milk no sugar, a reading of 9.4? I am completely lost. During 7 out of 10 nights I am waking with soaking wet nightdress or pyjamas! How do you get your doctor to listen? I recently had more bloods taken just to be told again that am pre-diabetic and no treatment is required. My HBA1C level was 44 mol/mol abnormal. Can anyone give me any advice please. Thanks

Hi @Margox10 ,

Welcome to the forum.

Are you logging these episodes & symptoms down along with your meter readings when they happen?
This could help build a picture on what's happening?

I'll tag a couple of members in to say hello. Who may be able to help. @Lamont D @Brunneria .

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Did you mean a reading of 1.2? That is impossible without certain drugs or insulin. You would expect a BS rise after eating; that is normal with diabetes. A figure of 9.4 after the meal you mention does hint at T2 but the HBa1C is still pre-diabetic. Note that there are rarer forms of diabetes than T1 or T2. I suggest you follow a low-carb diet and if you can afford the test strips keep a record of your BS just before and 2 hours after meals and discuss those with the GP

 

[catinahat]

Welcome @Margox10

I shouldn’t be getting a reading of 1.2?

Did you confirm that reading by doing another test ? I think you would be close to loosing consciousness if you were as low as 1.2mmol. the glucose meters are not the most accurate of machines and faulty test strip's are quite common.

tuna salad, cup of tea milk no sugar, a reading of 9.4?

This seems to be a high reading for the meal you had but again did you check it by doing a second test ? Whenever I get a reading outside of what I would expect I re wash my hands and do another test to rule out the possibility of a faulty strip or something on my hands giving a false reading. Did you do a pre meal test ? Because there is always the possibility that your levels were raised before you ate the tuna salad. Physical activities, exercise, stress, even missing a meal can prompt out liver to release some of its stored glucose and cause levels to rise.

I am waking with soaking wet nightdress or pyjamas!

This sounds very uncomfortable and I can understand why you are concerned, have you tested your blood sugar levels when you experience these night sweats ? Waking up sweating can be a symptom of a nighttime hypo but unless you are taking a medication that reduces blood sugar such as insulin it's unlikely to be low sugar levels causing your night sweats. Diabetes causes higher than normal blood sugar levels if you experience low blood sugar it's usually caused by over medication.
https://www.healthline.com/health/when-to-be-concerned-about-night-sweats

 

[SaskiaKC]

Hi, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes around 3 years ago. It was a surprise as I always thought I eat correctly, exercise enough etc. I am slightly overweight. Over the past few months I have been telling the doctor I’ve been feeling really poorly. My blood is up and down and it seems to rise immediately after eating. I can’t always eat regularly but surely after having a slice of wholemeal for breakfast, then going for a quick swim I shouldn’t be getting a reading of 1.2? That was yesterday and today, only an hour after having a tuna salad, cup of tea milk no sugar, a reading of 9.4? I am completely lost. During 7 out of 10 nights I am waking with soaking wet nightdress or pyjamas! How do you get your doctor to listen? I recently had more bloods taken just to be told again that am pre-diabetic and no treatment is required. My HBA1C level was 44 mol/mol abnormal. Can anyone give me any advice please. Thanks

Hi, @Margox10 .
You didn't mention your age, but regardless, you probably know about various age-related causes of night sweats in women "of a certain age." Sorry if you're way younger than that!

Has your doctor done a complete blood panel? I'm thinking about various reasons for night sweats, including autonomic nervous system conditions. Wouldn't hurt to ask for a complete blood panel including thyroid levels.

I also second what others have posted here about checking blood glucose levels before meals and again two hours after.

Good luck! Night sweats are upsetting.

 

[KennyA]

Hi. There's nothing magical about the 48 figure. It was picked by the medics (internationally) as a backstop - they all agreed that, whatever else was going on, readings of 48+ would be considered by all as defining diabetes. But that does not mean that symptoms don't often appear earlier.

I had plenty of diabetic symptoms long before my A1c was "officially" diabetic, and even though my A1c has been low normal for two years, I still get the sweats, some oedema etc.

My advice is to forget about your doctor. If I were you I would start a low-carb lifestyle now. If you are worried about a continued rise in your BS, low-carb is very likely to turn that round. You don't actually benefit much from a formal diagnosis, and there are penalties - life insurance, for example, will be weighted.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi, I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes around 3 years ago. It was a surprise as I always thought I eat correctly, exercise enough etc. I am slightly overweight. Over the past few months I have been telling the doctor I’ve been feeling really poorly. My blood is up and down and it seems to rise immediately after eating. I can’t always eat regularly but surely after having a slice of wholemeal for breakfast, then going for a quick swim I shouldn’t be getting a reading of 1.2? That was yesterday and today, only an hour after having a tuna salad, cup of tea milk no sugar, a reading of 9.4? I am completely lost. During 7 out of 10 nights I am waking with soaking wet nightdress or pyjamas! How do you get your doctor to listen? I recently had more bloods taken just to be told again that am pre-diabetic and no treatment is required. My HBA1C level was 44 mol/mol abnormal. Can anyone give me any advice please. Thanks

If your blood glucose levels are not in control and you are getting high readings and low readings, there has to be a cause. But your doctor is following his whatever training he had and is only going on that result!
It is not straightforward as that.
You might have hypoglycaemia, or pancreatitis or insulinaemia. Or something else!
Or none of it!
was the very low readi my a glitz!
but like me, I kept battling and eventually I got diagnosed!
I would as suggested use a food diary
Then you can make your doctor listen to you.
Best wishes