just been to drs, thoughts please?

[ktann]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone could give me their thoughts?

I have just been to the Drs, I am due to go next thursday for a blood test but I have really not been feeling well so thought I'd go and see if they could do it sooner. They can't but she did a finger prick test and it was just over 7. I had had a small bowl of frosties just over 2 hours before, is this normal?

for about 6 weeks i have been drinking loads, constantly thirsty and going to the toilet constantly, I didnt think anything of it but my boyfriend told me to ask the dr as i was annoying him keep getting out of bed to go to the toilet as it seems to be worse at night but since last thursday I have started feeling unwell, Ive had a constant unshifting headache, im really tired, feel weak and short of breath at time, last night i was boiling hot and felt a little off balance with things feeling like they were going round if i had my eyes closed.

I tend to feel worse as the day goes on, its like feeling flu-ey but not if that makes sense.

Although i am ok now i have a history of anorexia which the dr said can cause diabetes sometimes?

Does anyone have any advice or thoughts? If I have diabetes because of my past history with anorexia I will be annoyed and feel like I have done it to myself and especially as i am finally over it and worked hard to do so and my blood always being ok through it all and for this to potenially happen...

Thanks
x

 

[daisy1]

Hi ktann and welcome to the forum You will have to wait until you have had your blood test and the results to be able to know if you have diabetes - we cannot diagnose for you on this forum. But I can give you some basic information, written by the forum monitors, which could be useful to you whether you turn out to be diabetic or not. Good luck with your appointment

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed diabetics. We hope that these few ideas gained through experience help you to gain control and give you some understanding of Diabetes. This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

This is NOT a low carb diet suggestion, just a reduction in your intake of carbohydrate. You have to decide yourself how much of a reduction will keep your blood glucose levels in control.

The main carbs to avoid OR reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

If you are on Insulin you may find that reducing the carb intake also means that you can reduce your dose of insulin. This can help you to keep weight gain down as Insulin tends to make you put on weight and eventually cause insulin resistance. This should be done slowly so as not to cause hypos.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating, then two hours after eating, you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the effect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.


As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try!!

If you are an Insulin user in theory you should have no problem getting test strips.

The latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l........(Type 1 & 2)
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.....( Type 2)

2hrs after meals....... no more than 9 mmol/l ......(Type 1)

If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

The above is just general advice and it is recommended that you discuss with your HCP before making any changes. You can also ask questions on the forum on anything that is not clear.

Sue/Ken.

 

[Snodger]

Although i am ok now i have a history of anorexia which the dr said can cause diabetes sometimes?

Does anyone have any advice or thoughts? If I have diabetes because of my past history with anorexia I will be annoyed and feel like I have done it to myself and especially as i am finally over it and worked hard to do so and my blood always being ok through it all and for this to potenially happen...

I've not come across anything that says anorexia leads to diabetes (I'm studying Type 1 at the moment). I've come across stuff that says that deficiencies in certain things may play a part in causing both anorexia and diabetes. I've also come across lots and lots of stuff which says that more Type 1 diabetics have eating disorders than non-diabetics - but this is not saying anorexia causes diabetes, it's saying that managing Type 1 can trigger eating disorders. It could be that your doc read that eating disorders are associated with diabetes and assumed that the eating disorders cause the diabetes rather than the other way round?
Either way, don't feel angry with yourself. If you have got through anorexia you have every right to congratulate yourself and certainly don't think that it caused diabetes.