Gp has unsettled and confused me !!

[kimbo1962]

Hi kimbo,
I hate it when I go to the doctors and come away feeling worst off. Whilst I am not an expert my baby sister who is 32 recently lost about 2 stones + following the Atkins diet, which is very similar to Lchf. She lost it very quickly and she also started to have kinda panic attacks and hair loss. The Dr told her that the strain in her body from loosing the weight so quickly was the cause. I am now sure how fast you lost your weight, but it's worth considering. Personally if I was you, I would ask for a second opinion.

Hi kezza! Thank you....I started lchf in June and by end of October had lost 3st 3lbs.....and now up to 4st so fairly rapid!! I just didn't expect the response today and the negativity of "low levels"!!

 

[AndBreathe]

OK. I’m going to be my usual swimming against the flow self here. J

Kimbo, it’s pretty rubbish you’ve come away from your appointment in a worse place than you went in. Sadly when multiple opinions are at play it’s all too common it would seem. If only this condition was more black and white. More cut and dried, and much easier to treat. You know; a bit like a broken leg or a cut finger? But we are where we are. Sadly with this thing there can be multiple ways to skin the cat; all of which have a certain degree of merit, even if none of them really address all our requirements.

In your shoes, I’d now be thinking it all through and exhausting Dr Google with incessant questioning, and then I would be deciding what I was going to do, and whose advice I was going to follow. I think you need to decide who is going to be your health advisor from now on, and stick with them for as much as you can. That will give you the opportunity to build a relationship with them, based on a longer term understanding and respect, and minimise the sort of deflection you have experienced today.

I’m not suggesting you are going from pillar to post trying to garner the answers you want to hear. That doesn’t strike me as your style, but it seems having more than one advisor is feeling unhelpful; perhaps due to what might feel like consultation creep? You came away from your recent appointment very happy with your next steps, and now this guy has stepped in and upset that plan.

So, it’s up to you Kim. I can’t really give you any insight on what is causing your broken sleep and sweats. I’ve never suffered with either of those things. I did think I might be shedding hair more quickly some months ago, but my hairdresser didn’t think it was anything material, so nothing helpful to add there either!

I hope you can find a way to feel settled again.

 

[kimbo1962]

How low carb do you go, as recently I read an article by a low carb dietician and there is some evidence that levels below 50g a day can interfere with the functioning of the thyroid and hair thinning is a sign of thyroid issues, overactive I think.
It could be just menopausal as it is a part of that sadly and stress can cause it too - I think being diagnosed as diabetic is stressful even if we seem to cope with it well. You have lost a lot of weight rapidly which my be playing a part- perhaps get some multivits and take them.

When I started long in June I aimed for 50gm carb per day but never really reached it, lately only about 30gm max most days. I have been taking a multi vit the last few days too . I think what really unsettled me was his comment about the inevitably that I will be on insulin ......even though I've got it all well controlled so quickly!

 

[kimbo1962]

OK. I’m going to be my usual swimming against the flow self here. J

Kimbo, it’s pretty rubbish you’ve come away from your appointment in a worse place than you went in. Sadly when multiple opinions are at play it’s all too common it would seem. If only this condition was more black and white. More cut and dried, and much easier to treat. You know; a bit like a broken leg or a cut finger? But we are where we are. Sadly with this thing there can be multiple ways to skin the cat; all of which have a certain degree of merit, even if none of them really address all our requirements.

In your shoes, I’d now be thinking it all through and exhausting Dr Google with incessant questioning, and then I would be deciding what I was going to do, and whose advice I was going to follow. I think you need to decide who is going to be your health advisor from now on, and stick with them for as much as you can. That will give you the opportunity to build a relationship with them, based on a longer term understanding and respect, and minimise the sort of deflection you have experienced today.

I’m not suggesting you are going from pillar to post trying to garner the answers you want to hear. That doesn’t strike me as your style, but it seems having more than one advisor is feeling unhelpful; perhaps due to what might feel like consultation creep? You came away from your recent appointment very happy with your next steps, and now this guy has stepped in and upset that plan.

So, it’s up to you Kim. I can’t really give you any insight on what is causing your broken sleep and sweats. I’ve never suffered with either of those things. I did think I might be shedding hair more quickly some months ago, but my hairdresser didn’t think it was anything material, so nothing helpful to add there either!

I hope you can find a way to feel settled again.

