Exhausted and fed up

sammyc123 said:

Hi all - diagnosed T1 in the last three weeks but I have been physically exhausted all the time (even walking in the house is exhausting). I work in a bank (12 hours a week split over 4 shifts) but it is draining me so much and quite concerning me. Quite frustrated and worried because I can't work any more to get money and I don't know what to do. Any ideas/help/guidance would be appreciated beyond belief!!

Cheers

Sam


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Hi sam,
you have to remember your body has taken a right ol beating due to type 1 diagnoses, so give it time and things will improve.

Hi!

So sorry for you
Before I was diagnosed I had quite severe muscle problems and I was constantly exhausted. It took me 2-3 months to get back into shape after my BG was under control again. I was soooo happy the first time when I was able to run up the stairs again...!

Hope it will get better for you soon!

Were you suffering from this exhaustion before diagnosis? I appreciate everyone is different but with those readings and a healthy nights sleep perhaps there is some other problem going on accounting for this. I can only speak for myself but I took 3 days off work when diagnosed and that was at the insistence of my Wife after the doctor suggested it.

Might be worth making sure it is nothing else first of all. Having your diabetes fit around your life is important, don't let it rule you.

It could well be just your body getting used to being diabetic now, and all that entails. It's not a simple thing!
But it also could be other things too. When you get your next blood test I suggest you ask to get your Vitamins B,C, D & E checked plus iron, copper, potassium, magnesium and zinc. I had been complaining of fatigue for ages and have been on Vit D for a while, plus just started on iron tablets too. (I'm not anaemic, just low on iron :/ ) I'm starting to notice a difference.
If you are newly diagnosed it won't be that long before you have another blood test, whilst you're having blood drawn it's easy enough to take another vial, just remember to ask your GP/consultant to tick the extra boxes on the form(s).
Good luck! x

I suspect it's more related to the mental effect of being diagnosed that many of us went thru. Typically there is no physical reason for well-controlled diabetes to cause fatigue but as we know the body can be affected by our mental state. I suspect in a few days you will be back to normal and be able to take it in your stride

sammyc123 said:

Thank you every body for taking the time to reply and offer your comments and advice - hugely appreciated!!

I have spoken with my Support team and they feel that it is not connected to my diabetes. I am going to my gp in the morning so hopefully he will have some answers.

Thank you again everyone!!


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It could be something simple like being anaemic or an under active thyroid. Hopefully though it's just a case of your body adjusting it's self.

One thing that could be a contributory factor: With consistently high blood sugars, your body gets desensitised to it to a degree (just the feeling of being high, not the complications and health risks). Coming down to normal blood sugars after a sustained period of high readings (such as when you are diagnosed), can actually make you feel pretty bad in the short term.
Also, your body has taken a big hit from the lack of insulin, and it will take a while to get back into the swing of things. Insulin is required by the cells in your body to get use the glucose in your blood. While you were undiagnosed, your body was struggling to process any of the fuel it needed to run on. Despite high blood sugars, pretty much every cell in your body was starving. Thankfully you are now getting the medication you need, so things should get back to normal. Unfortunately I cannot give you a timeframe for this. Some people bounce right back from any illness life throws at them. Others can take weeks or months. (For instance I had a root canal done a couple of years back. I was told it should heal in a month or so. It took six months before I was comfortable eating on that side of my mouth).
The best thing you can do is to rest and give yourself time to heal. I would suggest time away from work if at all possible. Trying to soldier on regardless can knock the wind from your sails for a long time. Better to pull into port and wait for the fair wind just around the corner

The first thing I always suggest for exhaustion/fatigue is having your Vitamin D levels checked. Having it diagnosed and then taking supplementation (at the same time I was diagnosed with Type 2) made the single biggest difference to my health. Please have your Vitamin D3 (and B12/folate) levels checked as all can have a huge effect on people's energy levels.

Hmnnn, if your throat is swollen but no soreness, I'd also be asking for a full thyroid panel check as well. Low thyroid levels can also cause issues with fatigue and energy levels.

I live with fatigue all the time, I have hemochromatosis the medics said that was causing it, I have sleep apnea, they said that was causing it, then I got type 2 diabetes, they said that was causing it. Then they thought thyroid, that was ok. Then I got involved in a blood donation interval study and after donating a pint every 8 weeks I became anemic they said that was causing but I had it before that anyway.

Then they decided I was bleeding internally so I had cameras where they sun don't shin, that wasn't causing it either so now they after about 10 years and 15 months since I last gave blood they have reverted to 3 monthly blood tests. Over the last 3 months my GP has changed 3 times so I wonder what chance I have of ever feeling better.

Like you I have to hold down a job, full time in my case and its a nightmare. With the exhaustion there is dizziness and I know full well that one day I will fall down at work where the potential to get hurt is high...maybe then something will get done.

Anyway I hope things improve for you, I really do.

Barry