I've lost the will..

[Listlad]

I dont know if you like a bit of spice Patrick but you could get a jar of garam masala (£1 most supermarket own brands) mix a flat teaspoon ful with a teaspoon of oil slowly fry for a couple of mins to release the aromas and then either add meat to the pan or spread it on meat for the oven. That will be a mild amount but if you like it you can scale up. Similarly home grown herbs chopped with a little oil make a sort of pesto, add in some finely chopped shallot/onion/pepper and will liven up any meat or fish.

I use that stuff. I think I add too much. It seems quite strong. I probably need to scale it back a bit.

 

[Patrick66]

I dont know if you like a bit of spice Patrick but you could get a jar of garam masala (£1 most supermarket own brands) mix a flat teaspoon ful with a teaspoon of oil slowly fry for a couple of mins to release the aromas and then either add meat to the pan or spread it on meat for the oven. That will be a mild amount but if you like it you can scale up. Similarly home grown herbs chopped with a little oil make a sort of pesto, add in some finely chopped shallot/onion/pepper and will liven up any meat or fish.

Thank you.

Unfortunately I am very uncomfortable with spice. My better half finds it most amusing that I can travel to India and avoid eating anything spicy whilst I ma there. I just don't cope with the flavours.

But onion and pepper are fine.

 

[Major Buckmaster]

Wouldn't change anything without my doctors advice. And given that eh views me as unreliable when it comes to a steady HbA1c reading he would want to change meds or increase dosages. I don't feel sick as such although seven or eight tablets vying for attention in my tummy isn't exactly pleasant.

It also stopped me hating all foods. I was just like you. I just couldn't eat. Everything tasted stupid and boring and rubbish. I'm not saying it will defo solve your problem. But might be worth thinking about?

 

[Resurgam]

I found that my sense of taste was altered by taking the tablets, and it took some time to recover - though I still can't drink tea due to association with the learned sensation.
There was an interesting program on BBC Radio 4 about belief and behaviour, which was close to being illegal under the rules of medical ethics where people believed what they were told and acted as though it was true.
Reminds me of the way some HCPs react when told someone is diabetic.....
Ah - I digress - what I was going to suggest was using small amounts of herbs and spices. Really small - because if, like me, you are a 'super taster' you will have been telling people that flavours were too strong most of your life, and not being taken seriously because it is not all that common. Most super tasters cut out the foods which overpower their senses, but when there is an opportunity - when something alters the sense of taste, you could have an opportunity to re-educate yourself using small amounts of fresh herbs and the tiniest amounts of spices - which of course are how much should be used for maximum benefit and enjoyment.
Try cutting up a couple of leaves of mint and putting them into a closed container with some strawberries for an hour before eating, or stabbing the strawberries with a fork and dusting them with a minute amount of freshly ground black pepper. Even if you hate the result, it might give you an idea of what to try next.
It might be worthwhile consulting your doctor and suggesting that you cut out the most likely suspects from your drug regime to see if you feel better without them.
I was verging on suicidal taking Metformin and Atorvastatin - both of which I was told were beneficial and benign.

 

[Daibell]

Like other posters I lost my sense of proper taste for 6 months after starting Metformin; it gave me metallic taste. That was 15 years ago and my sense of taste now is as good as ever. Blame the Metformin if you are taking that. Many recipes today list fancy stuff just to impress readers that the writer is an 'expert'. Just ignore those recipes and go for those that have ingredients you can buy anywhere. As long as you keep the carbs down you can cook almost anything you like.

