Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 91 total)
  • Diabetes
  • Drac
    Full Member

    you mean the meds cause comas ?

    Taking too much insulin or not eating a proper diet on insulin causes Hypoglycaemia where the blood sugar drops to possible dangerous levels.

    Undiagnosed diabetics or those on a diet controlled treatment risk getting Hyperglycaemia where the blood sugars reach dangerous levels.

    Both can cause unconsciousness as a symptom.

    forge197
    Free Member

    Didn't realise high blood sugar also can cause a coma.

    GJP
    Free Member

    Get to the Doc for FFS. Ask for a morning appointment and fast from the night before so they can give a better assessment of you blood sugars first thing in the morning when I assume they should be at their lowest?

    I had similar symptoms along time ago and also thought it may be diabetes. In the end mine turned out to be an under-active thyroid which I suspect is no great deal once they get the medication sorted out.

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    Drac
    Full Member

    Didn't realise high blood sugar also can cause a coma.

    Yup can make you do unconscious it's fairly rare though as people usually find out before then.

    TPTcruiser
    Full Member

    Sheffield, sorry too far.
    Your hospital should have a diabetes centre/clinic with a specialist nurse on duty all the time if you want to address this urgently.
    My wife has had type 1 since she was 2, apparently you get a letter from the Queen when you have had it 50 years. Manages her carbs and corrects with fast acting insulin as and when required. Some scary hypos but you get used to it!

    Frizzer
    Free Member

    Maybe her sugars were too high then, I may have forgotten the exact facts as it was a long time ago and my memory isn't quite what it was! 😆

    Drac
    Full Member

    No worries easy to get confused especially after 22 years, I got a bit confused the other week when talking about it but that was after about 22 beers.

    ratadog
    Full Member

    Heck, and I ride bikes and come on STW to get away from the day job.

    Oh well. The advice here is good. Diagnosis is on the basis of a fasting blood sugar – appointment in the morning with GP and nothing containing calories from midnight the previous night – water allowed – plus or minus a second blood sugar taken 2 hours after a standard glucose load (75g of glucose or if I remember rightly 385ml of flat lucozade if you are a cheapskate running a research project circa 1990). Diagnosis on the basis of 2 abnormal blood sugars as per international guidelines or 1 plus classic symptoms.

    If you do have it then it ain't the diabetes that kills people it is the complications so the management is about avoiding the complications. Best way to do that is don't smoke and aim for controlled blood pressure and blood sugar – good studies in both Types to show that – as well as taking advantage of local screening programs looking for early signs of kidney and eye problems ( blood and urine tests and annual retinal photos).

    Insulin is a hormone involved in the control of food processing and food stores. Hormones are chemical messengers passing messages to groups of cells in the body. Type 1 is where you have stopped producing insulin – to use a radio analogy it is a transmitter failure, Type 2 is where you still produce insulin but the cells that should get the message don't respond as well as they should, in the radio analogy a receiver problem.

    If you feel rubbish go and see your GP anyway. If it isn't diabetes it may be something else. Rather than me stopping to wax lyrical on the possibilities, forgive me if I head back to a cup of coffee and wondering when the front mech I need to complete my rebuild is going to finally arrive.

    If you do find you have diabetes then Diabetes UK's website is a good place to start for further information.

    ratadog
    Full Member

    Double posting removed – I really have to get my linux set up working again – even XP is starting to get to me.

    doctornickriviera
    Free Member

    god lay people are stupid!! ;o)

    make an appt ffs. Are pharmacists doctors no- if your sugar is high what are they going to do?- tell you to go to the docs.

    also urine testing is rubbish misses loads of diabetics, you need at least a random, if not a fasting glucose.

    And tesy it could be something else, thyroid disorder , anaemia or even complete madness!!

    soma_rich
    Free Member

    I now have an appointment at the doctors. Thanks for all the advice..

    soma_rich
    Free Member

    Update
    Just got back from the docs and he doubts I have Diabetes as I am so young and not fat 🙂

    But was suspecious that I had Lymes Disease last year so sending me off for a a shed load of blood test.

    Thanks al

    TPTcruiser
    Full Member

    Good news.
    Remember Type 1 can get you any time and is not related to weight, says my wife. 🙂
    Lymes? It's not some recurring thing like being bitten by a redback spider is it?

    Drac
    Full Member

    Just got back from the docs and he doubts I have Diabetes as I am so young and not fat

    None of which rule it out but least now your being tested.

    enfht
    Free Member

    It used to be known as 'Bulter's Disease' because the bulter was required to taste the masters urine. If it tasted sweet that they had diabetes.

    Urban myth.

    Correct, when I worked as a Butler not one vial of sweet urine I ever sipped resulted in a positive diagnosis

    stumpyjon
    Full Member

    My cousin died due to diabetic coma last year. Unlike you he didn't have a GF so when he started feeling rough he upped his exercise regime riding his bike more (he was a roadie, not that that's relevant). No one knew he was diabetic, got diagnosed at the post mortem. Went to bed feeling rough, never got up again. His work colleagues went around to investigate and found him, poor sods. He was just 40, not overweight, fairly fit and didn't fit into any of the normal risk groups.

    doctornickriviera
    Free Member

    second the type 1 comments. however most people with new onset type 1 diabetes have good going osmotic symptoms- excessive thirst and drinking Loads, weight loss lethargy and peeing all the time.

    ratadog
    Full Member

    as I am so young and not fat

    Oh would that my life was that simple.

    Yes there are classical presentations for Type 1 ( as described by doctornickriviera above) and Type 2 and they are well known and useful because they are often correct, but the youngest Type 2 I have seen at diagnosis was 24 and thin (and there are reports of Type 2 in teenagers in USA) and the oldest Type 1 I have diagnosed was 78 and fat.

