Not feeling too great-advice please

[ladybird64]

Hi all, I'm after some advice please.

Quick background for those who don't know, type 2, not on meds yet but thinking through my options.

I haven't been able to test my BG for a while now and have had some rather odd things going on...I wondered if they may be signs of anything dodgy. I have also had a very busy week (quite a stressful one too) so maybe physical and mental tiredness could be affecting me.

I have had an unusual thirst for the past few days (yep, I know that isn't the best sign) but I have also had ravenous hunger. Now this is strange, I don't mean the "ooh I fancy crisps/pizza/ice cream/goodie of your choice" but I mean an insatiable need to eat, including straight after a meal.
I am overweight (by a lot) but this isn't usual for me, not this feeling of not having eaten enough when I have just eaten!

I have got some serious itching, particularly on my fingers and palms. I do have eczema but again, this hasn't been a problem for years and this type of itching is unusual. Also seeing as I'm among friends I shall be truthful and say that..ahem..certain female areas are irritated too.

I am on diuretic tablets for water retention but have swollen up like a flaming balloon today, under my eyes I have sacks not bags. And to top it all off, as I am of a certain age (47), I'm not sure if I can put these symptoms down to that. Joking aside, I feel pretty rough.

Does any of this sound Diabetes related? I know the drinking can be but the rest?

grateful for any opinions please.

 

[ClaireG 06]

Thrush can defiantly be diabetes related. I also get itching elsewhere sometimes if my blood sugars are high. Also feel thirsty and sometimes hungry like you describe.

As you can't check you own levels i would make an appointment with the Dr or Nurse as soon as you can. If you feel any worse or get any sickness at all, then i would phone NHS Direct for advice.

 

[WhitbyJet]

ladybird64 - you had a very stressful week, you have been eating more than you normally do, the itching and thrush all point towards high bg levels to me. Can you do a test?

I don't know about the fluid retention, do you take water tablets for blood pressure? I know you said that you are very thirsty, so probably drinking plenty but it might not be enough, high bg levels and high blood pressure (<stress) play havoc with the whole body.

I suggest that you see what your bg is running at, and relax as much as possible and eat good food, see if that makes you feel better. If not, then seek medical advice, either on Monday from your own doctor or NHSdirect or A&E before then.

Did you eat lots of carby foods? I used to find that whenever I ate carbs I was hungry again almost straight after, so the hunger could be due to that?

I hope you feel better soon.

 

[CollieBoy]

Ladybird,
As Whitby Jet says, When I eat anything carby, the result is hunger, worse than not eating!! :shock: So my solution is to cut the carby foods as much as possible, and eat proteins and some fats (NO, not lettuce leaf slabbered with lard :lol: <G>)
Good luck with finding your solution.
Fergus.

 

[ladybird64]

Thanks for the advice folks.

We all know carby foods and what are suitable amounts are in the eye of the beholder ( :wink: ) but thinking it through, I had eaten a heck of a lot last week. Not deliberately, as I said, it hadn't been the best week and I have eating without really thinking about what's on the plate..we are all human aren't we?

Claire-am feeling a bit brighter this morning and I really prefer to avoid docs like the plague unless I am really ill.

WJ- I am taking meds for blood pressure (reluctantly!) Ramipril, as well as Bendroflumethazide, also for BP and water retention. To be truthful with you, I can't test any longer as I cannot afford the strips-GP doesn't feel testing is necessary for type 2's.

Fergus-I am not a low carber but more power to your elbow. :wink: Joking aside, I have cut down amounts, half the levels of bread, pasta, spuds etc but have realised this week that if I eat too much of them, I really don't feel too good. I was having a very difficult week and hadn't got around to buying Burgen and having my usual salad for lunch (which I do enjoy by the way) and ate large quantities of pasta etc including a take away with a ton of rice..not intentional, just when your mind is on other things, well..life happens.

So I am back on my previous regime, not going without but just a bit of sensible cutting down, watching the portions and see how things go. I think it is safe to say that for me personally, the more starchy foods I eat, the hungrier I feel. I have witnessed that for myself now but of course others may react differently.

As always, i appreciate the caring and non judgemental advice I get here..it's a brilliant place.

 

[angieG]

I know you say you prefer to avoid doctors, but since you have been feeling rough and your doctor will not let you have test strips why not book an appointment, tell him you feel rough and get him to test your levels as you think you are high. If you are then it may persuade him to write you a prescription....worth a try??
Best of luck
Angie

 

[dwilson32392]

Dear Ladybird

I recently got strips at a Lloyds Pharmacy for the same price that the NHS pays (£14 for 50 instead of £26) by telling them that I was a registered diabetic.

I have also had a meter and strips for free from Bayer's Contour, by responding to one of their regular adverts on various Diabetes sites, including this one.

I eventually persuaded my GP to start issuing strips by saying that I wanted to adjust my diet to keep blood sugars low, and could I have enough strips to find out what sort of diet would work for me. He was happy to oblige, because assumed that it would only be for a few months. But the resulting improvement in my Hba1c was much better than he expected, and for many years now he has continued to provide strips because he recognises that, in my case at least, the benefits justify the cost.

Testing is vital! I 'ate by the meter' - that is I tested one hour after a meal, and if it was too high, I just cut out some of the carbs from the next meal until I found the level of carbs that didn't cause an unacceptable post-meal spike. Used in this way, it doesn't take many strips to start to bring BG levels down, so long as you act on the information by cutting out the foods that are doing the damage.

ButI do know how you must be feeling - most of us have been there at some point.

David Wilson