 

[trick60]

Patrick I am the last person on this Earth that should give advice, if I had a superpower I would be "Foot in Mouth Man", but you seem to be going through a really low point at the moment and I think most of us on here at some time have gone through what you are going through now it's a "for life" thing mate and it can be tough, but you seem to be smashing it, on the clothes front I don't know what to say, if you can't do the charity shops, (I do now) then Tesco's or Asda have some good stuff it might not be Saville Row but at least they might fit.
On the food front mate, maybe you need to spice things up a little, I hunt the tinterweb for simple low carb or just healthy (keywords) recipes...if it's not simple it ain't being done, there's not much I cook now that doesn't have some unpronounceable substance in it but you can certainly taste it, the wife wouldn't eat it but more for me.
Finally, looking at your BG readings and your hba1c results that are tumbling, keep that up and your horrible metformin dose could well be reduced, and as for the here and now if you're feeling that low have a blowout, just something you really fancy mate, have it and then draw a line under it and get back on the horse so to speak, hot cross buns are my nemesis, I buy them for my grandkids but often sneak one or two in a fit of anti-diabetic sabotage, it bangs my BG up a few notches for a little while but I know enough now how to right the wrongs so to speak.
So Patrick all in all don't be so down, look hard for that light at the end of the tunnel it might not be a train coming, count your blessings and give your loved ones a hug, you can do this, you have been doing this, and doing it well.
Good luck.

 

[lucylocket61]

One of the symptoms of my high blood sugar was depression and a low mood. Gradually all my other symptoms reduced, leaving the low mood and depression until last. The absence of the other symptoms highlighted my low mood and depression, so they appeared to have got worse as there was nothing else masking them.

Could that be happening with you maybe? I really appreciate your frankness and honesty and willingness to share the negative, as well as positive, parts of your diabetes journey.

My son also cannot wear clothes others have worn. Could you buy a belt for your trousers, and maybe add some holes to it as you need to?

 

[lucylocket61]

Forgot to add - you could sew the side seams in your shirts in a bit to make them less baggy, just remember to take an even amount in on either side.

I am another one who found Metformin made my sense of taste go horrible, metallic and everything was tasteless. Or you could be coming down with a bug.

When my sons anxiety increases, his sensory issues get worse, and so we then focus on good textures he likes.

 

[Patrick66]

I found that my sense of taste was altered by taking the tablets, and it took some time to recover - though I still can't drink tea due to association with the learned sensation.
There was an interesting program on BBC Radio 4 about belief and behaviour, which was close to being illegal under the rules of medical ethics where people believed what they were told and acted as though it was true.
Reminds me of the way some HCPs react when told someone is diabetic.....
Ah - I digress - what I was going to suggest was using small amounts of herbs and spices. Really small - because if, like me, you are a 'super taster' you will have been telling people that flavours were too strong most of your life, and not being taken seriously because it is not all that common. Most super tasters cut out the foods which overpower their senses, but when there is an opportunity - when something alters the sense of taste, you could have an opportunity to re-educate yourself using small amounts of fresh herbs and the tiniest amounts of spices - which of course are how much should be used for maximum benefit and enjoyment.
Try cutting up a couple of leaves of mint and putting them into a closed container with some strawberries for an hour before eating, or stabbing the strawberries with a fork and dusting them with a minute amount of freshly ground black pepper. Even if you hate the result, it might give you an idea of what to try next.
It might be worthwhile consulting your doctor and suggesting that you cut out the most likely suspects from your drug regime to see if you feel better without them.
I was verging on suicidal taking Metformin and Atorvastatin - both of which I was told were beneficial and benign.

I’m on Metformin and Atorvastatin and have had very few issues. Just emphasises how different we all are when it comes to drugs and side effects.
I was suicidal last year, stockpiling pills...still am to a degree, but that was circumstances rather than the drugs which I’ve been on for years.
But thanks, any advice or suggestions most gratefully received.

 

[Member496333]

Not sure how true this is but I’ve read that statins can cause depression?

 

[Patrick66]

Forgot to add - you could sew the side seams in your shirts in a bit to make them less baggy, just remember to take an even amount in on either side.

I am another one who found Metformin made my sense of taste go horrible, metallic and everything was tasteless. Or you could be coming down with a bug.

When my sons anxiety increases, his sensory issues get worse, and so we then focus on good textures he likes.

