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help with diagnosis

S

snadge

Member
Messages
8
Location
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Hi,

Iam a 37 year old male in the UK that has Hepatitis C and I have had an unsuccessful treatment for it too, I suffer with Anxiety and panic attacks, the last few years i have started to feel weak and poorly in mornings and stay that way for hours on end, Iam de-hydrated every morning, urinate 2-3 times during the night and have put on 3 stone in last 4-5 years, I struggle with my diet and have been eating sugary foods after my tea and sometimes late at night too, I get tired very easy and find it hard to concentrate, I went to see the nurse last year who said she thinks I am diabetic as i have all the symptoms, she done tests and they (fasting and non-fasting) were both slightly over, so she said they wanted to do a 2 hour glucose tolerance test but I was scared and never went back, I thought I would try to diet first then get tested again, now 1 year has passed, my weight is the same and my problems still persist so I went back to the Dr, she done a fasting test which came in at 6.5 (1 year ago it was 7) and she says that is fine and iam not diabetic and that going to the loo 3 times a night may just be "habit"... now I looked on this website and it states that 5.5-7 is "pre-diabetes" and 7 is "diabetes", given the fact that I was 7 last year and 6.5 this year I wouldnt have thought she shouldn't be "closing the book" on this whole diabetes thing.

Other possibly un-related symptoms I have is Tinnitus, Bleeding Gums only during the night when sleeping and Arthritic pain in my hands and pain in my back during the night...all of which affect my sleeping, the bleeding gum issue the dentists says i have not got gum disease and have tried everything but still blood leaks out from my mouth onto pillow every night, especially when i get a decent period of sleep as I can hardly sleep at all, i know these are unrelated to Diabetes but thought I would mention exactly what Iam suffering with.

I wanted to know if someone on this forum could help me determine if I could be diabetic and/or if my GP is wrong to dismiss the possibility that I may diabetic.

I just want help, Iam sick of feeling this way, ive tried dieting but i struggle with it, i get depressed/withdrawals if i dont get my chocolate etc after my tea.

I have Hep-C and been on the treatment for it both of which can cause diabetes (Insulin Resistance), Insulin Resistance also lowers the chance of Hep-C Treatment Success (and mine failed).

I feel weak , tired and dehydrated in the mornings, if i excert myself (even by small amount) i become ill, hot & sweaty and have to drink lots of water, this really plays on my anxiety and makes me 10 times worse (my anxiety only started because of all this feeling unwell stuff).

Iam currently on Jobseekers Allowance and I dont feel well enough to do any jobs, at least not in mornings, Iam afraid to go on the sick due to these ATOS medicals they have now that they seem to fail everybody on that doesnt have a severe physical impairment just so they can meet targets given to them by the DWP.

can anyone offer me any advice?

thanks
 
Hi snadge, you sure have a lot on your plate

The numbers you mention above, I think you may be confusing Fasting Blood Glucose (BG) with A1cs.

As I understand it: the normal BG range is around 4 - 7mmol/L

For Diagnostic purposes it may be that an A1c of 5.5-7% is "pre-diabetes" and 7% is "diabetes". The A1c is effectively an average (mean) of your BGs over the last 3 months or so.

For my money, the best test to determine your status is the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).
 
Hi Snadge and welcome to the forum We really can't tell you if you're diabetic or not as we cannot diagnose here but why don't you try seeing a different doctor or nurse if you want a second opinion or don't want to go back to the same place. Diagnosis by a fasting test is over 7 so you were very borderline for the first test and another test might give you some more information. A GTT test would be a good idea. Your symptoms could be various things, not necessarily diabetes. If you are diagnosed diabetic then please come back here and we can help you to look after yourself as well as possible. Good luck!
 
