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Does this sound bad?

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Becs90

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Don't have diabetes
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi everyone im hoping to get some advice.
Im currently over weight due to gaining lots in lock down. My bmi is 34 (i know awful) and my dad was diagnosed with type 2 last year and his mum has it for years and years.
Since gaining weight ive noticed my feet and toes becoming very tingley and numb. My heart races 30mins or so after i eat. Headaches and dizzi and foggy headed. Ive bought a kit to see out of interest the readings i got. Before dinner it can be between 6 and 7.5. After i eat it goes up to 8/9. Then back down a few hours later.
I had my fasting glucose yesterday so awaiting results. Does this sound like type 2 or maybe prediabetic? Im panicking x
 
T2 diabetics are genetically disposed to be unable to process the number of carbs in a typical modern diet. They become insulin resistant and typically their bodies over produce insulin in order to try to process the sugar in their blood. High blood sugar levels plus high insulin levels result in weight gain, which tends to increase insulin resistance, so you can think of weight gain as a symptom of T2.

We can't and shouldn't diagnose here, that is for your doctor to do, but both your family history (T2 is very strongly genetic) your weight gain and your (potentially elevated but only very slightly and honestly you cannot diagnose off a few blood tests unless they are much higher) suggest you should go to the doctor and get the blood test you need to determine whether you actually have T2. (You may not, but your symptoms deserve investigation.) Honestly, in your position I'd watch my carbs just because of the family history, so as to avoid both T2 and prediabetes.

The good news is that many T2s on here start out with blood sugar levels in the 20s and still manage to return their levels to normal by reducing the amount of carbohydrate in their diet.

I've just taken in that you've already had the blood test, so your doctor should tell you soon. Neither diabetes nor prediabetes is self inflicted, it's a genetic predisposition that can be treated by avoiding excessive carbs. Unfortunately most modern "healthy" diets have too many carbs for someone with a T2 genetic disposition.

Good luck, there'll be lots of help for you on these forums (I'm T1 so probably not the best to give you advice, though I've picked up a lot of T2 info by reading these forums).
 
IMHO, you should go in and get some blood work done. Especially the A1c test. Then you’ll know where you stand.
 

We can’t say anything for sure without HbA1c or fasting blood glucose.

But based on the numbers in your post it sound perfectly normal. I don’t think it is of any concern when all levels are below 11.2 mmol.

I can get dizzi, lightheaded, numb, but thats only when I get really low. Speaking from personal experience I only get headache by really high blood sugar, or when my blood sugar flucates a lot .
 
Emile_the_rat said:
... I don’t think it is of any concern when all levels are below 11.2 mmol. ...
Click to expand...
Haven't heard of that benchmark. It might be for a diabetes diagnosis from a random test (non-fasting and between meals) . A non-diabetic without insulin resistance would typically be 5-6 before meals and wouldn't spike much above 7 after a meal. Diabetes is not diagnosed until blood glucose is much higher.
 
Personally I’d be concerned about levels at 11.1 so also not sure where that benchmark is from

From this page: https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
  • Before meals : 4 to 7 mmol/L for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes
  • After meals : under 9 mmol/L for people with type 1 diabetes and under 8.5mmol/L for people with type 2 diabetes
So for @Becs90 the levels look a small bit high but the blood tests from the doctor are what you need.

but regardless, if it’s a concern then as others have said, there are ways to improve your control and change your path. Lowering carbs could be an option. Have a read around on the forums

good luck!
 
EllieM said:
(T2 is very strongly genetic) .
Click to expand...

Type 2 is very strongly EPIgenetic. Meaning genes always have to work in with environmental factors. And the genes - you can see as another way of saying your body type, where you put on fat, how you put on fat - I have read they think about 10,000 genes are involved in bringing about type 2 diabetes.

As you say - it needs the environment to bring about type 2 diabetes. For us that means the food and drink. There is no 'type 2 diabetes gene'. If they were screening genes for folks with high diabetes risk they would be... it would not be possible. Is my understanding.

But a quick look at your family's tummies, and the typical breakfast? which I don't know anyone who was not eating that (breakfast cereals for instance) will indicate whether you have the body type and the food environment to play havoc with your blood glucose regulation. The insulin resistant kind.

Having parents with T2D has a risk factor attached of 3 times. (Siblings is 2 times.) It does not mean you were born with the fate of developing T2D hanging over you.
 
But saying that, in above, @Becs90 - get you to the doctor's for an HBA1c and fasting blood glucose test, absolutely.

I suggested to my own adult son (who has the tummy, and me as his mother) that he get a C-peptide.I wrote it down, I called the medical practice before hand - they still didn't test his insulin production with a C-peptide.

I was very disappointed. Hopefully your GP is not so resistant? Your anxiety could be a deciding factor in them taking your seriously on that one? My son is not so anxious as he has his mother worrying for him .

High levels of insulin to cope with the high levels of glucose, as in too high for your body type, precede prediabetes and diabetes by many years, is my understanding. If you find out you have that, high insulin levels (get your practice to explain the numbers to you when you get your result back - but be aware they may have to read up on it before they can explain it to you! I wish this wasn't the case but it often is) you can lessen the amount of glucose right away that your body is dealing with, and therefore your insulin, and halt the insulin-resisting your cells may be doing (see insulin resistance as putting up a defence!).

How do you do that? Lower your insulin? You get glucose into your body via the food and drink. So lower the carbs you are eating and drinking, and think about the oils and fats you are eating, as in sticking to healthy fats and hugely lowering the bad fats. That's the advice I give my own adult children, and anyone who will listen. .

Then keep getting tested (Fasting blood glucose, HBA1c, C peptide - the latter if your practice will let you) at regular intervals to keep a track of your blood glucose and physical health in this regard.
 
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