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Prediabetes Exhausted

V

VioletViolet

Well-Known Member
Messages
424
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello

I am exhausted all the time and wondered if it was to do with prediabetes. It doesn't seem to matter whether I eat low carb or have a blip and go carb crazy I go to sleep almost immediately after eating (meals or snacks). Does anyone else have issue this too? I am in a constant gormless fog the rest of the time and them nodding off or actually sleeping after food. What could it be? I am a woman of a certain age and that so it could be hormone related I guess. I could sleep all day and all night and not feel refreshed or awake. Any ideas?
 
VioletViolet said:
Hello

I am exhausted all the time and wondered if it was to do with prediabetes. It doesn't seem to matter whether I eat low carb or have a blip and go carb crazy I go to sleep almost immediately after eating (meals or snacks). Does anyone else have issue this too? I am in a constant gormless fog the rest of the time and them nodding off or actually sleeping after food. What could it be? I am a woman of a certain age and that so it could be hormone related I guess. I could sleep all day and all night and not feel refreshed or awake. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
I can only tell you that that is how I felt before I was diagnosed with type 2, but low carbing has helped me enormously. Do you low carb often? Are you testing at home your blood sugars? If they are spiking after meals then it could well be due to prediabetes. Hard to tell without knowing what your blood sugars are doing. If you don't have a meter then that would be the first thing I'd do, get a meter, then test my blood sugars just before eating and 2 hours after. When is the last time you were seen by a gp or nurse re. your prediabetes?
 
Without knowing what your blood sugar numbers are it makes it quite hard to know whether or not it may be diabetes related but by your description that was exactly what I was like before being diagnosed. Even now if my BS sits in the 7-8's it can make me tired and lifeless as my body just won't tolerate higher numbers anymore. When was your last HbA1c done and do you have a meter to test your BS.
 
VioletViolet said:
Hello

I am exhausted all the time and wondered if it was to do with prediabetes. It doesn't seem to matter whether I eat low carb or have a blip and go carb crazy I go to sleep almost immediately after eating (meals or snacks). Does anyone else have issue this too? I am in a constant gormless fog the rest of the time and them nodding off or actually sleeping after food. What could it be? I am a woman of a certain age and that so it could be hormone related I guess. I could sleep all day and all night and not feel refreshed or awake. Any ideas?
Click to expand...


a lack of vitamin D... or
have you had your thyroid levels ..examined. if your thyroid hormones are too low or if they are too high it is very common to feel totally exhausted ... also a lack of iron can lead to exhaustion, because if one lack iron the quality of the red blood cells can not transport enough oxygen around in one's body... all kinds of deficiencies can lead to an experience of exhaustion .. like lack of vitamin D ... and so on, but it is really important to know which kind of problem is the cause because many times it can also be bad to get too high in some kinds of nutritions..

but for instance a totally sedentary lifestyle also can lead to exhaustion , cause the body is build to be used every day...the muscles need to be moved to be healthy
 
Another avenue to explore is whether you might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoeia (OSA). This is actually linked to diabetes. Snoring and being over-weight make it more likely. I have been suffering from this for years, gradually worsening. Nowadays I wear a mask in bed, linked to a machine that pumps air into my airways to stop them from closing up as I sleep and essentially smothering me until I wake up and breathe! Without the machine this process happens to me 30+ times AN HOUR! You can imagine that this leads to daytime sleepiness. If you suspect that you might be an OSA sufferer, you can get referred by your GP to a Sleep Clinic, where you can have a sleep test to find out what is going on and whether you need treatment.

However, your sleepiness sounds to me typical of the way people feel after meals if their blood sugar is going high and maybe staying there. I agree with the suggestions above that you get a meter and test after meals to check that.
 
eggs11 said:
I can only tell you that that is how I felt before I was diagnosed with type 2, but low carbing has helped me enormously. Do you low carb often? Are you testing at home your blood sugars? If they are spiking after meals then it could well be due to prediabetes. Hard to tell without knowing what your blood sugars are doing. If you don't have a meter then that would be the first thing I'd do, get a meter, then test my blood sugars just before eating and 2 hours after. When is the last time you were seen by a gp or nurse re. your prediabetes?
Click to expand...

