Whats wrong with me :/

[sonic87]

I have had type 1 diabetes since 16 i recently turned 24 and sometimes i feel and look very ill my face goes so thin, other times I feel like im in my teens and my face looks ok but it doesnt last long and i feel ill again, i literally have a day or two of being well and having energy and then other days sometimes or weeks i have no energy at all, my face literally looks like skin and bones sometimes.

I have been controlling my diabtes properly for the past year and i still get ill like this most the time, the thing is when im not well im extremely thirsty, tired as if my sugars high and then ill check my glucose levels and they will be 8 sometimes even 6, i exercise and i feel worse, i take vitamins doesnt work, i stopped smoking for the last 3 months very hard like, thinking id feel better but i dont, its like no matter what i do i cant stay well, its really getting me down iv literally got energy for the first 4 hours of the day then im struggling to keep my eyes open, my weight also yoyos without me changing my diet one week ill be 63kg then im 55 the next week, id say its water retention i dunt know, iv been to the doctors so many times and they dont actually help, my blood pressure is slightly high but only a little and i have had a rapid pulse on and off for a few years but they said my hearts ok. i made them check my thyroid twice both times they said it was normal my hbac is around 6% now last year when i wasn't controlling it well it was 7%, oh and i go a very slight yellow colour when i not well or a slight grey coulour people have said only slightly but the doctor just smiled when i said that.

any ideas what it could be am i allergic to something? and why am i very thirsty even when my glucose level is normal.

Thanks for any help

 

[daisy1]

Hi Sonic and welcome to the forum Have a look at this and see if there is something here that could help you. There will be some type 1s along soon who will be able to share their experience with you. Ask as many questions as you need to as we are here to help you.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find well over 30,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[noblehead]

Hello Sonic,

It's impossible for any of us to say whats wrong with you as none of us are medically qualified or know your past & present medical history.

I would go back and see your gp and ask to be referred to an Endocrinologist for further investigation.

Best wishes!

 

[sonic87]

Ok, thank you both, I had a read on the meals I didnt realise how strict i should be with the glucose levels I thought upto 11 after a meal is ok :s, i'll try and get my doctor to let me see a Endocrinologist hope i spelt that right as far as my health apart from the diabetes making me ill they havn't actually dignosed me with anything else.

Thanks