hi - excessive thirst

thirsty_monsta

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Hi, my names carl... i was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes..been prescribed 1500mg metformin daily and also blood pressure and statin meds.

i have a question about a symptom i have..excessive thirst... i am thirsty all the time, even after drinking a litre of liquid im still thirsty, i have drank so much i threw up, then had to drink more.. it seems i cant satisfy the thirst no matter how much i drink
 

Liam1955

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@thirsty_monsta - Hello and Welcome to the Forum. Your blood sugar is probably high and this is why you are so thirsty. Drink plenty of water and sugar free drinks too. Are you going to the loo and passing lots of urine? I will tag @daisy1 who will provide you with some basic information. Have a good read and if you have any questions? Just ask and someone will answer.:)
 

Natalie1974

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Have you tested your blood sugar? Excessive thirst is a sign of high blood sugar...I would recommend checking you bg and reducing your carb intake....water will also help to flush out the sugar. Keep a close eye on bg and if symptoms persist you will be best going back to your doctors for further tests or to review your meds as these could also be having an effect
 

thirsty_monsta

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
Hi, my names carl... i was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes..been prescribed 1500mg metformin daily and also blood pressure and statin meds.

i have a question about a symptom i have..excessive thirst... i am thirsty all the time, even after drinking a litre of liquid im still thirsty, i have drank so much i threw up, then had to drink more.. it seems i cant satisfy the thirst no matter how much i drink
im drinking sugar free fruit squash, dont like plain water...im passing loads of water, i have no way to test blood glucose level as doc told me i dont need a meter because im type 2 and meds should balance levels..ill try to get an appointment with doc, as im a stay at home parent time is something i dont have a lot of.
 
C

catherinecherub

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Hi @thirsty_monsta,

It might help if you tell us what you are eating and if the Dr. gave you any advice with regard to diet?
If you are eating large amounts of carbohydrates then your blood sugars will rise and you will be thirsty.
 

Mike d

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im drinking sugar free fruit squash, dont like plain water...im passing loads of water, i have no way to test blood glucose level as doc told me i dont need a meter because im type 2 and meds should balance levels..ill try to get an appointment with doc, as im a stay at home parent time is something i dont have a lot of.

Ignore that doctor's advice .... his suggestion that "you don't need a meter" is woeful. You MUST test and like it or not, please get accustomed to a lot more water :)
 
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pleinster

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Lots of doctors (who are not necessarily experts in diabetes..and often far from it) have a very general line about not needing to test (meters are not commonly given out to Type 2s, but as my doctor feels..they should be), and about eating a balanced diet. many of us have found, quite to the contrary, that a standard "balanced diet" doesn't help us reduce our blood sugar levels but a low carb diet does...I seldom have more than 40g of carbs a day and often less than 25g...and this is what has helped me make progress, not the meds (and certainly not an ill-considered non-diabetic "balanced diet"). I agree very much with Mike D. You need to test with a meter.; it's the ONLY way to know what is working for you on a day to day (meal by meal) basis...a look through this site at relevant threads will demonstrate just how important this is to you being able to take control. Talk again with your doctor, and if he won't give you one...buy one. You will get a cheap but effective meter for under £15 and 50 or so testing strips for under £20. Your doctor is giving out standard advice (but more progressive doctors, and specialists are going beyond that nonsense)...the diabetic specialist I saw recently said that the whole approach needs to be far more pro-active. Get a meter, record food and readings before and 2.5 hours after eating, and you can then show your doctor what a difference it's making. Sometimes, we need to educate them (at least on some matters)! Also, dilute your juice much more. Don't drink too much at once..spread it over the day. I drink 2-3 litres a day. good luck.
 
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muzza3

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Hi @thirsty_monsta

Welcome to the forum. the thirst almost certainly means high blood sugar levels. You really do need to get a meter. If you have to buy one others on here in the UK can recommend the best value meter and strips.
In the short term to deal with the thirst cut sugar and carbs like Potato, Pasta, Rice and Bread from your diet. When you get a meter you can start testing and trialing how food affect you

This is a great site so ask any questions you have here and someone will respond
 

daisy1

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@thirsty_monsta

Hello Carl and welcome to the forum :) I agree with the others that high sugar levels will be responsible for you needing to drink so much. Try following a low carb diet. In this information which we give to new members there is a lot of advice about carbs which should help you. You need to get yourself a testing kit too. Ask more questions and someone will always be able to help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

LOW CARB PROGRAM:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/low carb program


Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
 
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zoze_j

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Oh wow, definitely agree with @Mike D - ignore that doctor! Not testing your sugars & guessing is like playing Russian Roulette!