Thank you Eggs11, I do but then find the food a bit cloying on my system and succumb to something carby. I could try again and give a proper attempt. I'd say I average about 100-150 g a day. When I tested before and after meals I was pretty steady 5 -6 before meals and about 6 after if I had low carb and anything between 9 and 25 if I had something carby. I don't have any test strips at the moment but I will when when payday comes!
 
Freema said:
a lack of vitamin D... or
have you had your thyroid levels ..examined. if your thyroid hormones are too low or if they are too high it is very common to feel totally exhausted ... also a lack of iron can lead to exhaustion, because if one lack iron the quality of the red blood cells can not transport enough oxygen around in one's body... all kinds of deficiencies can lead to an experience of exhaustion .. like lack of vitamin D ... and so on, but it is really important to know which kind of problem is the cause because many times it can also be bad to get too high in some kinds of nutritions..

but for instance a totally sedentary lifestyle also can lead to exhaustion , cause the body is build to be used every day...the muscles need to be moved to be healthy
Click to expand...
Thank you Freema, I was very iron deficient but have got that under control now. Thyroid/D has also been tested and all is well.

Sedentary lifestyle... I do have one of those:bag: I am so exhausted that I just sleep but I will give exercise a go. Get on my hind legs and try a walk !:) When I didn't realise I was anaemic I made myself quite ill exercising so will go gently.
 
VioletViolet said:
Thank you Eggs11, I do but then find the food a bit cloying on my system and succumb to something carby. I could try again and give a proper attempt. I'd say I average about 100-150 g a day. When I tested before and after meals I was pretty steady 5 -6 before meals and about 6 after if I had low carb and anything between 9 and 25 if I had something carby. I don't have any test strips at the moment but I will when when payday comes!
Click to expand...
ok - 9-25 is a real big spike so you would definitely need to cut those foods from your diet. Carbs are very addictive because of the blood sugar roller coaster they can cause, and I only 'broke free' from the addiction once my carbs were under 50g a day. That's just me though, you may be able to tolerate a different amount. You are working blind without regular testing and this may be the cause of the tiredness if these spikes are regular for you. What meter do you use? I believe others on here, such as @Rachox and @Bluetit1802 know of discount codes for certain meters where you can buy strips in bulk to save money. And of course other factors could be at play here, so would be worth speaking to your GP or nurse about this.
 
Alexandra100 said:
Another avenue to explore is whether you might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnoeia (OSA). This is actually linked to diabetes. Snoring and being over-weight make it more likely. I have been suffering from this for years, gradually worsening. Nowadays I wear a mask in bed, linked to a machine that pumps air into my airways to stop them from closing up as I sleep and essentially smothering me until I wake up and breathe! Without the machine this process happens to me 30+ times AN HOUR! You can imagine that this leads to daytime sleepiness. If you suspect that you might be an OSA sufferer, you can get referred by your GP to a Sleep Clinic, where you can have a sleep test to find out what is going on and whether you need treatment.

However, your sleepiness sounds to me typical of the way people feel after meals if their blood sugar is going high and maybe staying there. I agree with the suggestions above that you get a meter and test after meals to check that.
Click to expand...

Hello Alexanra100 and thank you. That sounds really scary , I am glad you have the help you need to manage the apnoea. I don't think I snore and I am not overweight, I am still losing weight in fact, no matter what I eat. Which is good, but also weird.

Yes I suspect you're right about the high sugars making me feel rubbish.
 
eggs11 said:
ok - 9-25 is a real big spike so you would definitely need to cut those foods from your diet. Carbs are very addictive because of the blood sugar roller coaster they can cause, and I only 'broke free' from the addiction once my carbs were under 50g a day. That's just me though, you may be able to tolerate a different amount. You are working blind without regular testing and this may be the cause of the tiredness if these spikes are regular for you. What meter do you use? I believe others on here, such as @Rachox and @Bluetit1802 know of discount codes for certain meters where you can buy strips in bulk to save money. And of course other factors could be at play here, so would be worth speaking to your GP or nurse about this.
Click to expand...
They are regular, I binge eat most days.......
 
