me again.

[paganlass]

hi everyone, as you all know im helping mum with her diabetes. things are not going well. mums wobbles are getting worse. she can hardly stand now and she is soo dipressed that today she told me she is and has been for some time considering suicide!! i was distraught i dont know what to do anymore. when mum was on diet and metformin she never had these wobbles yes she had highish bg levels 7s and8s but she never felt ill like she does now.
what i would like to ask you all is, if her hbc level were 7.7 then 6 months later 8.9 then 6 months later 9.9 and with no advice on diet was she put on insulin. does it not seem more sensible to address the diet first before putting her on insulin?
can we stop the insulin and see if her wobbles stop?
she has been told there is nothing wrong with the nerves in her head ( she had a mri scan ) and she has had her legs and feet tested and was told she doesnt have diabetes in them.
if we stopped the insulin but kept the metformin what could happen?
please help i dont know what else to do for her!

 

[jopar]

As you know not being a doctor etc I can’t advice to stop any medication, you really need the advice of your mum’s doctor concerning whether stopping insulin and also to check other probable causes of mum wobbles

But other things to consider are…

Mum’s blood pressure?

What is mums blood pressure?
Does mum take any medication for blood pressure?
When she gets the wobbles, does this happen after she stood up?
It is possible that even though mum seems to have normal blood pressure, that when she stands that it actually dropping low and causing this effect… So perhaps it might be an idea to get her doctor to check both her sitting and standing blood pressures…

Is mum constipated?
Has mum got a urine infection?
Is mum anaemic?

These are just some other examples that might play a part in mums wobbles

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi paganlass,
Sorry to hear about mum.
Jopar has made some good points that need addressing.
The fact that she feels suicidal is now a major concern for you and it needs assessment a.s.a.p. She is not going to feel any better about things if she is depressed. DO you think that anxiety, usually associated with depression , is causing her to be unsteady? This can manifest itself in some odd ways. Headaches, feeling faint, panicking about everything etc.

If you have no faith in her Dr. then it might be a good idea to discuss things with National Health Direct over the phone tonight. If you are happy for her Dr. to be involved then you need to phone for a home visit.
Hope this helps and am sorry that things are not getting any better.
Catherine.

 

[paganlass]

hi jopar and catherinecherub thanks for relying,
jopar as far as i know her blood pressure is ok she takes 3 bloodpressure tablets a day but i never thought about that before, and she does only have it when she stands up or she notices it more when she stands up.she is not constipated or aneanic but she has been going to the toilet more so i could see if its a urine infection but she has had these wobbles for ages now and instead of getting better they are getting worse, they started as soon as she started on the insulin 2 and half years ago although nowhere near as bad as they are now. thay get even worse if she is stressed or upset. she says she could cope with the diabetes if she could lead a normal life without having to cling on to furniture every time she wants to move. she says she would rather be dead than live like this any longer.she was a very strong woman in her youth and i find it really difficult to see her like this .only 3yrs ago she was really positive.i think the consultant has frightened her to death telling her( diabetes is like cancer its going to kill you in the end! ). she is so obsessed that she does her bloods 5 times per day and more if she feels funny ect.
catherinecherub i dont know if they will help me, the helpline just sends a doc who just doesnt understand. last time mums bg was 11.1 and he said oh yes thats fine!!! what do i do??

 

[catherinecherub]

Hi paganlass,
I know that mum has problems with her diabetes. As you say, the education she has received from the medics is poor. Try reinforcing that she will feel more her old self once she gets it under control. I have found that some b.p. medications make you feel unwell and it is trial and error getting the right combination. It may be an ear or sinus problem, affecting her balance.
What concerns me is the fact that she has now voiced her fears that her depression is pulling her down and she is feeling suicidal. Whatever the medical problem is or is not, she finds things getting worse on a daily basis because of her mental state.
I think you need to return to the Dr. as mum now has two problems, medical and mental health. They go hand in hand and they need to be assessed. If she gets the medical one sorted then her mental health will improve. Try explaining that, regardless of her control of the diabetes, your poor mum cannot be expected to go on like this. I know it is difficult and you have to assert how you are feeling as you watch your poor mum suffer. Ask them how you are expected to cope if you do not know what is causing her to feel this way. It is no good Dr's coming out and taking her blood sugar levels, this will not solve her ongoing problems.
Hope this helps,
Catherine

 

[Trinkwasser]

Agree that she needs a better workup from some form of specialist ASAP, can you get her referred to a hospital consultant? It's plausible she may have an allergy or similar to the insulin, she may be reacting badly to one or more of the blood pressure meds, she may have a chronic infection like labyrynthitis, or it may be something completely different. Either way you badly need someone to find out what it is, not fob her off.