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Getting a bit concerned

raffajaffa

raffajaffa

Active Member
Messages
39
Location
wirral uk
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
gooseberries fish, medium to hot spices, strong alcohol as it does not agree with my liver
Hello everyone,
Ive been diagnosed T2 for approx ten years (aged 55 then ) but had all the symptoms at least six years plus prior to that.I actually retired from work at 49 and hoped to recover. to no avail.
My Doc failed to pick up all the individual clues and I eventually realized when a TV news program mentioned the side effects.Guess what, I had them all and others to boot?
So I have little confidence in My Doc as I was 18.5 on my first test.I marched in and told him the problem rather that the reverse.
The worst symptom for me is tiredness or more like fatigue.I slept soundly for 10-11 hours and then awoke without feeling fresh or active. I normally had a nap or lie down.This has been for almost all the ten years except the odd day..
To cut this short I was sent for Liver Function tests/Sleep apnia/adrenhelin and nothing was identified.
I had learned to live with this having got my morning pre breakfast cereal result down to 6.2 average pretty quickly.The tiredness has always been a problem even though I kept reasonably fit as a football referee for a few of these early years.
During the last 10 years the readings progressively increased and I had the medication altered as Ive slowly reached averages of almost 10.(and above).
I have been on 2x1000 metformin plus Glicizide plus januvia maximum doses for over a couple of year now.Having been tried on Gliterzones etc and a few others .Im also on a low dose of Simvastatins and Losartin (BP and kidneys) however I just about stay under 150/90 and Im just under the radar for Cholestrol nowadays.
Also tried and succeeded with natural products like Cinnamon,Ginger vitamins etc.
I am a very moderate drinker of low alc beer on occasions and the odd glass of wine.Cannot take any liquor.
Very recently My Hbaic (over 8) improved despite my feeling worse and home tests were going up?.note I had tried an even strickter diet with only wholemeal bread included as it turned out some of my wholemeal was just brown bread..Yep Im carefull about what I eat within reason.

Sorry for long intro but here is my concern.

Having returned from holiday I noticed my results rising even more rapidly and erratically.11.7 to 18.5
This coincided with feeling unwell and even more tired than usual.(two one hour naps a day) Lots of my normal diabetic symptoms.
Having discussed this with the chemist s,who were both alarmed at the results I decided to visit my surgery.
Like most I have been referred off to the diabetic nurse for several years so as not to bother the Doc.
She took the usual samples and seemed to think Id reached the end of the road for tablets.(I told her that last time and also said I did not want to carry on like I was ) "So, when the results came back I would be starting on insulin."
I returned today to be told by her that I must see the doctor straight away..I asked are the results that bad and received a "not good".
After the usual "how are you" stupid question I asked what was up and received the usual evasive answers.He is very difficult to understand and historically Ive complained that he never actually listens.I repeated my home readings "prior to eating" only to be told? no these are after your after eating results . After this he eventually looked concerned ,so after being fobbed off I demanded to know my Hbaic as I needed it for discussion elsewhere.He did not like this and asked how did I feel."FED UP especially with the way things have gone over the years was my reply."
I will give you a "pick me up" for now whilst I take another 4 blood samples?.
I gave him a short list of things I felt were not correct and explained I also had a slight chest pain which is really only wind.He asked "was I still refereeing football matches" even after I explained I could only walk around my small housing estate as exercise.?
He indicated that I was going to be referred to a specialist and he is again convinced that Ive sleep apnia,bad liver and Adrenhelin problems.He then told me I was only on metformin ? despite the screen page in front of him showing my long list of medicines and I pointed out that two of the tablets clash and cause upset stomach. A complaint I made years ago and he took me off one.Only to put me back a year later.
My pick me up ? Its the usual anti depressant which is his response to me saying Im fed up with the way Im being treated? Im also now also urgently scheduled for an ECG.
Ive no doubt I will be seeing the Doc again next week but my confidence in him is difficult to maintain.If their is any there at all? He did take me off one of the tablets.
\THE hbaic result had risen 8.8 ISH and my morning test had also risen today to 14.5.
He has not offered any insulin treatment and I think he still believes Ive something else wrong with me.Are they on a bonus if they can prevent your conditions going worse?
Im Just curious , Has anyone else had these symptoms and am I getting the right treatment.
What point does one normally go on insulin.
This is not a joke. No he is not a vet.
Any suggestions.I will try to stay awake and read any replies but I am very relaxed about things but buzzing in my lips has become more noticable though the doc seemed unconcerned .





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Hi and welcome to the forum.

Sounds like your Doctor is neither a caring nor does he have a clue about diabetes. I'd try and see another one if possible.

Are you sure your chest pains is only wind? Where is the pain, in the middle of the chest or more to one side? Do you run out of breath or why are you only able to walk around housing estate?

Do you get the buzzing in your lips at the same time as the chest pain? If you do then it could mean that you may be suffering from angina and not "wind".

When I had the same symptoms as you I thought it was wind too but a few weeks later I was taken to A&E by ambulance and very nearly had a heart attack. I spent two weeks in hospital waiting for stent. If I'd know what the symptoms meant I would have gone to the A&E a lot sooner.

