Anonymous Question Is it the diabetes or the menopause?

My recent HbA1c was 46 and I am also going through menopause, have recently started on patches.

Your pins and needles can be due to high bg, but in many other condidtions you get this as well. Have you had your thyroid checked? It is common to get thyroid problems in times of hormonal upheaval like menopause. Dizziness is common in hypothyroidism, but the worst symptoms usually are tiredness and inability to get going.

Have you had vitamins B12 and folate checked? Lack of them, particularly B12, can cause permanent nerve damage but the first symptoms are numbness and pins and needles. The older you get the greater the risk for vitamin B 12 deficiency, and the lower range is low indeed so probably quite common but undiagnosed. Sore tongue is a common symptom.

Regarding lifestyle change I recommend two things. First, get a bg monitor.. That way you can check how different foods affect your level. Secondly, eat more good quality fats and fewer carbs. I for example can tolerate half an apple if I eat something fat with it, cheese for example, but a whole apple raises my bg level quite a lot.