Sexual Dysfunction

[ejstonier]

Hi everyone,

As you can understand I am a little embarrassed to post this as its having to admit that there is a problem, but I've come to a point where this is a problem that is affecting me a lot and I don't know where to start or to go looking for help.

I have been diagnosed as type 2 since May 2014 and have had various medication changes since then. I'm now on 2 Metformin twice a day and canagliflozin which makes you urinate sugar.

I have been married for nearly 4 years and I have noticed ever since I had diabetes a number of things have been affected sexually. I always had a very healthy sex drive and this seems to have diminished drastically. Also the ability to and intensity of orgasm has also pretty much disappeared. I also suffer side effects from canagliflozin. As I am urinating sugar this causes nothing but irritation down there and even though I am following instructions and keeping clean with extra feminine care the side effects persist. Particularly bad during the night.

I know that female sexual dysfunction is not as well researched or spoken about as male, but it is really affecting my personal life now and I don't know where to go or who to turn to. I feel that part of it may be mental also, because of worrying about it.

I was under a clinic for my diabetes but was discharged in November after he put me on canagliflozin and said there was nothing more he could really do for me until I wanted to have a baby. Fat chance of that happening when I'm feeling like this regards sex.

My husband tries to be understanding but he just says "don't worry about it" but I do. It's starting to eat away at me now and I have no idea what to do. Anyone feel like once you have a diagnosis you are kind of just left to get on with it? That's really how I feel.

So sorry to go on, I just wondered if anyone maybe had the same problem or knew where I could go for some help and support.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ejstonier]

I have no idea to be honest. It's never ever been mentioned.

 

[andcol]

Oh dear. If you are getting all those issues because of the irritation I am not surprised you do not feel like it. Why do you not go back to your doctor and tell them about this and get him/her to look at different treatment. What have you tried in respect of diet? I do not mean oysters as an aphrodisiac I mean to control BG levels.

 

[ejstonier]

Well diet wise I haven't done any diet in particular. I have just cut back on things. But I don't always stick to it. I don't have a healthy relationship with food to be honest. Yeah maybe I need to book with Drs, just so busy with full time work, but they don't seem too bothered to be honest, they can't even organise themselves!

 

[andcol]

You can't wait for the Drs. It is your life and not theirs. Your are ultimately accountable to yourself. Take the time off work (says the workaholic).

Why not have a look at either low carb or a short sharp reduced calorie diet (that worked for me and reset my relationship with food - except liquorice )

 

[ejstonier]

Are there any links u know to those kinds of diets or shall I just google it?

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer my post by the way!

 

[Stallen]

@ejstonier As a guy I had irritation, thrush in particular for several years, oddly enough its now seems a thing of the past since I started a LCHF diet in Nov 2015 it was the first thing that improved and cleared up very quickly I noticed it just after a week of starting the diet, alongside heartburn and indigestion problems that had plagued me constantly over the years and they suddenly cleared up.

Somethings are diabetic related, but there are other things such as hormones that can cause sexual dysfunction talk to your GP, when I asked 18 months ago to have my hormones checked my GP dismissed it and offered more pills as it would be my diabetes, slow forward 15 months and through a consultants test it's been proven to be Hormonal and not diabetes related started TRT on DEC 24th 2015 I'm 2 months in to TRT this combined with the diet, I have too say I've not felt this good in several years, and my GP is impressed with my dramatic turn around in health.

There is hope out especially as you are seeking to tackle the problem, it can be quite an odd elephant of a problem that sometimes people allow to just sit in the room, don't be too embarrassed as there are professionals out there that see it as a very routine problem that can be dealt with, so push your GP, I made that mistake of not pushing when I I should have 18 months ago.

Good luck.

 

[andcol]

Have a look at the low carb forum on the site and also at http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf as this will give you an understanding of low carb. If you look at my signature you will find a link to my first 3 monthjourney which you may find will give you some ideas

 

[ejstonier]

Stallen, thank you so much. I think I will definitely give that a look in. I felt a bit embarrassed posting but I just needed help in knowing where to go first!

At the risk of sounding thick, what does LCHF stand for? I'm guessing Low Carb.....something.

 

[Finsky]

Well diet wise I haven't done any diet in particular. I have just cut back on things. But I don't always stick to it. I don't have a healthy relationship with food to be honest. Yeah maybe I need to book with Drs, just so busy with full time work, but they don't seem too bothered to be honest, they can't even organise themselves!

I've just got over a itchiness that have been on going thing for over a year (resulting after antibiotic course)....and medicines didn't offer any other help but temporary relief (and more you clean and 'make fuss' over those areas the worst you make the situation). When you pass sugar through your water works, it just feeds the yeast and itch is back.
Until you get your blood sugar levels under control and diet in right place there is no permanent relief.
My answer for the itchy problem was cutting down with carbs and increasing fats.
As for you appetite for those other activities...sorry...can't help you with that....can't say that I have found 'miracle pill' for that. I suspect things might improve naturally once you start feeling better in general. I was warned when I was diagnosed being diabetic that 'these things happen and there is not much that can be done about it...', so I kind of settled to that + I'm not getting any younger neither..but it is all in a day, sometimes there is 'flare up' and 'old' girl show its true colours...so it is not all lost..yet...

