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Hello

Willow

Willow

Member
Messages
16
Location
Sweden
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Anger, Illness, not being able to go to the gym, urine infections,war, narrow mindedness. Aspartame, pollution, GMO ,
Hello :D

I'm thankful for every day
I'm grateful for every smile
I'm sorry for every frown
Life is the most precious of all treasures


I have posted here before but didn't get any answers. It was quite a while ago though. I guess :( maybe I didn't approach things properly so now I am introducing myself.

I am type 2 Diabetic for the last 3 (almost 4 years) and doing ok. I was HBA1C 18 on diagnosis. Didn't feel constantly thirsty, just always getting urine infections. Always very very tired to the extreme.

On diagnosis and treatment with 3 Metformin a day I lost 15 kilos (now put on some of that again
:( ) but HBA1C went down to 5.6 then next HBA1C was 5.2. The one six months after that was 4.8
and now I have had two more results all at 4.2 or 4.7. The Dr says I am doing really well on such low medication. He also says my HBA1C is not too low for a Diabetic. I'm not sure I agree..

Some people I have spoken to have said an HBA1C of 4.2 is too low. Does anyone know the optimum HBA1C to aim for? I am always hearing people say they have an HBA1C of 6 or 7.

Please forgive me if I am being rude jumping straight in to the question.. maybe I should have posted in the general area or some place?

I was wondering if the low HBA1C could cause tiredness. I still have times where I am totally exhausted. I also have a low iron problem which the Dr cannot explain. We have done tests to eliminate blood in poo etc and I have had a gastroscopy etc... I looked up Metformin on the Aneamia website .. and it says that in some cases Metformin can depleat iron. has anyone experienced this?

Does anyone else who has good control of their Diabetes get dead tired like this for days on end?

Thanks in advance

Willow
 
HI willow and welcome.
Congratulations on your HBA1c's, they are fantastic. 4.2 may be too low for some but the trend of your previous results don't seem to suggest this.
With regards to the Metformin, it does deplete iron for some people, resulting in B12 injections.
Concerning the tiredness, has anyone done a detailed thyroid function test? Have a look at this website, http://www.thyroiduk.org/, a very comprehensive site.
I am sure that other members will reply soon to your queries.
Hope this helps,
Catherine.
 
Welcome to the forum ,Willow.Please go and see your doctor and discuss why ,with an hba1c of 4.2 you still need to be on Metformin.If your doctor agrees maybe you should start reducing the number of pills you take and see what effect that has on not only your tiredness but also your daily blood sugar levels. See what he says anyway
 
Hello again,

Thanks so much for the replies. I did have a thyroid check many years ago. I will take a look at the website you suggested anyways.

I have IBS and that has an effect on tiredness. I have had a few coloscopies in the past.. and all showed IBS. I think my guts are just really sensitive. Medication makes it worse. I think that may have a role to play in the tiredness. That and the Diabetes.

I have tried lowering my Metformin with my doctors aproval, but then my eating gets way out of control. I get fatter.. then the resistance gets worse, so basically its a catch 22. I cannot take slimming pills because I can't take any pills. I can't drink either.

I think Diabetes is a bit like drug addiction but with a basis in hormonal defficiencies and imbalance. I think we are like alcoholics.. always craving for the thing thats bad for us due to imbalance. It isn't just a case of discipline. I have hated myself for years for having no discipline and will power regarding food etc. I now believe that the imbalance of insulin etc really is something *physically* caused by this disease. I also believe it's genetic.

A while back someone asked.. 'If you could change one thing.. what would it be?'.. my answer would be 'To never ever have a craving for carbs again.....to be in control. Diabetes is all about control. I don't believe it's a simple case of us getting fat therefor we get Diabetes (talking about type 2 now). I think the fat is an early symptom of the disease..ie eating gets out of control because carb cravings are uncontrolable and then it all snowballs.

It's like the IBS.. people say its caused by nerves..I say it causes nerves. Hence the expression 'gut feeling' There are loads of 'gut' words to discribe feelings. There must have been reasons why people attatched the 'gut' words to feelings.

It's nice to have a place to share my thoughts here. Thanks for being so kind and answering me and listening. In this almost 4 years, I haven't had any Diabetics to share my worries and wonderings with. It feels like a door has opened now and I have a room full of others like me.

Being in a non Diabetic house .. I live and deal with this very much alone. I am married and although my husbands father died of Diabetic related illnesses (after 50 years as a type 1) he doesn't ever take my Diabetes into consideration. He will buy me sweets or cake...because he wants them :P I have to remind him that I shouldn't eat that stuff. I usually eat it anyways because the :twisted: gets me! I just hope my man doesn't get it.. like his father although he was a type 1.

Anyone had similar feelings or thoughts :?:
 
I seem to have posted twice on my first post. Can anyone delete it please? I can't find the delete button :lol:
 
Hi Willow

welcome to the forum.