When I've had stupidly high sugars, I've drank so much that I've made myself physically sick, and then still been thirsty until my sugars came down.

Definitely get yourself a meter, ASAP.
 
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Daibell

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Hi. As others have said you must get hold of a glucose meter and test 2 hours after a meal and do it often enough so you can see your blood sugar pattern. I regret not getting a meter until a year or so after diagnosis as I realise in retrospect I must have had extremely high blood sugar. Keep the carbs down to help bring your blood sugar down. The Metformin, although a good and safe drug, only has a minimal effect on blood sugar and the GP should know that.
 
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thirsty_monsta

Active Member
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40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
just been out and bought a tester its accu check mobile, and been told i might be able to get the carts for it on nhs prescription which would save me about £35 a month..ill update when i use it in a few hours
 
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thirsty_monsta

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Done 2 tests now, last night my level was over 26 and this morning it was 23.4 mmol, how can i drop this to an acceptable level? i will test again a couple of hours after breakfast
 

Natalie1974

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Type 1
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That's high...see if you can get an emergency appointment with your doctor...I'm type 1 but if I had those symptoms I would be quite concerned. Keep drinking plenty of water...and keep carbs to an absolute minimum.
 

zand

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Thanks for the tag @Natalie1974

I totally agree with all the advice you have been given so far. Continue to drink plenty of low carb drinks. Water is best. How about sparkling water if you can't stand it plain? If you can go out for a walk or other exercise then this will help to bring your levels down

You do need to stop having high carb foods (maybe when your BGs are back to non-diabetic levels you will be able to add some back) . Vegetables (not root vegetables) and protein and fats are fine (not low fat products, instead choose real butter, cream, lard, olive oil etc.) These will help to fill you.

Here's some links to help you

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/

www.dietdoctor.com/lchf

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/my-first-year-of-lchf.76070/

Hopefully if you can low carb and exercise your numbers will start to fall very soon.

Keep monitoring your BGs throughout the day and keep asking questions. Don't forget the NHS Helpline 111 is there if you need it or if things get worse.

Good luck :)
 
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Mike d

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Done 2 tests now, last night my level was over 26 and this morning it was 23.4 mmol, how can i drop this to an acceptable level? i will test again a couple of hours after breakfast

Need to know what you ate for starters. Those figures need to be addressed. 20+ is not all that good and I hope your breakfast was / is "carb starvation". They (blood sugars) can take a while to come down so no need for panic just yet but I would go see the doctor nonetheless.

Heaps of above ground veg, eggs, water, bacon, fats and keep testing ... and remember to wash your hands VERY thoroughly to make sure you get (more or less) accurate readings.
 
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thirsty_monsta

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40
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Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
i ate chinese food last night, celebration of my partner starting her new job... so probably overdid it with noodles(half portion) and prawn balls...breakfast was 2 weetabix with soya milk and sweetner..ill have a packet soup for lunch, hopefully that will keep the carbs down today (also measurement last night was after 2 hours and this morning was before my metformin tablet).. ill go get some veg later and make a veg omelette for dinner
 

Daibell

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i ate chinese food last night, celebration of my partner starting her new job... so probably overdid it with noodles(half portion) and prawn balls...breakfast was 2 weetabix with soya milk and sweetner..ill have a packet soup for lunch, hopefully that will keep the carbs down today (also measurement last night was after 2 hours and this morning was before my metformin tablet).. ill go get some veg later and make a veg omelette for dinner
Check the soup packet as some of these have sugar and corn starch added to bulk up and make sweet; sadly you can't trust anything. Chinese food is never good ref carbs so be careful. Swap the Weetabix for fried eggs and bacon or similar.
 

thirsty_monsta

Active Member
Messages
40
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
i like the idea of having fried eggs and bacon for breakfast..dont think it would do my waistline much good though, thanks for your advice