I suggest that you go to A&E and don't wait for the ECG appointment which you could be waiting for a long time.
 
Many thanks for a reminder about carb count.Ive probably drifted off the straight and narrow a touch on this.
I have been down this road before a few times and my younger brother found it worked for him by almost zeroing his carb intake.He has come even off tablets.
I find I get more aggressive with too much meats and I struggle to eat fish.Fruit and veg just leaves me feeling weak and hungry so I balance as best I can.
Ive had arguments and queried the doctors/nurses diet advice before.ie rice and pasta are good for you?
The nurse obviously has to take orders from her boss? and he may have some results from the tests that I or she do not know or understand.ie they flag as flashing lights on that monitor.
I will have to await the results from the later tests and see what happens with a specialist.
One thing is Im now more determined to follow this thru to a conclusion as I believe that my passive attitude in the past has been misunderstood as satisfaction with the treatment. So at the very least I now feel as though Ive some support and an area for help,thanks.
 
If you don't get a decent answer next time, ask to be referred to a specialist for a second opinion.

Don't forget - you pay his wages!

Good luck!

Viv 8)
 
Hi again,
Thanks Ka mon and Viv.However the ecg proved Im ok in that department.
I have now been called back to discuss the later test results and it is clear that the first results triggered off the Doctor cause for concern.Just reading the Diabetes results is only half the story if like me you assumed that was All that was wrong.Ive now had a short research into his diagnosis and it seems that he has nailed it spot on.Apparently recent studies have clearly shown a connection between Hormone problems in men and diabetes , along with similair problems that DB sufferers can have.
Sorry Viv but thinking you pay the Doctors wages is just fantasy.Try stopping his wages? So it looks like Im also NOT going on insulin for a very good reason.He has some alternative medicine which has less side effects in weight gain than insulin as he realized that therapy for my other conditions were likely to have weight gains. He is not too concerned about my high readings whilst awaiting seeing the two specialists.(You have to be assessed to go on this new drug?) He did say I could up the Metformin to 3000 a day,so Im just trying it for the second day.Perhaps I should have changed my threads title to,getting very knackered as Im having two sleeps during the day now.
 
Thanks fhqihcy for his hi, your posts dont seem to be much longer than this?
Meanwhile the attempt to go over the max 2000 was a bad idea.two plus days of the runs and felt worse plus the morning pre breakfast cereal result went up to over 14.
I notice that reading thru some of the diet post that porridge is considered a bit iffy for your results? First time Ive seen that.
Another strange thing happened when I went to collect my repeat prescrition for Losartin( BP control)
The dose of 25mg which was the maximum I could tolerate had been increased fourfold to 1000.
The chemist asked, was I aware of this and it seemed a massive increase?.
My answer of NO seemed to shock her and I also informed her of the reaction to an increase in metformin to 50% over daily dose.
This also seemed to send shock waves and she confirmed the daily maximum should be 2000.
Just curious if anyone competent knows the true answer._?
I have looked in the mirror for a guinea pig sign on my forehead.11 hours sleep last night.
So Im going to carry on the best I can and await news of my specialist treatment.
Sorry I havent learnt how to update my profile as the history shows DB one year instead of 10 plus.
 
Hi RJ and welcome to the forum :)
To update your profile, click on User Control Panel at top left of screen, then Profile. You get your profile as it is now, just edit and submit. Done :)
 
Thanks from rj? and update done..
Nice lyrics.If only someone could add music.!!!
ok. Im from that city..and Ive met them.
 
Hi and sorry for such a long absence since last post.
To be honest Ive learnt an awful lot since the posting and I had already many years of knowledge.
So here goes.
A change of Doctors produced a new full set of tests and my hba1c is over ten.

Incidently most clinics are changing over to a different scale of measurements in the uk.
I think my old Doctors surgery will still persist in Latin.

Also the new medicine I was threatened with Byetta is going to be official introduced in the UK from spring of next year for overweight high BMI patients.Many nurses are going on training programmes early in the new year.So it will be an expensive alternative for those who were worried about increased weight gain with normal insulin variants.
The new clinic has a number of nurse specialists in diabetes and seems appalled by my status
so the advice about changing was well founded.
Im starting off on the latter very soon,Lantus So my next posting could be in half German?.
As regards the question , what point should you be converted onto insulin,? ie out of control.There seems to be no universal agreement.
Ive read and been told above 7.9 fasting and I laughed.Havent been that low for 7.9 years I replied.
My EX Doctor told me,its better to be too high that too low? Readings of 14 to 18 did not bother him.
I also discovered that as you get further down the line on all these oral medicines,they eventually start to fail or maybe your body starts to fail to respond .The net result seems to be a morning sickness? honest even for a male at 65? So if you find yourself poor in the morning and better at night then this is another clue to how far up or down the ladder you are at.
So , as you can see Im in a much better mood but should warn all elderly diabetic males to look up some diabetes related conditions.
One of them can be quite painfull.Much better treated before it actually becomes a problem.
 
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