I can't understand why you didn't get any replies the first time round, you must have caught us on an off day.

Anyway what Sue says :)
 
Thank you very much :D
 
That's an absolutely stunning improvement in your A1c.

There does sound to be something else going on though, I'd suggest getting your thyroid rechecked and try to get them to give you the actual *number* sometimes they will tell you "OK" when your TSH is dangerously high.

If you have anemia this may cause a suspiciously low A1c, I'd also get your B6 and B12 levels checked as metformin can deplete these, as can any form of malabsorbtion (IBS?) in fact I'd try to get as full a workup as you can in case there's something else going on that they haven't noticed yet (or have noticed but haven't bothered telling you)
 
IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrom..well known to cause tiredness. I had my tests done last week.. and just emailed the doctor for results. He says all are ok and come back in 6 months. I will be getting the paper figures later tonight. Lets hope he is right.

You say low iron can cause a low HBA1C?? I also had B12 and D vitamin and iron done. He says all is ok. I do take a supplement now because I don't eat red meat and haven't done so for many years. I don't eat dairy except rarely at weekend. I have asthma.. and since stopping dairy I no longer need steriod inhalers or meds. That has improved dramatically. Thats what I hope to acheive with my Diabetes...at least in part. I am still Asthmatic...but it doesn't bother me unless I have dairy a lot or I have a chest infection that gets really bad.

I know I won't ever get rid of Diabetes but if I can get it to get better instead of worse.. my personal prognosis will be far better. The more I have to up my meds in the future, the less hope for me because of the sensitivity of my guts.

Is an HBA1C a stunning result? Or is it abnormally low??

Life sure can be hard and it sure is a struggle sometimes. I get very depressed. Still ...looking on the positive side..life is good .....and I know others have it far worse. I wish sometimes I just had some Diabetics to chat and comapre feelings with. For example who has stabbing pains.. as in Neuropathy? Anyone notice a pattern in the stabbing pains.. when sugar is too high or low or after taking meds? Also Neuropathic type stabbing pains are worse after eating any artificial sweetning products.

Anyone experiences the same??? I get those stabbings everywhere in my body but mostly feet. I take Evening Primrose and that helps a lot. Lately though it's been getting a bit worse. had some big problems with my house having a burst... that dod £55k damage, That is very stressful!

Thanks for answering me and for sharing your thoughts :)
 
hi again,thanks to my hubby he is very good when we go shopping he wont let me buy biccys any more wont have any thing he thinks might harm me a bit of a pain realy,still nice to know he is there for me. its been 4 weeks .i did not know untill i had an eye test i told the optician i was thirsty he got me a drink,then said i should go have a water test,then it was up the hospital for blood test,then the same night my dr phoned me,i have diabites go see nurse at hospital.first
reading 19 well i didnt know what that ment,nurse told me i couldnot take it in i always felf good and strong fit, i am 64 now thought well will it go away,but no i dont think so,now i know i have to be very careful not to walk about bare foot not to eat a lot of things i like which is all sweet things
no cream eggs this year for me. :( :( never mind its some thing i have to live with now,but nice to know i can chat to others about it.
 
Sorry to hear you have joined the tribe of Diabetics. However it does get better. I had my cream egg! I paid for it afterwards with stabbing pains in my feet. Wickedly sharp! After bloods are stable..as in HBA1C came down. I have this regimen. During the week I am quite strict (most times) and don't really eat bad stuff (ie candy etc). At weekends I have one day whenI can eat whatever I feel like. I try to do this around meal times to get the benefit of medication effects..

We are human.. we cannot live like monks and nun's .. ie nun of this or nun of that :lol: I don't drink booze in any shape or form.. and do not smoke.. and one must have some vices! Like I said,
I am not doing too bad really. With a good HBA1C.

So far in 4 years I haven't had any visable bad effects from Diabetes although I am sure there are some. My eye tests came back more than perfect for a Diabetic. Not a sign of Diabetes. I am 56 and had it for almost 4 years now.

It was a heck of a shock to me. It shouldn't have been. My father was Daibetic. He had both his legs amputated due to his not taking care of his feet right. Somehow I never expected to be Diabetic at all.Still there it was.. 18! For the whole world to see! I went for a urine test. I was always getting urine infections!

I'm glad your husband is caring for you. My husband is wonderful....I mean he really is a fantastically supportive husband..in every way.. but somehow he hasn't 'involved' himself in any way to my Diabetes. I secretly think he is scared for himself.. of getting it.. because his father was a very serious type 1 for 50 years and died of Diabetic related illneses.

By the way.. my doctor says.. as the years go by almost everyone will develop this disease as a natural part of ageing. people think we are food pigs though and thats why we got this Disease. That is NOT true.I really hate the press and the attitude that it's a fat persons illness. I really believe its stronly genetic.