 

[Stallen]

It's Low Carb High Fat.

My long winded route went via GP, then took the unorthodox route rheumatology, urology, endocrinologist = problem solved.

So don't be embarrassed just keep going at the problem, hopefully a diet change might solve it for you, as I know in my case high BG and trush were a very tiring combination that can leave you feeling low and down in general add that to daily stresses like work etc it's not a good place to be in.

 

[andcol]

low carb high fat - when you replace the calories from carbs you add fat in its place. For example nuts, butter, cheese, cream. Most find they lose weight and come off medication and they get much improved blood glucose levels

 

[Mike d]

Stallen, thank you so much. I think I will definitely give that a look in. I felt a bit embarrassed posting but I just needed help in knowing where to go first!

At the risk of sounding thick, what does LCHF stand for? I'm guessing Low Carb.....something.

LCHF = Low Carb Hi Fat

 

[ejstonier]

Sorry for delayed reply, just on lunch. Wow thank you all for the advice. Is the LCHF diet recommended when I'm already over weight. I've had a little look and it looks quite drastic, but if it works then I would definitely give it a go.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Two things. When you have high blood sugar the body will dump it in the urine and with the canagliflozin it may be worse as it encourages urination with sugar. Candida (thrush) often results. At diagnosis I had candida as a male and it went as soon as my blood sugar went down. Ref diets don't look specifically for a branded diet unless you need to join a group for the motivation; even then watch that the branded foods are low-carb. You need to think of it as a change of diet for life. This means keeping the carbs down and having enough proteins and fats to keep you feeling full. I don't use the term LCHF as it implies high-fat which it shouldn't be; just have enough. Fat is not bad for us despite what we have been told; it's the carbs that pile on the weight and cause raised blood sugar. I have eggs and bacon for breakfast and just had a cheese sandwich (thin slices of bread and multi-grain!) for lunch.

 

[Stallen]

I lost around 20kg in the 3 months that I've been on the LCHF diet my BMI is under 23, I eat every 2-3 hrs throughout the day. It seems the more good fats I consume, the more satisfied and less hungry than if I were consuming empty carbs which I was doing.

I keep my portion sizes fairly small as with any diet if you over do the calorific numbers you'll gain weight, more important would be to switch over from carbs to fat for fuel, which should lower your BG and help with irritation.

I only started looking at the calories once my BG were coming down, I increased my exercise mainly walking to help offset the impact of the higher fats, I really didn't need to be as strict as I have been, but it's not been at all difficult, the smaller high fat portions compared to a larger carb portion are more filling and the energy gained from fats, are released over a longer period of time, which helps the the body stay fuelled and focused for longer than the starchy carbs would do. That's been my take on it so far.

 

[Stallen]

Sorry for delayed reply, just on lunch. Wow thank you all for the advice. Is the LCHF diet recommended when I'm already over weight. I've had a little look and it looks quite drastic, but if it works then I would definitely give it a go.

It is a little drastic but you end up eating what's good for you, rather than the mass of processed sugar filled poo that the supermarkets are filled with, depending on what foods you like you may find it not that hard, luckily I'm happy eating things like Avocardo, butter, cheese, green smoothies etc I'm at the end of my losing weight on the LCHF diet so have been adding a few extra things like half a banana into smoothies and the odd stile of low carb bread, lidl in particular do a good high protein roll.

The forum has plenty of LC content to digest, but do be warned reading and researching the food threads, can make you a bit peckish.

 

[Totto]

Loss of libido is unfortunately a very common sign of low thyroid function, along with a lot more including fatigue. Google hypothyroidism signs and symptoms and see if it fits.

LCHF can actually help for some reason and it certainly helps with diabetes control and often weight loss too. Check out the Dietdoctor, brilliant site.

 

[Liam1955]

@ejstonier - Hi, go to the top of the page and click on Forums, scroll down to FOOD and NUTRITION and there you will see all sorts of diets. Hope this is of some help to you

 

[CollieBoy]

Stallen, thank you so much. I think I will definitely give that a look in. I felt a bit embarrassed posting but I just needed help in knowing where to go first!

At the risk of sounding thick, what does LCHF stand for? I'm guessing Low Carb.....something.

@ejstonier
The others say Low Carb, High Fat, I say highER fat, because you don't need to be chewing sticks of lard, just make sure you eat enouigh GOOD fats to stave off the hunger. (buttered veg, fullfat dairy and nuts may do it for you)!
p.s. good luck in getting your meds /sex problem sorted. (While you get sorted keep up with the "love making" 'til the sex comes back up. )