Newly Diagnosed - Should I be feeling poorly all day?

[heyitsme]

I've been dealing with what I describe as lightheadedness or imbalance for the past year (not spinning per say). I've gone through a lot of the usual tests and even passed a 3 hour glucose test. But I got a new GP recently and after two fasting blood sugars in the 126 range and an A1C of 6 he said it could be diabetes.

I've been testing throughout the day and can't track back my problems to any particular high or low, but I do notice that my levels fluctuate throughout the day starting at about 110 or so before breakfast and then sometimes in the 90's before lunch, and then somewhere in the 180's up to dinner and sometimes 240's after dinner (though this is a generalization... they are rather all over the place). I usually feel my worst in the middle of the day and best in the mornings.

My doc wants me to start glucophage and says it will hopefully level me out and make me feel better. I figure you folks are the pro's, so do you think its possible to feel this way from type 2?

I've had many other tests to rule out other simple answers from blood work, to mri's.

Thanks for the help!

[Peter Lee]

Now that my sugar levels are under control, what makes me feel ill in the way you describe is when my blood sugar is on the move, either upwards or downwards - but especially downwards.

Before I was diagnosed I had periods when I did feel weak and very sleepy, especially at weekends while I was holding down a high powered job. I would have to go to bed for a two or three hours sleep. I was diagnosed at a level of 25mmol/l (450mg/dl).

If you want my guess (and it can only be a guess), I would say that what you are experiencing are symptoms of the first signs that your sugar levels are not under normal control. Hence, what your doctor says regarding starting glucophage (Metformin) makes sense. A word of warning. Metformin has side effects which vary from person to person in severity and you might think that the cure is worse than the sickness. The side effects should decrease significantly once your body is used to the Metformin and the length of time this takes also varies from person to person. If you use the Search button you will find many threads on this topic.

A good and healthy diet along with excercise will also have a profound effect on the stabilisation of your sugar levels, particularly at this early stage of your condition.

The numbers you quote certainly indicate that your doctor is right.

I hope this helps and welcome :hello: You will find a vast range of experience and support on this site. All you have to do is to ask.

[Cyborg]

Those are some pretty big swings in bg. Keep in mind that the brain is the largest consumer of glucose in the human body. As such, these swings can potentially have a big effect on you. I, personally, feel like crud when my bg swings like yours has been. Once you start treatment, things should get better. Good luck and welcome aboard :wavey:

[slipperyelm]

Oh yeah, my symptoms can include a vague dizziness and sort of an inability to feel that I'm really concentrating even when I'm getting work done. Maybe sometimes a kind of mental fog. Not debilitating, but enough to concern me and I know I'm not up to my best even if no one else can tell. As Cyborg says, I figure the dizziness and fog is related to the brain not getting glucose into its cells for its optimal function.

But let me encourage you on acting on this. I have improved my blood sugar control more and more over time. And every step in improvement I made had me saying, "I'm feeling beter than I have in years." When I was first diagnosed I definitely felt bad. Horrible. Really. I felt like I might just die in my sleep (but my blood sugar levels were even higher than yours.) But after getting remarkably better, I did not know that I could feel even better still.

These days I feel terrific, even though in the last two days I have had some of that mild dizziness. Just very mild. I've got my blood glucose levels down to that of a non-diabetic, but I still have some stuff to accomplish with improving my health. When I do that, I just can't imagine how good I'm going to feel. I'm looking forward to it.

I take metformin. It was the first med I went on. And it did give me diarhhea to the point where I could not have held a job. That was tough, but I work online from home anyway, so I could put up with it. Most people do NOT get diarrhea I understand. For those who do, it goes away after a few weeks, I'm told. For me, It did not, but I stayed on it anyway because it helped so much. Then I added on a second med (Avandia) which tends to be a little constipating. Guess what? The two meds cancelled each other out as far as intestinal symptoms are concerned....If metformin turns out not to be the med for you, there are lots of alternatives. Also some people are able to control through diet and excercise, without medicines.

[heyitsme]

Well, I guess its good to know that maybe that IS my problem. Would you folks say those numbers are significantly out of range from norm? I'm having a tough time gauging how bad they are in the world of diabetes.