Anyhow.. you CAN do ok with this disease...if you always try to keep the rabid beast down :P and in its place! :P
 
Hi Willow, I am fairly new too. I too believe it is genetic but there is no family history of it at all which is weird, but it has to start somewhere I suppose and as both my parents died in their 50's maybe the diabetes was there they just never lived long enough for it to develop.
 
Hi,

Nice to meet you :)

One other thing..I think environmental factors have a great effect on humans. I think indirectly all the chemicals in our environment can change even our basic cell structures. There is definately something wrong with our food culture. Since massive supermarkets opened up with tons of different foods to choose from.. from Pop Tarts to pub meals in a packet...we have been unable to stop people increasing in size. We have been unable to have control. When I was young, tons had control and fat was a no no. I actually had an illness (I have no idea what because my parents wouldn't tell me) that mean't I had to be force fed because I wouldn't eat. I remeber the nurse in hospital really bullying me to eat. Nowadays the problem is not to eat! Insulin is a hormone I believe. I think hormones added to foods (indirectly) could play a part in our illnesses in modern times. Meat and milk...chicken.. all fed with hormones and antibiotics. We eat that. Fish too. Fruit is genetically modified to be bigger and genetically crossed and modified to have 'no pips or stones'. Pear are crossed with apples.. and some place along the way.. nature has taken a side step
to make way for man.

I so wish I could be stronger.. I got my results back last night and HBA1C was 4.7 which isn't bad at all... still if it was as easy to control my diet...I would not be fat! Find me a hypnotist of the old school! Shazzam... you now cannot eat carbs because they make you feel really sick...Doh.. thats already true! :lol: :mrgreen:

How are you finding managing this? How did you feel when you found out? So sorry about your parents. Both mine are dead too.

Thing that makes it complex for me is I don't eat dairy unless its weekend..I don't eat meat. I eat chicken (because I have to) and some fish. I can't eat a lot of beans and pulses.. so a low GI diet is rather hard on that basis! It seems that everything is carbs! :roll:
 
Willow said:
One other thing..I think environmental factors have a great effect on humans. I think indirectly all the chemicals in our environment can change even our basic cell structures.
Click to expand...

with you all the way on this one Willow. Too many big companies jumping on the GM wagon for fast and vast profits. Their crops might not need weedkiller this year but what effect will they have on future generations and what's wrong with with pulling out weeds by hand anyway. I have friends who are organic farmers - that's the way they do it and it works.
 
Willow said:
Hi,

Nice to meet you :)

One other thing..I think environmental factors have a great effect on humans. I think indirectly all the chemicals in our environment can change even our basic cell structures. There is definately something wrong with our food culture. Since massive supermarkets opened up with tons of different foods to choose from.. from Pop Tarts to pub meals in a packet...we have been unable to stop people increasing in size. We have been unable to have control. When I was young, tons had control and fat was a no no. I actually had an illness (I have no idea what because my parents wouldn't tell me) that mean't I had to be force fed because I wouldn't eat. I remeber the nurse in hospital really bullying me to eat. Nowadays the problem is not to eat! Insulin is a hormone I believe. I think hormones added to foods (indirectly) could play a part in our illnesses in modern times. Meat and milk...chicken.. all fed with hormones and antibiotics. We eat that. Fish too. Fruit is genetically modified to be bigger and genetically crossed and modified to have 'no pips or stones'. Pear are crossed with apples.. and some place along the way.. nature has taken a side step
to make way for man.

I so wish I could be stronger.. I got my results back last night and HBA1C was 4.7 which isn't bad at all... still if it was as easy to control my diet...I would not be fat! Find me a hypnotist of the old school! Shazzam... you now cannot eat carbs because they make you feel really sick...Doh.. thats already true! :lol: :mrgreen:

How are you finding managing this? How did you feel when you found out? So sorry about your parents. Both mine are dead too.

Thing that makes it complex for me is I don't eat dairy unless its weekend..I don't eat meat. I eat chicken (because I have to) and some fish. I can't eat a lot of beans and pulses.. so a low GI diet is rather hard on that basis! It seems that everything is carbs! :roll:
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more. Research has shown that if children with behaviour problems are fed a healthy diet they actually calm down, so what is all this stuff doing to us? I have also been an out of control yo-yo dieter all my life. i was put on a diet when i was 4 by the family doctor as I was 5 llbs overweight and so the trouble began... the egg diet, the grapefruit diet, slimming pills, you name it I have done it and slowly ballooned out of all proportion :lol:
I am struggling at the moment as i comfort eat and have broken up with my boyfriend so I want to pig out but can't. I am losing weight which is boosting my confidence, but the metformin help as they supress my appetite. not quite got my blood sugar under control as it ranges from 6-11, but at least I am learning what I can and can't eat. I was devestated when I found out and thought it was a mistake. I partly blame my other half as he was cheating on me behind my back...I found the emails and went into shock and I think that triggered it as I drastically started to lose weight and was then diagnosed...coincidence or looking for someone to blame? I have no idea or can I blame the parents for dying when I was a teenager and I had to manage my own food!! sorry to hear about yours too...life is a challenge but I like challenges. So have you never discovered what you had as a child? That must be frustrating a little. Was it an eating disorder or a food phobia as that's what they used to do with people who were anorexic? You seem to have a lot of them...not being able to do pulses as well must be a real challenge...how do you manage? I became a vegan through choice and quite enjoy it. I am also always tired but so is everyone else at work so I am just blaming the stress of the job...wow I have a lot of blame in this essay I appear to have written :)
Keep your chin up x
 
