Hi All,
Long time since I have actively participated in the forum, although I still read it when I can.
As some of you may know, I am a UK citizen, but currently working and residing in Angola, Africa where support for my Type II condition is virtually non-existent. I do maintain contact with my GP and Diabetic Clinic in the village back home, and I try to visit them whenever I am back on business or holidays.
I recently decided to give up smoking once and for all (after many failed attempts, I hope I finally have it cracked), and because my social lifestyle usually involved a lot of alcohol, I have also given that up ...in the knowledge that if I am drinking I will also be smoking! I do have a single glass of red wine each night after work and it seems to be doing me good, and does not initiate the craving for a cigarette. Over the last few days however, I have noticed some very strange things happening, and I hope the forum members can perhaps offer me some advice or reasoning as to why I am experiencing this, and if it is likely to go away after my body settles down. I have smoked for 40 years (give or take), and I was always a heavy drinker. Since I stopped about 3 weeks ago, my blood sugar has rocketed, and no matter what I do, I do not seem to be able to get it back down to a manageable level again. In the smoking and drinking days I could control it at between 5 and 7 without too much effort (and 2 x 500 mg Metformin daily), but now I can't seem to get below 12, and more often around 14 -15. I try to keep the carbs very low, but to no avail. During the night I visit the bathroom hourly to urinate, and I am drinking water all night long as I feel really dehydrated. I seem to function okay in the office every day, and I even go cycling 2 - 3 times weekly, but at night my legs are always sore and I am in bed before 8.30 pm, absolutely 'knackered'. This is very unusual for me, in that for the last 20 years my sleep requirement has been a maximum of 5 hours per night, usually from midnight to 5.00 am. One night recently I actually slept for 12 hours ...between bathroom visits.
I am getting worried about all this, but I hope it is simply my body re-adjusting after a lifetime of abuse. What do you guys think?
I am on the verge of going back to the old ways, as at least I knew how to handle life then!
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Colin.
Long time since I have actively participated in the forum, although I still read it when I can.
As some of you may know, I am a UK citizen, but currently working and residing in Angola, Africa where support for my Type II condition is virtually non-existent. I do maintain contact with my GP and Diabetic Clinic in the village back home, and I try to visit them whenever I am back on business or holidays.
I recently decided to give up smoking once and for all (after many failed attempts, I hope I finally have it cracked), and because my social lifestyle usually involved a lot of alcohol, I have also given that up ...in the knowledge that if I am drinking I will also be smoking! I do have a single glass of red wine each night after work and it seems to be doing me good, and does not initiate the craving for a cigarette. Over the last few days however, I have noticed some very strange things happening, and I hope the forum members can perhaps offer me some advice or reasoning as to why I am experiencing this, and if it is likely to go away after my body settles down. I have smoked for 40 years (give or take), and I was always a heavy drinker. Since I stopped about 3 weeks ago, my blood sugar has rocketed, and no matter what I do, I do not seem to be able to get it back down to a manageable level again. In the smoking and drinking days I could control it at between 5 and 7 without too much effort (and 2 x 500 mg Metformin daily), but now I can't seem to get below 12, and more often around 14 -15. I try to keep the carbs very low, but to no avail. During the night I visit the bathroom hourly to urinate, and I am drinking water all night long as I feel really dehydrated. I seem to function okay in the office every day, and I even go cycling 2 - 3 times weekly, but at night my legs are always sore and I am in bed before 8.30 pm, absolutely 'knackered'. This is very unusual for me, in that for the last 20 years my sleep requirement has been a maximum of 5 hours per night, usually from midnight to 5.00 am. One night recently I actually slept for 12 hours ...between bathroom visits.
I am getting worried about all this, but I hope it is simply my body re-adjusting after a lifetime of abuse. What do you guys think?
I am on the verge of going back to the old ways, as at least I knew how to handle life then!
Thanks in advance for your comments.
Colin.
I will be visiting the UK again in August, so will be sure to make an appointment to discuss this with the nurse and GP then, but as has been indicated above, I am hopeful that by that time things may have settled down a bit. I just checked my BG before coming online, and it is now 8.0 ...the lowest for a while, so maybe I am beginning to settle down a bit. Almost makes me want to go celebrate with pie, chips and beans for lunch lol ...only joking!