Is this all because of diabetes?

[eddie864]

Hi,
This reads as a stupid question but I need to ask it all the same. I have been diagnosed Type 2 since 1998 and went onto insulin in 2001. I'm now 47 years old and very overweight (BMI of around 39/40) and am not managing my BG very well. I had some mental health problems and struggle with taking meds, insulin and diet every day. I inject some 60 units of NovoRapid around each meal and about 60 units of Levemir at night.

For the past few years, really, I have been getting more and more problems with general fatigue, lack of energy all round and a lack of vitality. I have been losing, slowly, muscle from my legs and they are now weak and sometimes I struggle to lift myself up from a squatting position. I put down a lot of the leg pain to some sciatica that I had for about 4 months but actually the nervy pain is gone and this is just weakness. I also have eye damage and am due to have some argon laser treatment to help it. I've had some neuropathy issues with very sensitive nerves in fingers and a morton's neuroma in my foot but I'm told that I have a very good pulse in my feet. I'm getting to the point where I feel tired and old all the time and it's affecting my mood a lot. I really don't know what to do. I try to engage better with the testing, insulin shots before meals and remembering my Levemir at night but I'm having to work hard to do it.

I want energy back!

 

[viviennem]

Hi Mart, and welcome!

You do seem to be having some problems, but you've come to the right place for support - we'll help you to the best of our abilities. There are a lot of experienced diabetics on this forum - all types!

Daisy1, one of the forum monitors, will be along soon with the information we give to all newcomers, newly diagnosed or more experienced. Have a read of that, look around the site, and then come back and ask as many questions as you like. We'll try to help.

My first thoughts are:

what are you eating? a change of diet may well help with your weight and your lack of energy.

what are your daily BG levels like? eg before and 2 hours after a meal?

thirdly - do you go out much? if you don't get sun on your skin, your Vitamin D levels may be low - not unusual in the UK. This causes chronic tiredness.

Finally - statins can cause leg pains and muscle weakness in some people. I had this trouble on a lower dose than you.

I seem to have gathered the impression from another of your posts that you have a helpful consultant or GP? If this is right, I would suggest you raise my third and final points with him/her, for discussion. You can have your Vit D levels checked, and if you're low it's not difficult to put it right.

You've taken a good step down the road to improving things by recognising you have a problem. You do need your life back, and it's possible to do it. My BMI was 48 on diagnosis, and it's now 38, so I'm about level with you there. I'll race you down to 30!

If you can come back to us with a typical day's meals, some fasting and after meal readings and your last couple of HbA1cs, and maybe your last cholesterol tests, it would help us to make suggestions on how you can get control of things.

One thing more - we are not qualified Health Care Professionals, we are just fellow diabetics who refuse to let this thing take control of our lives. We'll do our best to help you .

Viv 8)

 

[SouthernGeneral6512]

I'm almost 47 and unlike when you're young you really feel your age if you haven't lived well over the years ... I suppose all I can say is make the changes to your lifestyle before it's too late although believe me I know that is easier said than done

 

[Nikkig]

With the help and support of the people on this forum it is possible to take control. In a month I have managed through a low carb diet, testing and exercising to get my level down from 19 at diagnosis to readings of 5.5 - 5.8 two hours after meals. Still learning and experimenting though.

The change in my energy levels have amazed me on Wednesday I spent 8 hours in the garden with a short break for lunch, Friday I decorated the downstairs loo, and yesterday I redecorated the kitchen (2 coats on walls and ceiling and it's not small!) 4weeks ago I would have paid someone else to do it.

I have lost 10 lb in weight and gone down two dress sizes!

Having the diagnosis and and the information from this site has given me the opportunity to take control. So you have that opportunity too, use the information on this site, the regulars have such valuable knowledge - we are all with you!

 

[cuillie]

Hi there and so glad youv'e found this site.

i have only joined in the last couple of weeks and already I've learned so much. There is a wealth of wisdom here, and folk are very generous in offering advice and suggestions, it's great.

I've struggled with high blood sugars for years, and within 2 weeks I am experiencing more normal ones. :clap: It's still early days but I have high hopes.

Take the opportunity to gain the knowledge found here and I'm sure your situation will improve a great deal, good luck :wink:

 

[SouthernGeneral6512]

Everyone is very helpful and as you say there is definitely wisdom here

 

[Anonymous]

Mart,

you're the same age as me and in the same area, so we're probably under the same hospital.

I know this is easier said than done, but you need to work on your diet (and I don't mean you need to go on a diet, I mean you need to change - permanently - what you eat). 60 units of Novorapid is a big dose - how on earth do you manage to avoid going low on a dose like that and what are you eating to require it?

I think you need to take stock - start by writing down exactly what you had to eat yesterday - absolutely everything. If you post it on here then several of us will give you an honest view on what we think is good or bad about it. If you are already on a restricted carb diet and your problems are being caused by other health issues, then I apologise for jumping to conclusions - but the symptoms you describe sound like they are related to elevated glucose levels.

I hope that helps - much of what you're experiencing is reversible and in a short space of time. It takes will power, but doesn't everything that's worth doing? Tell us what you're eating and we'll try to help.

S

 

[daisy1]

Hi Mart and welcome again
I have already posted you this information on another thread, but I will post it again since it has been mentioned by Viv on here, so the thread is complete. I see you have already received some good advice and hope you will get some more as well. Don't forget to ask questions about anything you need to know and someone will answer you.

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 well over 30,000 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 ... rains.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

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 blood glucose 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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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.