What were your initial symptoms?

[lemmilove]

Hi! I'm currently going through tests at the moment as I haven't been feeling that great for the past 4 months, but it has gotten progressively worse, and the main thing that me and my doctor are looking at is diabetes. Around 4 months ago, I started waking up in the night needing the toilet which I never did. I also started needing the toilet more often to urinate in the day time - but this mainly occurs in the night time. This may not seem like a big issue to anyone or they might blame it on age, but I'm only 20 and I've always had a really good bladder and not had any problems - I could hold it for 8 hours straight. It isn't the case of going to the toilet and not being able to pass urine either, I always can but I keep getting very thirsty and drinking a lot as a result so that might not help the fact. I'd also been having issues with blurred eye sight at times - it would take about 15-30 mins to go back to normal and usually only occurs in one eye at a time. I've had problems with getting pins and needles a lot as well, especially in my hands, feet and toes which can be extremely uncomfortable. I usually get this about 6-8 times a day. On top of that, I also get cramp in my feet about twice a day and I get a stomach ache if I don't go and urinate as soon as I need to. I've been exhausted lately, but I've been stressed as well and I started a new job, so initially I blamed all of this on that factor, however as the need to urinate increased (one night I needed to three times in an hour) I decided to go to my doctors and then it seemed to be much more serious, especially when I put everything I'd been feeling together. I've always had a lot of sugary drinks and snacks - I'm one of those people who loves sugar far too much. So it'd make sense if it's caught up with me.

Before anyone dismisses these symptoms, I'd also like to add that it isn't cystitis or any other type of kidney infection and I had a blood test on Wednesday at the hospital, so I should get the results on Monday or Tuesday to find out either way. I just want to be prepared as when I initially went to the doctor's I thought it would just be a urine infection and I wasn't prepared for the fall out. My doctor's also said that if the test comes back negative for this then I would have to have further scans and procedures at the hospital to find the cause.

What were your initial symptoms and what prompted you to get checked out at your doctors?

 

[Squire Fulwood]

I didn't have any symptoms that I remember and I was diagnosed after a speculative blood test taken by a nurse when I went to the surgery for something not connected with diabetes.

However, that was three and a half years ago and I have learned a lot about the subject since and in my layman's view you are showing most of the classic symptoms of diabetes. Don't get depressed about my opinion, I could be wrong and diabetes isn't a prison sentence anyway.

Cheer up. Just think, you could have a bank account with Barclays.

 

[shop]

I had been feeling tired for a while but just thought it was part of being a mum ( my son was about 10/11 mnths old ) I had lost weight and had noticed my knee had been bothering me. ( muscle wastage. ) On holiday suddenly had blurred vision, ridiculously thirsty and constantly peeing all day. It was a visit to my optitions when we got home that alerted me to the fact I could be diabetic. Oh and had been bitten my a mossy and my god did it have a feast on me, no wonder with all that sugar in my system. I was sorted quite quickly and was on insulin within 2 weeks.

Lucy.

 

[shop]

I had been feeling tired for a while but just thought it was part of being a mum ( my son was about 10/11 mnths old ) I had lost weight and had noticed my knee had been bothering me. ( muscle wastage. ) On holiday suddenly had blurred vision, ridiculously thirsty and constantly peeing all day. It was a visit to my optitions when we got home that alerted me to the fact I could be diabetic. Oh and had been bitten my a mossy and my god did it have a feast on me, no wonder with all that sugar in my system. I was sorted quite quickly and was on insulin within 2 weeks.

Lucy.

My optition gave me a referral not to go to the Drs with which I did the following day. My blurred vision only started to reduce when I cut all sugar out of drinks and my diet. Thank goodness.

