[DeusXM]

Mods, sticky this if you wish.

Do you think you might have diabetes?

First, see if you suffer from some of the following symptoms:

*Raging thirst
*Frequent need to urinate
*Rapid weight loss
*Blurry vision
*Fatigue

One of these on their own doesn't really mean anything. Several all at the same time might.

I have all the symptoms! Does that mean I have diabetes?

No-one here on this forum can answer this question for you. As a group we might know a thing or two about diabetes but there is only ONE group of people on the whole planet that can tell you whether you have diabetes or not - doctors.

If you think you have diabetes, don't umm and ahh about it. Don't bother getting some blood or urine testing kit from a pharmacy - at the most they'll point you in the right direction but they're by no means definitive. Don't kid yourself that you don't like doctors or hospitals. No-one does. But they're here to help.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE DIABETES BUT AREN'T SURE, GO AND SEE A DOCTOR.

Then we'll be able to help you with all the rest.

[Scratch]

Yeah, might not be bad to have some sort of thread that briefly explains the symptoms, and the tests, along with the importance of consulting a doctor when having symptoms which may be indicative of diabetes.

[Harold]

Not Symptoms, but something you may have noticed, I did before a type 2 Dx.

Minor wounds, scrapes and scratches, that use to take days to a week to heal and disappear now take weeks to months to disappear.

Colds, not the annoying type of cold that goes away in two weeks. That you can ignore as long as you keep moving and keep your mind off of it. Talking about the cold you would describe as the "Cold From ****." The kind that involves the entire respiratory system. The kind that keeps coming back every month, or will start in the Fall and last well into Winter no matter what you do for it. You will or have called it the flu, a respiratory flu, but antibiotics will not touch it.

Weight Gain and Loss, that is not normal or usual going into the Winter months. Not talking about the several or a few pounds you normally see gaining or loosing with the season changes. What I am talking about is dozens of pounds that you gained, and lost only part of it with the seasons change. The number 1 reason weight is blamed for type 2. The medical community treats it as a cause rather than a symptom. Because they see it after the fact. Just MHO!

Good Idea Deus and timely.

[Funnygrl]

I'm so glad we have a sticky on this now. I'm sick of seeing a new post every week about someone who thinks they have diabetes and wants the internet to diagnose them instead of going to see a doctor and getting a real test. I don't care if you don't like doctors or hospitals or blood or needles or whatever. Just go, **** it. And btw, nurse practitionars and PAs can make medical diagnosises too, at least in the US

[BobbyT]

I think it's a good idea to have a finger prick BG test every time you see your doctor, or at least once a year. It's painless, inexpensive, and could possible catch rising bg levels before they get too bad.

[Eri's mom]

I have 4 out of 5 of those symptoms all the time.
I just had my glucose tolerance test and am now being sent to an endo (results weren't that great). I've been dealing w/ these dang hypoglycemic episodes so much more frequently lately. Todays was not fun. I was all shakey, blurred vision, etc...took my bg b/c I had to drive to work, was at 73 ,so not so bad...just couldn't focus or stop shaking. Got to work, had a broiled fish w/ some fries, took my reading, was up to 139 b/c I was still shaking really bad, had a massive headache, my vision is STILL blurry (an dthat was over 2.5 hours ago)...and my head feels like it's been crushed in a door.(yes, have had that happen).
Everyone kept looking at me and asking if I was ok...they said I was visibly shaking, so I assume that's not too good.
I know I deal w/ Eri and lows and whatnot, but when you deal w/ the lows yourself it's like, wow, what the heck do I do to feel better? I was so nauseated at one point I had to leave the restaurant. Now I can't seem to quench this thirst and I feel like a dork for feeling this way. I'm used to taking care of Eri, not having to deal w/ myself.
Either way, I'm not stressing over what I'll be told. Life goes on and we deal w/ what is given to us, right?

[DEEJ_2791]

Hi i am ashley AKA DEEJ

I have had almost every symtom on that list but they all were not at the same time. My symtoms were in combinations like blurry vision extreme thirst and fatigue. Then during the winter i lose wieght like crazy not even funny and frequent need to urinate but parents think it is nothing but in the past 6 weeks i have past out about 4 times and each time i did i was at work out for my softball team and i was wondering if any of those things are connected to the passing out thing? If you guys have an answer i am willing to listen.

