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Worried! Advice Needed!

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sarah_rachelle93

Member
Messages
6
Hi everyone

I thought this would be a good place to put my worries and hope someone could clear them up for me.

Over the last few months, I have noticed I'm becoming increasingly more exhausted. The slightest activity seems to make me want to sleep for days and I never feel properly rested. It doesn't feel like a normal tiredness either, I feel exhausted to my bones. Also, I'm not normally someone who ever needed to get up to pee in the night, but over the last month or two, almost every other night I have to get up to use the bathroom 2 or 3 times. I haven't really noticed an increased frequency during the day however. I go through periods of being really thirsty, but it isn't constant and I wouldn't say I've developed an increased thirst. I have lost about 8lbs but again, I have been trying to eat healthier.

I'm training to be a vet, and I'm sure anyone with a medical background can appreciate - start having symptoms and you automatically start wondering if it's this or that.

I purchased a cheap home glucose test from the chemist and tested a fasting sample this morning. My reading was 8mmol. Naturally, this made me panic a little but at the same time, the test most likely wasn't accurate and I think I'm being paranoid.

I've borrowed a proper meter and test strips off of a family member to get a more accurate fasting reading tomorrow morning, but I just wondered what everyones thoughts were? Part of me is convinced I'm just being paranoid.

Thanks in advance!
Sarah
 
I would go and see your GP your symptoms are so similar to mine before I was diagnosed feel great now that I've taken the advice from here and the advice of my GP.
 
Mickyb0703 said:
I would go and see your GP your symptoms are so similar to mine before I was diagnosed feel great now that I've taken the advice from here and the advice of my GP.
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Worried if I turn up and say "I think I might have diabetes" they'll label me as a hypochondriac haha. I haven't had any of the other classic symptoms - no raging hunger, no rapid and extreme unintentional weight loss, etc.
 
Hi mickyb0703. I had the exact same symptoms! No real thirst but tired to my bones. I put it down to running round all day for my husband who I'd disabled. And getting up in the night to pee 3 or 4 times but not during the day. I never even concierge diabetes but had a 6 month check up and blood test. Then fasting test twice. Diabetic. 6 weeks now since diagnosed. Was very shocked but managing now. Get to ur gp. Good luck. X
 
Hi @sarah_rachelle93
welcome to the forum !!

Diabetes doesn't always show up as an immediate diagnosis like flu , or a broken rib.

it can develop over time and take a long while before we react -- your GP is there to support you and I would like to think that with your training you would see that you are certainly not wasting your HCP's time.

you obviously are not feeling totally yourself -- so it is worth getting checked out !!
 
Thanks guys! I've just had fluctuating issues like this in the past, periods of random weight loss, thirst, increased urination and each time I've gone to my GP, been tested and told I'm normal, so I'm a bit reluctant to go again!
 
Flip! You had a right run of it! I'm going to use the monitor to check my fasting glucose in the morning and if it's high again, I'm going to ring my GP
 
This almost makes me wonder if there is something to the theory that a virus can set off the autoimmune attack that leads to type 1. Not all viruses cause cold or flu symptoms, some are silent and then cause other problems later. For you and your daughter to both become T1 that close together although obviously give or take 20 years apart in age is interesting. I am not saying this is the case, just makes me wonder.
 
sarah_rachelle93 said:
Flip! You had a right run of it! I'm going to use the monitor to check my fasting glucose in the morning and if it's high again, I'm going to ring my GP
Click to expand...

Definitely go to the doctor and get some checks. Say you're really not feeling yourself and you're exhausted. Hopefully they'll then run a few blood tests and you'll have an answer - or at least some things ruled out

There could be many causes of extreme tiredness eg anaemia, so do stress you're really not feeling right, and see what your doctor says.

You say you've had your blood sugar tested before and it was fine. Do you have any reasons to worry about diabetes? Do you have family members with it, for example?
 
Hi Sarah
I'm no doctor but I am sure that being very tired in the way you describe is not right. You may be diabetic of course, which can give feelings of deep tiredness as your body is unable to regulate your reaction to sugars (I had this for a while, especially after meals, and am Type 2). The waking in the night thing is also a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea where your windpipe closes and you stop breathing for a very short time. Your body gives you shots of adrenaline and you basically have a night of micro-wakings and you don't sleep. This makes you exhausted during the day and might also account for going to the loo during the night too. Some of the symptoms are: Daytime sleepiness or fatigue; Unrefreshing sleep, Insomnia; Morning headaches; Nocturia (waking during the night to go to the bathroom) and, but not always, snoring.
 
@azure The closest family member I have with diabetes would be my grandfather. I think I just worry because I seem to go through cycles, maybe twice a year, where I'll have the classic symptoms for a month or two. The first time it happened, I didn't even notice the weight loss, but every week in work people were saying to me they thought I had lost even more weight and to get checked for diabetes.

I've done a fasted test this morning and it was 5.2 so I guess yesterday was just an anomaly!
 
@sarah_rachelle93 As I mentioned before, always get checked over if you have any health concerns of any kind at all.

Lots of things can cause weight loss, and sometimes there doesn't even seem to be a reason. I wouldn't let the people at your work worry you. Sometimes people just join in with what others are saying, or perhaps subconsciously want to acknowledge your fears by mentioning something they think you might be worried about.

If you want to, you could use an app like MyFitnessPal or similar, and keep a record of what you're eating for a week or so, and then if you do see a doctor you have a record of your diet. It will also show you if you're overestimating the amount you're eating, etc.

Eat well, keep hydrated, rest and relax - and see your doctor or speak to your Surgery nurse if you're worried : )

Let us know if you get any answers.
 
It sounds very similar to my symptoms before diagnosis! I would test now don't wait until morning, if it's high get urself to hospital and get checked over properly! Hope everything turns round and you feel better soon.

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Hi Sarah Please get checked out. My symptoms were very much the same except I put on weight I ignored it for a couple of years I just put it down to getting older therefore just shrugged it off then I got a ear, eye and mouth infection went to the Doctor had a fasting blood test and diagnosed T2 Diabetic - one tablet a day total change of diet and a little more walking - six months later 10kg weight loss BG back to normal (I'm still on the tablets).
It could also be thyroid at my year check up I told my nurse I had a few of the symptom again ( I was worried and I had worked very hard) and they checked my thyroid and discovered it was working to hard.
So please just get it checked out. The sooner your find out what is coursing it the quicker you can get back to normal and gee it feels so good.
 
My daughters type 1 was certainly triggered set by a flu-type virus that we all had. We were all very thirsty and although I saw diabetes symptoms in her I was in denial and convinced myself for some time that her symptoms were just down to the virus. However looking back I think she was pre-diabetic for several months beforehand.
 

Yes, that's not uncommon. Often a virus is the thing that pushes a failing pancreas into diabetes. I'd been feeling generally 'not right' for a while before I was diagnosed, but I only realised that in hindsight. At the time I assumed I'd done something or my body had suffered something to cause the Type 1, but my consultant explained that the pancreas can struggle on quite a while with limited islets until it has lost more than 80% of them - and then is no longer able to control the blood sugar.

So the trigger can often be some way back, and then a final stress pushes the body into a diabetic state.
 
Thank you Azure, you have explained that really clearly and helpfully. I did not know that that is what happens with a failing pancreas. Big love to you.
 
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