VioletViolet said:
They are regular, I binge eat most days.......
Click to expand...
You probably are then feeling rotten due to your sugars being far too high on a regular basis. You need to get them under control asap - when did you last see a gp/nurse about your prediabetes?
 
eggs11 said:
ok - 9-25 is a real big spike so you would definitely need to cut those foods from your diet. Carbs are very addictive because of the blood sugar roller coaster they can cause, and I only 'broke free' from the addiction once my carbs were under 50g a day. That's just me though, you may be able to tolerate a different amount. You are working blind without regular testing and this may be the cause of the tiredness if these spikes are regular for you. What meter do you use? I believe others on here, such as @Rachox and @Bluetit1802 know of discount codes for certain meters where you can buy strips in bulk to save money. And of course other factors could be at play here, so would be worth speaking to your GP or nurse about this.
Click to expand...

Indeed I use an SD Code Free meter, I buy strips in bulk. 10 packs with the discount code works out at around £5.98 per pack. Here are the codes:
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
They are from Home Health:
https://homehealth-uk.com
 
eggs11 said:
You probably are then feeling rotten due to your sugars being far too high on a regular basis. You need to get them under control asap - when did you last see a gp/nurse about your prediabetes?
Click to expand...

Not for months due to some other health issues going on. Because I am no longer overweight I think I am off the radar. I know what to do don't I? It's a case of getting on with it.
 
VioletViolet said:
Hello Alexanra100 and thank you. That sounds really scary , I am glad you have the help you need to manage the apnoea. I don't think I snore and I am not overweight, I am still losing weight in fact, no matter what I eat. Which is good, but also weird.

Yes I suspect you're right about the high sugars making me feel rubbish.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Violet, I do suffer much less from fatigue now I have got used to sleeping with the mask and machine (which initially took some doing!) It's great that this was available for me free on the NHS, as the machine I use costs £3-4K!!! Oddly, I am very thin, so I am a surprising candidate for sleep apnoeia and also T2. In fact they had trouble finding a mask to fit my skinny neck.

I suspect that I am pre-LADA (late onset T1) and that could be your problem too, especially if as you say you have other health problems.
 
VioletViolet said:
Not for months due to some other health issues going on. Because I am no longer overweight I think I am off the radar. I know what to do don't I? It's a case of getting on with it.
Click to expand...
Lowering your carbs should help, testing will enable you to see that it is working, and you could also go back to gp and explain where you are with things, as they can do blood tests for you, so you know more what the situation is.
 
Rachox said:
Indeed I use an SD Code Free meter, I buy strips in bulk. 10 packs with the discount code works out at around £5.98 per pack. Here are the codes:
5 packs 264086
10 packs 975833
They are from Home Health:
https://homehealth-uk.com
Click to expand...
You do realise that if you don't already have a Codefree meter you will need to buy one in order to use their strips? Alternatively you can get a TEE2 meter free, but the strips are a bit dearer for one tub of 50, and there is no code for bulk buying. http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/

I ordered 10 packs from Home Health. The saving was huge, but sadly they send by Hermes the courier. Hermes requires someone to be in to give a signature, but gives no advance notice as to when they will come. If they miss you, they will leave a card, but unlike Royal Mail, there is no telephone number for you to arrange a different delivery, or to collect from a sorting office. If they miss you 3 times, they will return the parcel to the sender. All this meant that I waited ages and eventually the delivery failed. When I rang up Home Health they offered to send the parcel by 2nd class Royal Mail instead, and said that for future purchases I could request that delivery method. Of course, if you work and can give your work address for delivery, this will not be a problem for you. By contrast, supplies for the TEE2 are sent by first class post and arrive very much more quickly.
 
Alexandra100 said:
Thanks, Violet, I do suffer much less from fatigue now I have got used to sleeping with the mask and machine (which initially took some doing!) It's great that this was available for me free on the NHS, as the machine I use costs £3-4K!!! Oddly, I am very thin, so I am a surprising candidate for sleep apnoeia and also T2. In fact they had trouble finding a mask to fit my skinny neck.

I suspect that I am pre-LADA (late onset T1) and that could be your problem too, especially if as you say you have other health problems.
Click to expand...
How do you find out if you're LADA?
 
eggs11 said:
Lowering your carbs should help, testing will enable you to see that it is working, and you could also go back to gp and explain where you are with things, as they can do blood tests for you, so you know more what the situation is.
Click to expand...

I daren't go back when I am not looking after myself! Will start to look after myself better and take it from there. Thank you :)
 
VioletViolet said:
I daren't go back when I am not looking after myself! Will start to look after myself better and take it from there. Thank you :)
Click to expand...

I would get check sooner rather than later, get a true picture of where you are. But that’s just me.
 
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