Babooshka59
Newbie
- Messages
- 4
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
Update, and I can't say I'm very happy. I finally got that telephone call from the diabetes nurse on 28 May, 28 days after I was told my HbA1c had risen again sharply, and they'd need to speak to me. I told her my concerns and she didn't seem worried. She also couldn't give any reason as to why my number has risen despite losing 21 pounds/9.5 kilos since the start of this year. She then suggested I have a C Peptide blood test, as she put it to see if my pancreas is still creating insulin. That appointment for bloods was made for 11 June, with a follow up on 18 June to actually go in and see her.
Two days ago I started getting odd sensations in my hands and (to a lesser extent) my feet, like pins and needles tingling but also a bit like nettle rash after you've been stung. A few little shooting pains to start, but the sensations grew in frequency until I was quite alarmed yesterday when they were constant and over both hands up beyond wrists by mid afternoon. I also had some tingling periodically on my face so I checked out the NHS 111 online pages. There's a specific area for Diabetes, so I followed the prompts and ended up getting a message that suggested I'd get a call within 6 hours. That was at 4.38pm.
I got the call at 12.45am, woke up and stumbled downstairs to the landline. The duty doctor seemed unconcerned, said he wasn't there to manage my diabetes, which I thught was rather dismissive. I said I'd requested a call beause I was concerned about these odd feelings, and was not that happy with the way my diabetes is being treated. Obviously it is not possible to talk to anyone at the surgery over a weekend. I told him I'd been eating erratically since last Thursday, tring to avoid anything that had even a trace of sugar (almost impossible as most 'food' amd ingredients are full of sugar; no wonder the UK has a Diabetic 'epidemic'!) and therefore ate very little generally. No comment to that but he did admit that having to wait a month after getting a high bloods result 'wasn't ideal'. He said to contact the surgery today, so I'll do that but I just wanted someone to tell me if there was any need for concern, especially as my blood test is still almost a fortnight away, and he didnt respond.
Is it just me being over sensitive or is the foregoing not such a good response and should I expect better? One thing the 111 Doctor did say was that if I'm unable to tolerate Meformin there are other meds that can be tried apart from Dapagliflozin, which was news to me. The impression I have isthat that's the only two meds they can offer. At one point last year I'd been left without any Diabetes meds at all when I had to stop using Metformin, and it was some months before Dapagliflozin was suggested after I again contacted the surgery and voiced my concerns about my health.
I can only compare my Diabetes care with my brother's, whose seems to be very good with regular appoinmtments face to face with the Diabetes nurse, he also gets to see her very quickly if he has any concerns at all, but he's Type 1 and he lives in London so services are probably better there.
Kiwigal, thank you for suggesting keeping an eye on any differences pre-and post-COVID. I speak (via video call) this afternoon with the hospital Long COVID doctor, who was lovely when we spoke in January, so I'll ask what he thinks.
Frustratingly, I can't recall exectly when I started getting the digestive issues on Metformin slow release, if I could I'd know if it was likely to be COVID related. I'd go for a private second opinion over the whole Diabetes issue if I could afford to, but can't as my only income is from disability benefits, and I'm worried they'll soon be culled. The Diabetes nurse told me that HbA1C can rise when someone is under stess (which was news to me) and the past 5 years have been incredibly stressful, but more so during the past 12 months.
Hope you get some answers soon.I went to GP appointment unexpected this week.. got early sinus infection so my GP gave me Type 1 Diabetes blood tests paperwork... c-peptide, insulin (fasting), glucose random, GAD Ab, Islet cell Ab etc. Which I will get blood test done next week.
GP decided not to do Glucose Tolerance Test - the yucky glucose drink test due to I'm on Ozempic which it will need to be stopped for weeks before GTT so it is unsuitable to stop Ozempic for weeks, esp my glucose will rise up within week.
Tomorrow is Long Covid specialist appointment. Fun times.
Hi, I am type 2 metformin and gliclazide. HBa1c was 49 in late 2023. Pharmacist at practice stop gliclazide and reduced metformin from 3x500 to 2x500. Replaced gliclazide with 10mg dapaglilisin. Fasting levels rocketed to 9 to 10.5 having been 5.5 to 6. Despite advising doctor of change I was made to wait 3 months for HBa1c in Jan 24. This gad increased to 61 and my retinopathy test was appalling. Nearly 18months later after restarting gliclazide it is back to normal.I'm Type 2 diabetic, and as I was finding it hard to tolerate Metformin due to digestive issues my GP prescribed Dapaglifloxin, which I have been taking since February. I've also managed to shed 20 pounds in weight this year, despite having a recognised eating disorder (binge eater) and Long COVID, which depletes my energy so I am eating more carbs than I ought just to get my energy levels up. I still need to lose another 20 pounds to get back to the weight I was before my health began to slide, and have been told by the GP practice's diabetic nurse that it is very possible I can still go into remission if I manage that. I therefore expected my HbA1c readings to improve when I had my last test a few weeks ago, but they have shot up since last time to the highest reading ever for me (76) despite the new meds and the weight loss, and also me taking more exercise (about an hour a day gentle walking, in spurts around a private dog walking field). So this increased HbA1c result is disappointing to say the least, and I'm also worried. Have others here experienced similar on this drug? I also seem to be constantly peeing, up to 4 times an hour during the day on occasion, and at least twice in the night. I also suspect I am dehydrated as I find it difficult to remember to take fluids (been like it since I was a kid, I just don't feel thirst) and can't drink much at a sitting. My skin has become very 'loose' and wrinkled looking, especially my hands and arms, and I sometimes wake in the night with a very dry mouth. I'm reluctant to keep drinking more and more (I drink mostly water) as it seems the moment I do I need to visit the loo. I've no idea how much extra fluid I ought to be taking on this drug as the leaflet doesn't say. I'm due a call from the practice diabetic nurse on 28th April, but not expecting much help as I don't feel they are particularly concerned about my situation, and I rarely seem to get any specific answers to questions I raise with them. I'm 65, and was diagnosed in 2018.
Hope you get some answers soon.
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