I just think that the blandness of the food might be contributing to my loss of interest. I’ve been on Metformin for years and my taste is sometimes okay and then other times not. But yes, sensory issues abound.

 

[Patrick66]

Not sure how true this is but I’ve read that statins can cause depression?

Ah Jim, every pill I take lists depression as a possible side effect. I’ve been depressed for longer than I’ve been on anything but yes I am sure you are right that statins play their own role in their own way.

 

[Patrick66]

One of the symptoms of my high blood sugar was depression and a low mood. Gradually all my other symptoms reduced, leaving the low mood and depression until last. The absence of the other symptoms highlighted my low mood and depression, so they appeared to have got worse as there was nothing else masking them.

Could that be happening with you maybe? I really appreciate your frankness and honesty and willingness to share the negative, as well as positive, parts of your diabetes journey.

My son also cannot wear clothes others have worn. Could you buy a belt for your trousers, and maybe add some holes to it as you need to?

I don’t need a belt, I just need a series of holes lol.

I think I have a depressive personality. Never really happy no matter what I do...apart from travel of course. And with Anhedonia, that loss of pleasure in everything does affect appetite as well.

 

[Member496333]

You need an infinitely adjustable belt. Holes are so last century

 

[KK123]

Hi Patrick, may I ask exactly what foods you were eating and enjoying before all of this? What is it you desperately miss or have you always found food tasteless? Maybe we can give some alternatives for the handful of things you used to eat and love? There's not much point us fantasising about kale if we hate it, and it must be so much harder for someone who is (maybe) a stickler for routine.

 

[Happy hippy]

The last couple of days have just been too hard.

Food has become a major issue because my taste buds just don't seem to be making anything taste nice at all.

I am struggling with everything. Nothing I eat, and I do mean nothing, tastes nice.

I seem to be going round in circles. No time nor energy to cook anything, problems at home, fed up at work and whether I fast or not seems, right now, to be immaterial.
I ate salad yesterday. Full of leafy greens and tomatoes that tasted bitter and vile. Went home to cook pork chops, tasteless. Had some strawberries, watery.
I'm tired. Tired of the diet. Tired of the restrictions. I try variety but it all tastes the same. Cant face breakfast and even my early morning cuppa, after a sip to take my meds, goes undrunk.
I've lost 24 lb now. My clothes don't fit. People comment on my shirts being baggy and hanging off. My trousers, even three inches smaller round the waist, are too big. Now I feel I just look silly and I cant afford to constantly replace clothes which are, almost all, now too big.

I look at recipes but half the stuff we need I cant find or, for reasons I cannot quite understand, cost exorbitant prices. It just feels like one thing after another and I am so tired and depressed by this.

I thought it would get easier.

But its got harder and I have lost the will to carry on.

 

[Happy hippy]

Hi Patrick. I totally get you, I feel the same except for loosing weight ( which I really need to) I’m type two and I have high sugars all the time because I eat the wrong things just because they actually have some taste.
I feel for you, loosing your taste buds is awful.
I do hope some one here can suggest help for you.
Kind Regards
Maddy

 

[Patrick66]

Hi Patrick, may I ask exactly what foods you were eating and enjoying before all of this? What is it you desperately miss or have you always found food tasteless? Maybe we can give some alternatives for the handful of things you used to eat and love? There's not much point us fantasising about kale if we hate it, and it must be so much harder for someone who is (maybe) a stickler for routine.

Well I had a sweet tooth so that’s not helped.

Potatoes, mash, chips, a biscuit with my tea, a pizza, a fish finger sandwich...lots of things.

 

[Patrick66]

Hi Patrick. I totally get you, I feel the same except for loosing weight ( which I really need to) I’m type two and I have high sugars all the time because I eat the wrong things just because they actually have some taste.
I feel for you, loosing your taste buds is awful.
I do hope some one here can suggest help for you.
Kind Regards
Maddy

That’s very kind, thank you.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I don’t need a belt, I just need a series of holes lol.

This is the type of belt I use .