 

[RoyG]

I had been feeling tiered and washed out for ages, and getting up to go toilet every night around 4am but at 52 thought that was part of getting Old, I had been the Doctors a good few times and he just kept saying oh it's stress of work and just fobbed me off, but I knew stress or not something was not right, so I booked a well man's appointment with nurse and told her to also check for blood sugars along with all the other blood tests, and sure enough when they returned they where High, so another 2 test, next Normal, then the next High again, so referred to go Hospital for GTT test, result 11.1 Type 2 diabetic the rest is and will be History. Had my eye test all OK, No neuropathy which is all good, and keep my BG at an average 5.5mmol with 1 metformin and masses of exercise 2 hours in Gym 4 times a week, and using my treadmill at home when I don't go gym. I notice when I have done the exercise my BG drops as low as 4mmol and then even after food it does not go above 4.8mmol then next day creeps back to the 5's.

 

[Captain Kremen]

I found I was always tired, always thirsty, very blurred vision but mainly in my right eye only. I also had real trouble concentrating. Matters were made worse by the fact that I was drinking a lot of Pepsi where I was so thirsty - Oooops! I had sugar levels of 19ish. I have been on metformin for about 3 weeks now and am at about the 6-6.5 level. Still feel quite grotty at times but my vision is back to normal. If my blood goes much below 6 I feel really "odd". Can't think of a more scientific term but "odd" would be about right.

 

[noblehead]

Classic symptoms for me......tiredness, weight-loss, thirst and peeing for England.

 

[CathyN]

I felt really exhausted - had to lay down in the afternoon when not working - fell asleep often. Noticed my left eye was deteriorating even though I had only just had new reading glasses - and found that I needed a new prescription as my eyesight had deteriorated quite quickly. Dry quite a lot........
Just energy-less and not myself at all.

A month and a week into trying to sort myself out, I have achieved a 30 day average post prandial ( + 2 hrs after eating ) reading of 7.2mmol/L and my morning fasting levels have come down from the 7s and 8s into the 6s.

I can say I am feeling much healthier, have higher energy levels and apart from feeling occasionally down about having Type 2 I am fairly positive!!

Cath

 

[chris lowe]

I didn't really have any symptoms. I used to drink quite a lot during the day (squash or water ) so never really had time to get thirsty, but I was easily tired, but then I have alpha thallasaemia (or however you spell it!) minor so was prone to being anaemic anyway which causes tiredness. I think I went to get my iron levels checked and because I am the right age and overweight they decided to check for diabetes as well. An the rest as they say is history. I know you are a lot younger than me but I didn't really have a feeling of dread at the thought, it was more I'm diabetic lets get this sorted and under control. Good luck with you results.

 

[iggy-lil]

Had blurry eyes that were getting worse so went to optician and had eye test and was told no signs of any illness just short sighted.

Had been really tired, muggy head, could cope with any stress but as I was being treated for aniexty this was put down to this. It was only when I had over one weekend a thirst that I just could not quench and nearly wet myself ( sorry ) cause I couldnt get to the toilet quick enough that I went to my local chemist for the finger prick test. Was sent from the chemist straight to the doctors that morning. Bloods were taken that morning and had a telephone call the following morning to return that same morning to see the GP.

When I look back now at how ill/tired I had felt for so long and all the time I was diabetic and didnt know.

As my levels started to come down my eye sight changed to the point I couldnt read but could see distance again and now it seems normal again.

Youngest son (14) has since complained of blurry eyes and I made sure I tested him(a lovely 4 ) before I took him for his eye test.

Wishing you all the best

 

[MaryJ]

I thought I didn't have symptom and had been diagnosed by a random urine test.

However, about 6 weeks after low carbing I noticed the aching in my hands had stopped.

Also, I have recurrent urine infections ( have kidney and bladder issues since birth) but funnily enough I haven't had any UTI symptoms for months now.

Lastly, last year I had a run of thrush, again I assumed it was due to the continual anti-biotics I was on as the doctos have always told me it's a side effect of them. Not had any since.

So have come to the conclusion I had symptoms they were just masked as other things.

Mary x

 

[sterling]

Painful hands.

After a number of consultant visits and tests, diabetes was established.

Upon reflection, urinating at night was a big issue but I thought that this was normal. I put a few of my issues down to middleage and never contemplated diabetes.