Pre- diabetes to diabetes

[Mary olderone]

Hi. I am new here. I have been feeling very unwell with severe leg pain, very fatigued, hungry and peeing 30+ times a day and through the night...petrified of going to doctor or hospital because of covid19. Would a diabetes test bought online be a good indicator before ringing the doctor ?
Thank you x

 

[ianpspurs]

Hi. I am new here. I have been feeling very unwell with severe leg pain, very fatigued, hungry and peeing 30+ times a day and through the night...petrified of going to doctor or hospital because of covid19. Would a diabetes test bought online be a good indicator before ringing the doctor ?
Thank you x

Hi. I understand your worries. I would say contact your GP but appointments are likely to be severely disrupted. If they are, I would buy a blood glucose testing meter and some strips - really I would say do that as well anyhow. Test first thing in the morning and from then on before every meal and 2 hours later. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html is a good place to start. If you are above those levels take a good hard look at the carbohydrate levels in your food, reduce those and observe the difference. Hope this helps.

 

[Goonergal]

Would a diabetes test bought online be a good indicator before ringing the doctor ? Thank you x

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I would always advise checking with your doctor in connection with any new medical symptoms. My GP surgery has introduced a system called e-consult so you can ask questions and get advice remotely. Might be worth checking whether there is something similar in your area.

There are some reputable companies that offer private blood tests that you can do from home. Medichecks is one (I have used them) and their HbA1c (which is the test you’d need) can be ordered and processed by post, using a blood sample you take yourself with a finger pricking device. Fair warning, they’re a bit brutal!

In the meantime you can help yourself by modifying what you eat and drink to reduce carbohydrate consumption. Please see the link below for some starter information and also check out dietdoctor.com

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

 

[Mary olderone]

Thank you

 

[Pipp]

Just a thought, @Mary olderone . As GP surgeries are busy right now, if you cannot get an early appointment, some pharmacies will do a simple finger sample blood test with the sort of meter and test strips many people with diabetes use. Pharmacies will also be very busy at the moment, I know, but perhaps easier to access.

 

[Daphne917]

Hi. I am new here. I have been feeling very unwell with severe leg pain, very fatigued, hungry and peeing 30+ times a day and through the night...petrified of going to doctor or hospital because of covid19. Would a diabetes test bought online be a good indicator before ringing the doctor ?
Thank you x

My GP surgery is doing phone consultations initially and then deciding whether or not they need to see you. They have also arranged appointments to ensure there are not too many patients waiting at the same time.