Onset of Dibaetes is often after extreme stress. That happened to me. I had a very dark time in my marriage where I felt everything was over. To do with husbands job and our way of life..I was on antidepressants also. I felt that I was reaching the limit.. stress overload.. and then wham! I got Diabetes. Having said that it IS in my genetic background. My father had it.

When I got sick, I lost loads of weight. 15 kilos.. thats a lot for me. But now its creeping back. Stress has beeen greatly lowered from then.. but slowly due to life's twists and turns and world economy, it's slowly creeping back.

You cannot blame anyone really for your getting Diabetes.. the fact is that the stress can have been the 'trigger' but not the whole gun..It's in your genetics some place. You were no doubt pre disposed towards.

Regarding me.. and not eating... my mother didn't tell me anything of why I wouldn't eat. It's not the sort of thing you ask about when you are young. I do recall her telling all my friends parents when I went to visit for dinner.. 'make sure she eats'. At 14 years old I started having pub lunches (with my mum). I love this pub we used to go to. I also loved meeting my mum, who I didn't see that often as she made me life with my dad (but thats another story). When I used to go choose what I wanted they always had the BEST menu.. but I could never decide between Shepherds Pie and Sausage and mash....so sometimes I would have both! Thats when my weight struggle started. But it was all too late... I was told 'eat eat eat... during my formative years...so now they tell me to 'stop'?

The odd things is my daily sugars are not so low. I start the day over 7 and always have. But HBA1C is 4.7 Go figure!

Sorry to hear you lost both parents as a tennager. I have to say honestly.. I feel like I never had any parents.. my mum was absent so much I don't remember being with her at all after about 14. She always wanted me to call her 'sis' which probably says it all. I don't blame her however.. because after all we are all human beings and her mother died when she was born. My father was 30 years older than her.

She did push my father on to me to take care of though which was very cruel and emotionally hard since he was a diabetic. He lost both his legs also because he messed about with his feet. He was getting Alzheimers so looking after him was impossible and very emotionally battering. I was just a teenager and she went to live with her boyfriend. uuughhh ..horrid memories.


I hope you have a new boyfriend now! A better one who won't cheat on you! If not one will come along some day.. and you will be glad you got rid of the other one! :)

I can write books too!

Best you can do is try to get as much control as you can and do the GI diet as well as you can.. though Vegan is a very good diet watch your iron *especially* when taking Metformin. My iron has dropped a lot since I have been taking it. I was Vegan 12 years. Then vegetarian.. then got a lot of gut trouble (not due to Veganism) I was given iron by the Dr and at times I feel a lot better. But what worries me is that when I stop the iron I get exhausted again.
 
Oh Lordy!!! I was fortunate that my parents were very much in love...sorry to hear about yours. I know that I can't really blame anyone but it makes me feel better :lol:
No man yet but I am ever the optomist. Enjoying the single life at the moment and I don't have to contend with the barrage of cream cakes he used to put away. I took his blood sugar once after he had eaten a sunday dinner and 2 cakes and it was 4.8...makes me hate him even more haha!
I am waiting for my Hba1c and my cholesterol levels so hope they are ok as the doc wants me to take statins but I think I might fight it.
Have to admit the vegetarian thing is sneaking back in and I am having the odd egg but I am not going to feel guilty about the poor animals at the moment as I need to be selfish and look after me. I will keep an eye on my iron thanks for the advice :)
 
I don't think you should feel guilty right now. I refused statins because of my gut problem. I could do with lowering LDL but it's not at terrible levels... I don't want even more drugs. However you should take you Dr's advice or get a 2nd opinion where needed..

Just never give up! :D
 
Willow said:
I don't think you should feel guilty right now. I refused statins because of my gut problem. I could do with lowering LDL but it's not at terrible levels... I don't want even more drugs. However you should take you Dr's advice or get a 2nd opinion where needed..

Just never give up! :D
Click to expand...
Thanks Willow. i will wait and see what my levels are :)
 
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