I think I’m diabetic but symptoms are ‘off’

shxnzzz

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Other
For a couple of months I’ve suspected I may be diabetic, after abusing my body with energy drinks to supplement my meals for years.

I’m 29yo, M. I have a fast pace job so it’s very normal for me to go 12 hours or so without a meal, except my body couldn’t cope - that was my first inkling of diabetes. I started seeing black, face tingling, trembling, feeling hot and sweaty so went to have a chocolate bar - which didn’t help. I had to have a sausage roll and crisps before I started feeling better. Is that a thing?

I’ve just had a midnight snack, bowl of cereal (quite normal to eat this late, 1:30am, my shifts are 14:00-22:00 so I stay up late and wake up late), and then had a shower and now I’m feeling quite funny, a bit weird and disoriented. Not quite dizzy, not quite faint but I feel off? Almost feel spaced out! That’s what’s prompted this post. I was fine before the cereal!

My eating habits aren’t the healthiest, but what’s the first step to checking? Do I need to see a specialist? My GP? Are my symptoms even remotely diabetes or do I just need to sort my life out? lol
 

Melgar

Moderator
Staff Member
Moderator
Messages
1,325
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi and welcome to the forum @shxnzzz The only way to be sure as to whether your symptoms are related to elevated blood sugars is to go to your Dr and request a HbA1c blood test. Basically a HbA1c is known as glycated haemoglobin. It is made when your blood sugar sticks to your red blood cells. An HbA1c measures how much of this sticks to your red blood cells over the past three months. This test is how Drs are able to ascertain as to whether you are diabetic, prediabetic or your blood sugars are normal.
We cannot diagnose on the forum it is against forum rules, however, it is very difficult to know, without the HbA1c test , whether your symptoms are a result of elevated blood sugars so the only way to be sure is to ask your Dr for this test.
 

EllieM

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Staff Member
Moderator
Messages
9,886
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
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hypos and forum bugs
Hi @shxnzzz and welcome to the forums.

Forum rules don't allow us to diagnose, and even if I could diagnose I don't think you've given enough information for me to make any guesses.

However your GP can test for diabetes very easily, They can do a spot check of your blood sugar and also do a blood test called an hba1c, which measures the average amount of sugar in your blood over the last 3 months. If your hba1c is over 48mmol/mol then they normally diagnose diabetes.

Here is what the nhs has to say about the symptoms of diabetes

There are also conditions where your blood sugar goes too low which can give you all sorts of weird symptoms, but they would need a specialist to diagnose.

And while energy drinks may not always be the healthiest things to drink, it's actually quite hard to "give yourself" diabetes.

T1 diabetes (which I have) is caused by an autoimmune attack on the pancreas so it stops making insulin. T2 diabetes (the most common type) isn't helped by a very high carb diet but I'd argue that it's a genetic intolerance to the amount of sugar in modern diets that causes it, rather than blaming someone for their diet. And there are a number of different other types of diabetes with different causes.

Anyway, my recommendation would be to see your GP if you are anxious about your symptoms.

I hope you don't have diabetes but if you do you should get help and support from the many forumites here with many different types of diabetes.

Once more, welcome.
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
6,443
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
For a couple of months I’ve suspected I may be diabetic, after abusing my body with energy drinks to supplement my meals for years.

I’m 29yo, M. I have a fast pace job so it’s very normal for me to go 12 hours or so without a meal, except my body couldn’t cope - that was my first inkling of diabetes. I started seeing black, face tingling, trembling, feeling hot and sweaty so went to have a chocolate bar - which didn’t help. I had to have a sausage roll and crisps before I started feeling better. Is that a thing?

I’ve just had a midnight snack, bowl of cereal (quite normal to eat this late, 1:30am, my shifts are 14:00-22:00 so I stay up late and wake up late), and then had a shower and now I’m feeling quite funny, a bit weird and disoriented. Not quite dizzy, not quite faint but I feel off? Almost feel spaced out! That’s what’s prompted this post. I was fine before the cereal!

My eating habits aren’t the healthiest, but what’s the first step to checking? Do I need to see a specialist? My GP? Are my symptoms even remotely diabetes or do I just need to sort my life out? lol
Hi @shxnzzz ,

With the others here: get a HbA1c test done. It's the only thing that'll be rather conclusive when it comes to diabetes, and when you tell your doc about why you want it done, they might want to check a few other possibilities too. Cover all the bases, so to speak. You never know, you might be barking up the wrong tree. Or the right one. No way of knowing until you get a professional involved, alas... But if it is some form of diabetes, don't get stuck with the blame-game. Like Ellie said, type 1 is an autoimmune condition, Type 2 a genetic predisposition to develop it with the carb-heavy diet people this day and age eat. Your neighbour could exist on the exact same diet and never get diabetes, if that is what you're experiencing. Luck of the draw.

In any case, we'll be right here when you have answers and they point a certain way. However this pans out though, I hope you'll be feeling right as rain in no time at all.

Good luck!
Jo
 
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