Tired and lathargic all the time with aches all over

Hi there.
I work full time and find exercise works at giving me energy but it is a struggle to get motivated. I am also considering changing my diet to low carbs.
I have only had t1 for 3 yrs and still not got sugars under control. Like today 27 high and still awake at 0125 bringing them down. Seems working is the only time I get them down.



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Hi Lizzie,

If you can try to avoid them spiking above 10. I have seen from my own reactions that when they get a bit high even though I have the insulin and they do lower what makes me tired is actually going from the high back down. I get the rush of energy when it starts but then just get exhaused afterwards and the higher it starts off the worst it is. Still trying to figure out why...

> Just want to know how people work full time and get home and have a normal social life.

Must admit I bloody admire you for managing it! I used to do that, worked from 8am until 9pm in the City, eventually ended up in a diabetic coma. Think for us as we need to keep the stress levels this is very hard to do. Wish sometimes a day would have at least 48hrs! (providing we weren't working 40 of them!).

Frankie

I would agree with the exercise, it is hard to get motivated but after the first couple of weeks I felt so much better


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I have suffered from this. I agree that spikes are exhausting and that exercise (though it seems like the last thing to want to do maybe!) will help. Try gentle yoga poses first for relaxing and stretching. Find some healthy snacks that you can love. Be really kind to yourself and that means looking after your health.

Iv been type one for a month now and have my sugars under control between 5 and 8 but I have no energy ever it feels like I have 2dead arms and basically a 24/7 hang over. Iv been low carbing now for 3weeks too so my body should of adjusted to the diet by now right? I have gone from 7.5 stone to 10 in 3 weeks tho could this be why?

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DanielBail said:

Iv been type one for a month now and have my sugars under control between 5 and 8 but I have no energy ever it feels like I have 2dead arms and basically a 24/7 hang over. Iv been low carbing now for 3weeks too so my body should of adjusted to the diet by now right? I have gone from 7.5 stone to 10 in 3 weeks tho could this be why?

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Jeez Daniel!! 2.5 stone in 3 weeks but on low carb?? I realise that it was the undiagnosed type 1 that made u lose the weight and the 10 stone is probably even under ur ideal weight, but wot d'hell u eating, if not more carbs, to put on that much weight yet ur BG's are fine?

Apart from the weight explanation, u maybe just have caught something that making u feel 24/7 hangover, or u could have ketones in ur blood as they can be there even when BG's are normal, so perhaps get some ketodiastix on prescription and check, but if u do have ketones in ur blood, then any exercise/everyday activities will pump the ketones thro ur system quicker, therefore making it more dangerous 4 u and causing even more 24/7 hangover feelings!

Or it could be simply that because ur on low carbs, that ur not getting enough energy from food for ur daily routine. If u feel dizzy, then this is probably the reason why.

lizdeluz said:

I have suffered from this. I agree that spikes are exhausting and that exercise (though it seems like the last thing to want to do maybe!) will help. Try gentle yoga poses first for relaxing and stretching. Find some healthy snacks that you can love. Be really kind to yourself and that means looking after your health.

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Exercising when ur blood sugars were high was an old way to get them reduced....however, newer research shows that only type 2 diabetics can do this as they do not get ketones, whereas type 1 do and it can be more dangerous to type 1's to exercise or do any normal activities (as they all use up energy) while their BG is high as ketones are usually present and then the poisonous ketones will travel around ur body quicker, therefore making u more sick.

It's also worth noting that ketones can occur in ur blood even when BG levels are normal (not sure why this happens), so maybe this is what u are all getting that is making feelings of tiredness/ lack of energy etc. Get ketodiastix on prescription and check ur urine for them, but to overcome this, all u can really do is rest for a few days, continue to take normal insulin or the insulin ratio u are on to keep BG's normal, drink plenty of water and u should be fine after a few days.

Iv been testing urin daily and all clear. Im at the end of my teather tbh this is no way of life. At least not one worth living

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Many thanks for the advice, IWBDF! Very useful as I don't know enough about ketones and never test for them, but no doubt you're right and they cause the lethargy and aches and pains,

lizdeluz

Hi Lizzie...
Its not easy to be a nurse on a busy ward with type 1 diabetes. I did it for 20 years on injections and found that I had to run my blood sugars a bit high because I couldn't afford to go hypo. I also put on weight and felt exhausted all the time.
The turning point for me was getting a pump.
It was a lot of work to begin with but I now have different basal profiles for shifts and days off and life is much better most of the time.
I also try to keep my carb intake down. Not low carb by any means but about 80 -100g carbs a day.
The other thing I do is work a fixed shift pattern. Don't be afraid to ask your employer to modify your shift pattern to suit you as mine were not even aware I was diabetic. Somewhere along the way of the different places I had worked that piece of information had got lost! but once I told them they were most helpful.