FYI for those that care, I have been on a diet for the past 3 months (started b4 being diagnosed)... just cutting calories daily. So far I have lost 21lbs and have no plan of stopping anytime soon.

[MamaCat]

Yes, Heyitsme, ideally you would want to keep you bGs as close to "normal," say 80-120, but definitely under 140 when testing 2 hours after eating a meal or snack. You're feeling best in the morning when you're in normal range. Your blood sugars are probably rising with your lunch meal, and then going even higher after dinner -- the same times you say you feel your worst. (Do you ever feel really tired/sleepy after dinner? If so, it's the high bGs.)

You're definitely diabetic if your bGs are going to 240. Hopefully, the glucophage will be the right medication for you. If so, you will feel A LOT better! Just be sure to keep testing before eating and 2 hours afterwards. That will help you and your doctor make decisions about when to take your medication and at what dose, or whether different or additional medication is needed.

Keep us posted on how you're doing...:wavey:

[MedsManSteve]

My symptoms were very similar to slipperyelms, though my level of concentration and focus was diminished to a higher degree and they were more prevalent in the late afternoon time frame.

Early on I experienced some of the side effects of Glucophage (Metformin), such as nausea and loss of appetite, though some of the other side effects can also include vomiting, diarrhea, gas, and bloating which I never have experienced.

To "heyitsme"... congrats on the diet success, it'll make a world of difference I know since I've done much better since I dropped 32 lbs!

[jjordie]

Just been reading through this thread and have found it quite helpful. Although I am obviously not newly diagnosed I am exeperiencing the same symptoms as 'heyitsme'.

I have been T2 for 12 years now and managed on diet alone. However for the last several months my BGs have been very high 13 mmol and over at times. Now due for HbA1c and so have been working hard trying to get BGs down counting carbs- which seems to be working as I have even been 6.8mmol before lunch today which was lowest for nearly a year.

The only drawback to all this is that I have been feeling lightheaded and really off-balance and generally in a bad mood with myself because of this. I keep telling myself it will pass and my body will get used to this in time or I ask myself if I've got something else wrong with me too.

Is this how it goes with other people, and would I feel better if my GP advised me to take Metformin? Just getting fed-up with feeling grotty so much of the time :(

I am just hoping for a bit of re-assurance that I will feel better soon.


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[heyitsme]

Well, like I said, I'm new to this. But everything you just said hits home for me. I actually have some pretty good anxiety too, because I'm constantly thinking this much be something else that is making me feel horrible. I have had lots of tests and so far, this is the only thing that makes sense to me. I sure hope this helps make me feel better.

[jjordie]

Nice to get a quick response Heyitsme, I suppose after 12 years I should be used to this but I have manged to keep my BGs reasonable until now and that's without any medication.

They did tell me I would have to go onto meds in the end but when you feel really 'grotty' makes you wonder if it is only the diabetes.

Reading lots of these threads and mostly getting replies does help to put it into perspective - that there are so many people out there with diabetes and all coping in their own way. Nice to hear from you and hope you get sorted soon. :)

[judyblue]

hey me,

Your symptoms and bg numbers sound just like mine at diagnosis. And my numbers were all over the place too, something of a late stage pre-diabetes or early stage Type II.

And I had the foggy head as well, only my worst symptoms were in the morning for some reason. I thought I had a brain tumor or something because I would sit in a meeting and didn't feel like a single word was sticking in my head, just rolling around in there and ready to fall out. An hour after I got to work I was ready to go home and go straight to bed. And to make it worse, I was SO HUNGRY...so I kept eating and eating, which I found out later was making it all worse.

My side effects to Metformin were just really bad gas and bloating. The extreme fatigue and waves of nausea remained for 3 weeks after I started the medicine, so I was sure it wouldn't be my cure. But one week later, voila, all the bad symptoms went away. I still had a raging thirst, but more work on my diet and exercise regimen and that symptom has now gone away as well. And like others, I found that the further I got the sugars down, the easier they were to keep down. So good luck with the medication and let us know how it goes.