Hi Pianoman and daisy,

thanks for your swift replys,

Iam actually off to dr's in 10 minutes for more blood tests for the arthritic pain, I will get the results from the nurse and write them down... it was definitiley a 'fasting' test (not eating) and result im sure was 7 last year and 6.5 last month... I will verify this in an hour or so when i get back.

when I see her again next week I will ask her if we can make sure 100% Iam not diabetic or pre-diabetic.. either way I must control my diet which i really do find hard, I get dperessed if i cant have my sweet, i always think "start diet tomorrow, one more day isnt going to hurt me" and I know I shouldn't, its so hard... I know that the treatment for this is dieting but the nurse last year said there was also medication they could give me which would help too... tablets she said (not insulin injections or anything like that, i dont think anyway)

I personally think I could be pre-diabetic and on my way to it and if i dont change my eating habits and start looking after myself better then Iam going to become fully diabetic - but its not so easy when you suffer with whole range of problems including anxiety and only pleasure I have is my food. I also have a lot of problems at home with my partner and my son and his mother (not getting on and hating each other, making my life a misery)

edit: i got the numbers from this website on this page

thanks again
 
ive just been to see the nurse and it was 6 my fasting (15 hours fast) and she says its high but normal... fair do's then, I thought they said 6.5 last time, but it was 7 one year ago, because there has been an improvement i think they are saying its not diabetes, im kinda disapointed cos i would have at least known what my problem is.

to Pianoman - i cant read your PM as it says iam not authorised? (Iam logged in) - edit: if its for my sig I have removed it, sorry

thanks
 
You won't be able to use PMs until you have made 5 posts so I am sure you can find something interesting to post about. I sent you a PM but since you have removed your signature there is no problem now and you can disregard my message
 
ive had phone call today from receptionist at GP's apparantley my GP wants a fasting blood sugar?? I told her that I had one 4 weeks ago but she says that was fasting blood glucose? arent they both the same thing? anyway, she says its a different type of 'fasting' test than the one i had 4 weeks ago which was 6 - at a total loss, i was back there yesterday giving blood for more tests and the nurse forgot to do this test and i have to go back... fair do's but with all the confusion of it sounding like a test i had done 4 weeks ago it is starting to sound like they right hand doesnt know what the left hand is doing lol... when i go next Thursday Iam going to ask them to write down what the tests where...
 
It's possible that one test you had was a simple fasting test which tells you what your blood sugar is at that moment, and the other one is the HbA1c which tells you your average levels over the last 8-12 weeks with the last 2 weeks (I think) weighted heavier than the rest. It is not necessary to fast for the HbA1c test though since it is an average over a long period but different PCTs have different procedures. In general the simple fasting test is used for diagnosis, with often a second test to confirm (which might also explain the two tests which have obviously to be done at different times) but they are starting to use the HbA1c for diagnosis too and it is either approved, or will be approved, for diagnosis. You will just have to ask them and it would be a good idea if they would write it down for you. Ask for a copy of your complete test results too.
 
For some of your other symptoms, bleeding gums etc, have you read carefully on the internet side effects of any medication you may be taking? From experience of my dad don't leave it to the doctors to tell you that this might be a result of side effects, do the research yourself.
 
I agree with Daisy that i is probably the HBA1Ctest wgich your Dr needs. You are obviously very stressed and his may be, if not the cause of many of your symptoms han certainly an exacerbating factor.

As you say a proper diagnosis will help. I hope noone will take offfence because no offence is intended but if you are overweight and know your diet is wrong and receive a diagnosis of diabees hen at least, there is something you personally can do about it. You do not have to rely on Drs and medications although they can help you .

I know its not easy and if you are depressed it must seem an insurmountable problem. The hing is that you don;t need to do it all at once. IPerhaps stop thinking of "going on a diet". Check with your docor that the weight is not due to any medical problem and hen just perhaps tackle one hing at a time.

You probably know yourself what cayuses most weight gain for you but don't cut it out completely - reduce it a little and see how that works, then reduce something else. Don't seprive yourself entirely,
If the Dr puts you on metformin this will help with weight loss and you should quickly see some results which will encourage you,

Even if you don't see an enormous difference it may well make you feel beter and help with some of your symptoms. Weight gain can be a symptom of diabees as well as a contributory factor so you are doing the right thing in getting it sorted out..

Your stress will even affect your blood sugar. I do hope you manage to resolve at least some of your issues. Best of luck wih it all.
 
well it is for the hba1 test as I remember her saying it was, but the receptionist says i have to fast for it??