This gp was always my preferred choice but this was the first time since diagnosis I had seen him, originally I thought about contacting my dn but when appointment was available with him I thought I would take it! I think I will be ringing to see if I can see my dn for a chat. I was at the hairdressers last week and she did say it was probably I was noticing more as my hair is now the longest I've had it in years.

 

[vit90]

I've had low potassium levels, you feel like ****, weak and your legs and ankles start swelling, ended up having an ECG as low or high levels are not a good thing. Kimbo, I agree that you have been unsettled by this GP and can always seek a second opinion. Keep well.

For low potassium would low sodium table salt help because it has potassium chloride in it to substitute some of the sodium chloride salt. I understand cruciferous veggies (cabbages and related) have a lot of potassium in them.

 

[eddie1968]

AndBreathe, good post, many people who deal with you will toss they're own two tuppence into the diabetes equation. I get different opinions sometimes from my Practice Nurse, GP, DSN and Consultant Diabetologist. I do however question every thing I am told if unsure as I think it is your right to do.

 

[kimbo1962]

thinking about complications etc.. my grandad has been diabetic about 20 years and doesn't run a particularly tight control ship- rice pudding for lunch, lots of bread, bananas( which he only took up as DN said he needed to eat more fruit!!) and sugars about 9 at last review- he is 95 now and has no sign of the usual complications so I sometimes wonder if some of those are more a case of luck of the genetic draw as much as control?

He did say for potassium to eat bananas- which obviously I'm not going to do!!

 

[kimbo1962]

For low potassium would low sodium table salt help because it has potassium chloride in it to substitute some of the sodium chloride salt. I understand cruciferous veggies (cabbages and related) have a lot of potassium in them.

I eat a fair amount of greens! Love them!

 

[cold ethyl]

Even if it were inevitable, it is only inevitable for 50% of type 2s in 10 yrs so who is to say you'd be in that 50%?
I don't think it is inevitable if we maintain our weight losses and keep a strict eye on carb intake- certainly Prof Taylor didn't think that we had to accept that diabetes is always a progressive disease- ok he showed graphs that showed that even those with good control drifted over time but we don't know is what they were doing to avoid this happening, how old they were at diagnosis as some decline in pancreatic function does come with increasing age, whether they were following the eat well plate and so on. His research even seems to be suggesting that function can be regained as it would appear that in some folk of 5 years or less diagnosis, the beta cells are more asleep than defunct.
I know it is disheartening to hear this sort of thing but I guess that's what is taught in med schools still.. it was good to see so many trainee doctors at the talk Taylor gave in Newcastle recently- a different take may lead to a different approach.

 

[kimbo1962]

I think I read somewhere that metformim can cause hair-loss in some people as a side effect..
Your waking up at night could be menopausal - does it subside after a few minutes? My hot-flushes/ night sweats go like this:- feeling of malaise, followed swiftly by getting VERY hot - as in having to throw duvet off, and racing heart beat. Over in a few minutes. This is just one possibility though - could be diabetes related.
By the way, I recently met someone who had been managing his type 2 for 15 years with diet only and had no complications - now in his 70s and still going strong.

I'm not on metformin- couldn't tolerate it so got switched to forxiga. I had been thinking more to do with age and "change" (even though I'm only 21 of course!!)

 

[eddie1968]

I am on Ramipril 5mg and Spironolactone 100mg daily for my kidneys which both conserve potassium levels and is not a recommended combo. I avoid high potassium foods such as bananas and not allowed to use that LowSalt substitute as it is potassium instead of sodium. I get regular potassium level blood checks.

 

[kimbo1962]

Hi, weight loss may explain your hair. I am HFLC and lost 4 stone very quickly. 2 - 3 lbs a week and I started to get hair loss after about 3 stones. Could run my hand through my hair and pull it lots. Now weight has stabilised and hair back to normal.

I had lost 3st 3lbs by October and its only recently I've noticed it so that could be a cause

 

[kimbo1962]

Oh Kimbo, what an unsettling appointment. He sounds like an old fashioned doctor who only ever sees uncontrolled diabetics, and lumps people like you in the same bag.

Personally, if it were me, I would be delighted to come off medication if I were on it. I hope come New Year you will think about it. If your levels go right up again you can always return to it. It would be good for you, I believe, to see how your body reacts to diet only. Hopefully it will be fine, but make sure you get 3 monthly HbA1c tests., and ignore his "don't test every day stuff". Most GP's and nurses tell us that. It's probably because he fears you may have anxiety issues (even though you haven't)

Have you looked in to the full side effects of your meds? Could that be causing your hair loss and night time problems?.

