T2 + Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

If you are housebound, then I sincerely hope you have been tested for Vitamin D3 deficiency as it's highly unlikely as you are getting it via sunlight? Also Vitamin B12, folate and iron? A deficiency of any of those vitamins can worsen chronic fatigue symptoms. There is also a very strong correlation between Vitamin D3 deficiency and diabetes. If you haven't already been tested, my suggestion would be to get tested as soon as possible.

It's great that your doctor is so on the ball about vitamin deficiencies - it's pretty rare to find such an open-minded HCP :clap:

My next suggestion would be to try and eliminate gluten/wheat from your diet for a month to see if it makes a difference to how you feel, as fatigue is a very common side effect and food sensitivities (especially gluten/wheat) are a lot more common than previously thought. Gluten sensitivity/coeliac is also highly correlated with diabetes. Here's some articles you might find interesting:

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-com ... nsitivity/
http://www.drbriffa.com/2012/11/30/glut ... ally-does/
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you ... ideo=15895
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you ... ideo=15896
http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you ... ideo=15894
http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

Best wishes,

I have recently been down a 2 year quest to pin down if I had CFS. I am T2 diagnosed in late 1990s principally this was driven by symptoms of extreme tiredness. But then I had other problems from the mid 1990s with my back. As I progressed through the diabetes therapy options - diet, tablets and then insulin injections I was concious of a number of new symptoms which could be attributed to some bad, long lasting adverse side effects from e.g. BP medication, Statins and Rozaglitazone, and Antibiotics

In 2010 I went to my GP when I noticed I could not sign my name and he suspected I had had a stroke, he asked me if I had any other problems and I mentioned that I could not stand up for any length of time. I have had a few minor strokes, but it is still not clear to me if the CT Scan showing the strokes are still a factor in my health issues

The Doc said that was called orthostatic intolerance could be due to CFS so I was referred to a CFS specialist, who initiated an extensive set of blood and BP tests, then had 4 head and spine MRIs, neurological tests, and vascular tests, through a diagnosis of exclusion.

CFS seems very difficult to diagnose and can be attributed to many different causes, and my CFS specialist
used an exclusion diagnosis. He was concluded that I do not have CFS, but the MRI showed a spinal problem which is the cause of my standing and walking problems. I am still hoping I can be cured.

As a non medical person, but trained as an IT Systems Engineer used to doing root cause analysis on system problems my own conclusion is this is a number of problems layered on top of each other, and this exclusion diagnosis used by the CFS specialist is the right way forward for me.

My advice:
1. Make sure you do not complicate the spectrum of problems your might have by getting the best diabetes management you and possibly achieve, and be relentless in continuously improving your own blood sugar performance, be hard on yourself in assessing your own performance very regulalry. Do not be seduced into feeling well and then easing up on your diabetes management and diabetes diary

2. Try to be the best manager of your diabetes symptoms you could possibly be? Do you keep accurate records of your medications, food intake, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugars etc. Do you review how good you are at record keeping and do you see trends in your Blood Sugars by reviewing weekly / monthly?

3.Are you clear on what adverse drug reactions you have? Are you using www.rxlist or something similar to research your medication and its effects? Pain and numbness symptoms led me to some disturbing conclusions on drugs like statins

4. Have you had an extensive CFS exclusion investigation like me, and have you had any other physical tests like brain/Spine MRIs?

5. Another possibly spurious area I investigated was Lyme Disease and Weill's disease as I had a UK camping holiday in a Lyme disease hot spot, and have had intermittetent problems with rats and our rubbish bins in the last 12 years in our new house . An extensive set of blood tests should show up markers of infections for these.

Thats all I can think of for now.

Good luck and stay curious until you find an answer!!

Hi,

Just a really quick one to second Indy51's suggestion to cut out wheat/gluten and actually to extend this to other high carb foods. I don't have T2 (I'm on the forum for my daughter's Type 1) but I did suffer a really bad bout of Chronic Fatigue about 10 years ago. I saw a homeopath called Dr Lockie who told me to cut out all sugar and high carb foods (bananas, potatoes, white flour, bread, rice, etc) from my diet.

You may find this a bit hard initially but it was well worth it - I felt SO much better and was back to my old self within 2 months.

Good luck!

Hi,Foxyccc

I am looking forward to the spring as this is very uplifting for me!

Click to expand...

I think the weather plays quite a important part with your health as you look forward to the spring and your garden.

I hope you have some indoor plants that you can easily look after, and also you have views from your windows to your garden.

In the part of the country you live in,there will be orchards that thrive indoors.

Just a thought to help you while waiting for nice weather. ( I bet you have lovely plants and you can tell me whats best to grow indoors )


Roy

Caron,

I am assuming that you are reasonably sensible about diet, monitor your blood sugars etc.

Caron you are not alone with this problem, quite a lot of diabetics with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome seem to report severe problems with control. The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome messes with hormone levels that affect blood sugar, it also messes with body chemistry that could affect insulin action. This makes it a major problem for all forms of diabetic. This seems to be a severe and very common problem, so much so that I am seriously thinking about trying doing some medical research into it.

I suffer both too and I am trying to get more precise hormone level tests and (if my suspicion is right) therapy at the moment. I would be glad to let you know how I get on.

I would really do with more information to try and help you, its a shame there is no way to 'talk real time on here'. Two things helped for me: Taking smaller meals & bigger snacks (in other words spreading the food out more)

It really seems as if we could do with a support group and telephone hotline all of our own doesn't it?

Empathise fully re the garden too, when highly fatigued love to be out in the garden and just gently drink in the view and the scents.

Brian

I have type 2 diabetes. I have m.s which i have chronic fatigue, and with my blood sugars being high it doesn't matter what I do I can put a washing on and a need to go for a sleep as I'm that excausted.
Its horrible to feel so drained in excausted

@foxyccc Hi!
Its been a fair while since you popped up on these boards. I would love to know how you have coped these past few years. Likewise @caz78. Having ME/CFS is testing enough on a person without adding diabetes on top.