I had fasting blood glucose done 4 weeks ago, I fasted for 15 hours and result was 6.. now she telling me they have botched up blood tests (well, forgot too take certain ones) and i have to go back in for HBA1 test and I have to fast for that also...

I remember when I had that one done 4 weeks ago the nurse had to run after me outside and bring me back in as she forgot too do other tests... seems to me like these nurses havent got a clue what they are doing...

what should I do? should I go in and ask about this HBA1 test and make sure thats what it is and why i have to fast?

I know I need to try harder with dieting but i openly admit that I struggle with it and find it really hard to do..

thanks
 
You don't have to fast for the HBA1C (I'm having one shortly and the GP's sheet says non-fasting) but may be they are taking the blood for one or two other tests as well?
 
Hi Snadge

I always fast for my blood tests - saves trouble if you should have done but didn't!

Try to get an appointment first thing in the morning - my next one is booked in for 09:20. I can eat up to nine the previous evening, for a 12-hour fast. Then it's not so much fasting as just missing breakfast, which is no hardship. What does for me is not having my first-thing cup of coffee :lol: - in fact I have been known to take a flask with me and drink it after the vampire has done her work! :wink:

Lots of good advice on here about dieting - I'm down to 17.5 stone now from nearly 21 stone , so it can be done. The diet I use is a sticky thread on the Low carb diabetes diet forum on here, called Viv's Modified Atkins Diet. Have a look at it. It may seem dreadfully extreme to you on first looking at it, but it's easy to do, you need never be hungry, and it works for me, and for quite a few other people on here too.

Hang on in there - you seem to have been messed around, but I'm sure things will get better, and we're all here to help!

Viv 8)
 
its not the fasting that bothers me, its the fact that the GP, Nurse and Recpetionist cant seem to communicate with each other properly and because of this Iam getting wrong tests done etc..

she defo said it was that HBA1 test and had to fast, it is for 8:50am but like I say why is she telling me not too eat anything if its not? - im gunna go in on Tuesday and confirm whats what.

thanks
 
Perhaps you are to have the often associated Cholestrol test too. You normally fast for that one although, as previous posts have suggested. If it's for Cholestrol, it's best if you don't have a high fat meal the day before, apparently!

You don't need to fast for Hba1c test.
 
I have had NBA1cs and associated tests every 3 months since diagnsis 4 tears ago. The practice i was registered with when first diagnosed always di fasting tests my present Pracice never does..
When in doubt -FASt - as Viv says. They should check with you if it needs to be a fasing test and you should ask what the ususal procedure is.
That is one of the most difficult things - geing to know the routine. The nurses and receptionists deal with other tests etc so you need o familiarise yourself with what you need. I think it often seems chaotic to begin withespecially ias you will be having more tests but after definite diagnosis it soon becomes routine.
I know exacly how you feel hough. It seems almost as if they are deliberately messing you about. I had two HBA1cs in a fortmight because of an error once.
Its lalso a good ip of Viv's to take a flask. I used o do that too because I had a long walk home after my blood tess. Then I found that a little cafe opened early and i used to treat myself to some decent coffee to give me the energy to get home.
 
the nurses/receptionists have made a right mess of this

1. I went in for fasting blood sugar done 5 weeks ago, along with other tests, on my way out the nurse ran out down the road too catch me saying she needs to do another one and she didnt realise, im mentioning this just too show the scale of ****-ups.
2. Last week I went in for a arthritis blood test (thats all), left and got home then they rang me up and said "sorry, the nurse was supposed to do a 'FASTING BLOOD SUGAR' aswell, i says "i had one done 4 weeks ago though?" she said "its a different one, HB1A test, you have to fast for it, come in next thus 8:50 am"... suspicious about it i asked on here and was told you dont fast for a HB1A test, so I went up to the GP's too ask and was no Dr there so they said "just to fast for it"..
3. went in for this "fasting hb1a" test (not eaten for 12 hours) - the nurse showed me on the computer that when they done arthritis test the week before they also done a 'fasting blood sugar' which was over at 6.8 so today were doing a "non-fasting-blood-sugar"... HEY TALK ABOUT MESSED UP LIKE... she done the test and i told the receptionist "you told me to fast for this and i have but she just done a "non fasting" blood sugar test, now the result will be lower than it should be, and last week they done a 'fasting-blood-sugar' without telling me i was having any blood sugar test done and I shoudl have fasted for it so no wonder its over...