Thank you Bluetit! I think the thought of no meds shocked me but then how do I know how much of an effect they have had and how much is due to lchf?! When my hba1c came back as 38 in Oct I was expecting to be told no meds needed so maybe I shouldn't see it as a negative!

 

[eddie1968]

Kimbo...looked at your nails lately, they tell you a LOT about your recent health. Any horizontal or vertical white lines ? Any pitting etc ? Nails tell you all about vitamin levels and recent illnesses and stressful events your body has had to deal with. I remember when a month after my ICU stay two years ago I had l had horizontal white lines on all my nails signifying a traumatic event.

 

[poshtotty]

Oh @kimbo1962 I think there must have been an annual conference of GP's recently and they've all been brainwashed!

I was at the hairdresser's today and I had the salon director who hasn't seen me for a few months as I've been with another stylist. I've had thinning hair for the past couple of years which I blamed on the nasty Methatrexate drug but I've not been taking that for almost a year now, but it is still thinning. The hairdresser today said he thought it had got even more thin but he also noticed a massive amount of new hair growth which he thinks when it has grown longer, will make my hair thicker than before.

I've been taking Vitamin D for the past year, so its about time I saw some positive effect.

I do think diabetes is a trauma to the body and your rapid weight loss while exciting and rewarding, maybe has played a part, together with the age thing and perhaps given your body a bit of a hammering. It may take a little time to repair and in the meantime, I would recommend a good quality Vitamin D.

I'm sorry you have come away feeling confused, but @AndBreathe is right. Our GP's are just that - general practitioners, they are not specialists nor are they nutritionists. I hope things look clearer in the morning

Diana x

 

[kimbo1962]

Well,

He clearly hasn't been keeping abreast with new diabetic research, in particular Prof. Taylor's diabetes reversal/Newcastle diet stuff. I know docs don't have time to read widely, but it becomes a problem when their advice is so outdated.

And he obviously hasn't encountered type 2s who have low carbed to the point they have come off insulin and other meds. There are a number posting on the forum. Hopefully one will feel like posting.

It really sounds like his knowledge of type 2, BG control and how your body works, is lacking.

Can you see another doc in future? This one doesn't seem to be acting in your best interests, and he's certainly not making decisions that I would trust.

Yes brunneria, I can see another doctor, like I said I was happy to see him as I used to prefer him but that was pre diagnosis. I'm going to ring and see if, I can go and have a chat with my DNA.

 

[kimbo1962]

Oh @kimbo1962 I think there must have been an annual conference of GP's recently and they've all been brainwashed!

I was at the hairdresser's today and I had the salon director who hasn't seen me for a few months as I've been with another stylist. I've had thinning hair for the past couple of years which I blamed on the nasty Methatrexate drug but I've not been taking that for almost a year now, but it is still thinning. The hairdresser today said he thought it had got even more thin but he also noticed a massive amount of new hair growth which he thinks when it has grown longer, will make my hair thicker than before.

I've been taking Vitamin D for the past year, so its about time I saw some positive effect.

I do think diabetes is a trauma to the body and your rapid weight loss while exciting and rewarding, maybe has played a part, together with the age thing and perhaps given your body a bit of a hammering. It may take a little time to repair and in the meantime, I would recommend a good quality Vitamin D.

I'm sorry you have come away feeling confused, but @AndBreathe is right. Our GP's are just that - general practitioners, they are not specialists nor are they nutritionists. I hope things look clearer in the morning

Diana x

Well, there must be something in the air Diana!! Just like when I was diagnosed, I don't just shrug my shoulders- I'm going to get a dn appointment for a chat.

 

[eddie1968]

I take multi vitamins, vitamin D, Evening Primrose Oil and Selenium supplements and Recommend them for anyone with skin/hair or bone problems.

 

[cold ethyl]

I take multi vitamins, vitamin D, Evening Primrose Oil and Selenium supplements and Recommend them for anyone with skin/hair or bone problems.

we used to farm and our trace element chap swore by selenium and zinc. A friend has had some success with biotin for her thinning hair post excessive dyeing so maybe worth a try as well.

 

[vit90]

Been reading up on dapagliflozin - it basically eliminates blood glucose through the kidneys but it can also cause rapid weight loss.