Thank you

[DeusXM]

Sorry if this sounds a bit blunt, but as I said in the original post, if you're concerned, go see a doctor.

We can help you AFTER a diagnosis, not before.

[tmef]

Originally Posted by Harold

Not Symptoms, but something you may have noticed, I did before a type 2 Dx.

Minor wounds, scrapes and scratches, that use to take days to a week to heal and disappear now take weeks to months to disappear.

Colds, not the annoying type of cold that goes away in two weeks. That you can ignore as long as you keep moving and keep your mind off of it. Talking about the cold you would describe as the "Cold From ****." The kind that involves the entire respiratory system. The kind that keeps coming back every month, or will start in the Fall and last well into Winter no matter what you do for it. You will or have called it the flu, a respiratory flu, but antibiotics will not touch it.

Weight Gain and Loss, that is not normal or usual going into the Winter months. Not talking about the several or a few pounds you normally see gaining or loosing with the season changes. What I am talking about is dozens of pounds that you gained, and lost only part of it with the seasons change. The number 1 reason weight is blamed for type 2. The medical community treats it as a cause rather than a symptom. Because they see it after the fact. Just MHO!

Good Idea Deus and timely.

Oh I'm so glad someone else has the chronic chest infection thing going on. I've had it all last year and no antibiotic on the planet has helped. Going to the doc again next week. What have you done when you have it?

[Harold]

Originally Posted by tmef

Oh I'm so glad someone else has the chronic chest infection thing going on. I've had it all last year and no antibiotic on the planet has helped. Going to the doc again next week. What have you done when you have it?

Later, late tonight or tomorrow, when I have time to do it right, and I'll start a new thread to keep this one on topic.

[Mister Q]

From my personal experience, I got a hunger I was unable to satisfy and ate and ate and ate, of course my weight ballooned. Also I never felt 100% right in myself and I could never understand why I felt worse on holiday (I was eating more of the wrong stuff) and I had an nasty abscess on my chest which would not heal.

Its reckoned the average time from developing Type 2 diabetes to diagnoses is 7 years in the UK.

Bottom line is like Deus says if your in doubt get checked out.

[mzizgayle]

There can be other symptoms, I had muscle aches that could not be explained, especially when I exercised, it took me days to recover and I had not changed my exercise routine....my muscles were storing sugar. I had the neuropathy of the feet that doctors kept saying were from other causes...if you think something is out of wack, get into your doctor's face if you have to. I would get a cold every year that lasted for months (didn't this year!), I had unusual weight gain of 20 lbs in five years. In the background of my mind, I knew something just was not right.

I have to accept part of this since I guess I didn't get into my doctor's face enough to force the issue to check further into my symptoms I accepted the fact they should know....once a year A1C test was not enough to say I did not have diabetes....it was just in control at the time of the tests. I am lucky I do not have complications other than the neuropathy of the feet. I had to go almost blind for them to think something was wrong when my sugars finally went out of control since my diabetes progressed to the next level

[cheryl]

oh the anger of some people, wow, I never get annoyed if people are asking advice that are not quote on quote diabetic yet. Might not know there situation, no insurance or as broke as I can be and are singling out some fear so they don't have to spend there food money.......darn i guess I know what it is like to be in denial or so broke I can't make ends meet. wow, wow wow,

cheryl

[DeusXM]

It's not a question of 'anger', it's a question of providing people with the best advice. We simply can't diagnose diabetes over a forum and invariably people come here asking a question we simply can't answer for them. Those people need to be pointed in the right direction ie. towards a doctor.

I would also point out that generally (but not always) the people who come here asking if they have diabetes or not also tend to start making lots of excuses whenever they're told to see a doctor - things like 'I can't afford it' or 'I don't have time' or 'I don't like doctors'. Being firm but fair is the best way of solving that problem, and ensures that their health isn't endangered.

[cheryl]

True, very true, I just thought differently, because I know what it is like to be in such denial. But I get what your saying......