she says "i will leave a note for the dr, i dont think its that important anyway for what they are looking for" - well of course it is otherwise they wouldnt have fasting and non-fasting tests... ?? if you dont fast and have a fasting test then its going to be high (and it was) and it will be low for the opposite, hey, wait until i see the Dr on Monday like... annoyed!!

as you can imagine iam very distressed about this.. i have been for many blood tests there and they always seem to screw up, i have never seen the same nurse twice, there always new nurses just here for 1 day who dont seem to know what they are doing.
 
I lived with someone who did not inform me they had Hep C (contracted from drug use) and from what you describe most of your symptoms are directly related to that condition. Even if you are pre-diabetic you would most likely not feel that much different. Tiredness, joint pain, flu like symptoms, skin and bowel conditions are all very much Hep C related. I always wonder if my son has Down syndrome due to his father hiding his Hep C status and needless to say we are not together now. I found out that his ex contracted Hep C from him and who now lives a life with pain/poor health and has had operations to remove part of her bowel.
 

Hi, sorry to hear about your sons down-syndrome but I think your wrong in thinking that Hep-C causes it in new borns from infected fathering males - and, his ex is most likely to have been sharing needles with him aswell as its extremely rare to catch hep-c via sex or other means, I live with my partner of over 10 years and were sexually active for years before I was diagnosed and she hasnt got it - we are still together too - i also have a son that was born before i was diagnosed to another women and he is fine and she doesnt have it either.. Hep-C is a bloode borne virus and is only transmitted that way, the only way it can be transmitted via sex is if the infected man or woman bleeds from his or her genitals and the partner has also had a 'tear' or 'cut' in his or her genitals and the infected partners blood enters the wound/cut/tear of the non infected partner... trust me im an expert on the subject as when i was diagnosed it absolutely destroyed me thinking i may have passed it on to other people, after all my studies and asking the GP and Professor at the Infectious Diseases Clinic i found out that its very rare and unlikely to have happened, i told my partner and my sons mother and they got tested and were fine. Sperm does not get infected from hep-c... your sons down-syndrome will have nothing to do with your ex's hep-c...

anyway... back onto the topic subject, as you say the symptoms of long term hep-c can be similar to diabetes, i didnt know about some of the symtpoms until the other day when I was looking under "liver disease" on Wikipedia, ive always put my tiredness and foggy mind to the hep-c as these are the most common symtpoms, anything else may not be related...but now im wondering if it is after reading that, my ALT is not abnormally high (as it would normally be in HCV infected patient), it was 54 last week (5-40 is normal) ive had it at 320 when relapsed after treatment and 100 before I started, so 54 although a bit high, is quite good.

Iam thinking of changing my GP , I told my dad what happened and this is what he said and i think he has a point..


im at the Dr's on Monday - I will tell her whats happened aswell as about my increasing arthritic pain in my hands.
 
I'm sorry your father's experiences have been bad enough to give him such negative opinions. It's not all roses for us girls either, you know! but health care takes two.

In my experience, many men of my acquaintance have health problems simply because they don't go to the doctor!. My own local practice gives a two-yearly MOT to all their adult patients, regardless of gender, if you want it, but you still have to turn up! Similarly with my brother in the south of England, who had a potential prostate problem nipped in the bud because he goes for his regular check-ups.

I had a female friend who never went for cervical screening because she "didn't want to know". By the time she did know, it was too late.

I believe the NHS is now working on rolling out a screening programme for prostate cancer, similar to the ones for breast screening or cervical screening. Take advantage of it if it's offered, guys - and I hope it's not as painful as breast screening can be! :lol:

Viv 8)
 
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