    Glad somebody is now trying to sort this out for you.

    doctornickriviera
    Free Member

    and type 2 teens in whales sorry typo i meant wales

    roundwheels
    Free Member

    My daughter was 2 when we found out and my mates youngest daughter 9 months. Both lost weight and excessive thirst was an under statement
    All I can say is I am glad I don't have your doc

    Northwind
    Full Member

    "Just got back from the docs and he doubts I have Diabetes as I am so young and not fat "

    Tell him to **** off, I was 8 and weighed about 7 stone when I was diagnosed.

    MicArms
    Full Member

    Ditto that, when my son was diagnosed a few years ago, one of our main concerns was how much weight he had lost in such a short space of time. approx 1 stone in 6 weeks… He weighed approx 4.5 stone

    Mick

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    TPTCruiser – I don't think it is a letter from the Queen but you do get a medal for it all – would be very amusing if it was a chocolate medal! I've only got 17 years left to go…I do hope it is dark chocolate as I can't stand that so it won't get eaten!

    I do find this long-service thing quite funny though…getting an award to show you have coped and lived with it for so long – but when you get to that length of time, it isn't going to be the sort of thing that you are just adjusting to!

    Soma_Rich – Type 2 diabetes can be caused by being overweight, but Type 1 can get you at any time.

    The under-active thyroid is also related to the diabetes (sort of) in sense they are both immune symptoms (*).

    I was diagnosed at 17.5 months old – but I was lucky, at that age I was just getting to terms with life and all that so it wasn't a huge change for me – my parents had a seriously tough time, but it's just my normal routine so I was lucky not to discover I couldn't do what I did before (**).

    Glad to hear you aren't suffering from Type 2 Diabetes though – that doc must be seriously skilled if he can tell all that just by looking at you! 😉

    * I can't remember the exact terminology for them but there is a small raft of health issues that are all linked/related and Diabetes is a big player in it – not to say you need diabetes to have the rest but they are all linked in some way or another to do with your immune system – I think!

    ** although that is also rubbish as once you are controlled you can get back to doing everything you did before – the food/drink might need to be monitored better but the exercise doesn't need to stop.

    soma_rich
    Free Member

    He didnt actually say I didnt have it he said it was unlikely.

    Waiting for all the results from the blood tests now 🙂

    votchy
    Free Member

    So your doc didn't do a blood glucose reading there and then? When my son was diagnosed last year I did a BG at home (also type 1 diabetes sufferer for the last 33yrs) and it was 27.2 mmol/l, went to docs he did one that was 24.3 mmol/l and my son was admitted to hospital the following day to start treatment.

    Both the above BG's are very high for those that are not familiar, 4.5 to 6.0 are the norm for none diabetes sufferers, have a bit of an issue with being referred to as diabetics, rather be referred to as someone with diabetes, much like many other people who have disabilities.

    WorldClassAccident
    Free Member

    For what it is worth soma_rich is actually fat, lazy and unfit. The healthy biker stuff (and the girlfriend) only exist in his internet world.

    😉

    Good luck Rich and don't die before 3we finally get to taste your fine (low salt, low fat, high fibre) cooking. In Swiss again next week but the week aftzer would be good if you are still alive.

    Drac
    Full Member

    Odd in 20 years of asking people do they have any medical conditions the diabetics will say "I'm a diabetic" a tiny amount will say "I have diabetes", not one has made a comment of being called a diabetic.

    docrobster
    Free Member

    Lay off the doc a bit for saying he didn't think he'd have it- it's called giving reassurance, trying to reduce anxiety! 😉
    Preferable to "my god you're right, don't start reading any long books, have you paid your life insurance premiums" surely?

    WorldClassAccident
    Free Member

    I used to love my old doctors reassurrance phrase:

    You are going to die, how can I delay you

    Dr_Bakes
    Free Member

    Can't say I'm too fussed about being referred to as 'a diabetic' rather than as 'having diabetes'. What does pee me off is the misnomer that diabetes only affects people who are fat!

    As has been stated above Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are very different conditions only really linked by the hormone insulin. In type 1 it is not produced, in type 2 it is not effective.

    For what it is worth I got it 22 years ago when I was 11 and skinny as a rake. The causes are still unknown but I had no family history whatever. Other suggestions are a head injury (not in my case), stress (not at aged 11!) or a virus (possibly?). I hope you don't have it but it's not stopped me doing anything I've wanted to including running a couple of marathons, travelling in Africa, Asia and S.America, scuba diving and of course biking. It makes it a bit more of a challenge but there's a lot worse things to suffer from.

    ransos
    Free Member

    If you do have it, you must follow medical advice regarding insulin and your diet. My nan never did, and eventually died from associated complications.

    I'm told that the thirst sympton is absolutely burning and can't be quenched, however much you drink.

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    I'm a diabetic (type 1 if it matters!)…I don't really give a monkeys how other people refer to it…I've never met another diabetic who takes offence at being called a diabetic.

    This average blood level thing is interesting…4.5 to 6.0 is the 'normal' range but that has clearly changed over time as I was always told as a kid the ideal target is 7.0, but if I could get it between 6.0 and 8.0 then it was almost the same as a normal persons (in the sense that my blood levels could and would fluctuate more often than a normal persons)…then I'm now being told 4.5-6.0 is what you should be aiming for but it would be better to get between 5.0 and 7.0 as 4.5 is on the low side.

    Just bizarre, but I'm not going to argue with it, my control has improved greatly since I knuckled down to it, but there is still plenty more room for improvement…slowly but surely!

    The thirst thing…I've no idea but my mum does recollect the time when she almost fished me out the toilet as it was the only source of water I could get access to…so I suspect that is quite true!

    And yes the fat issue is a real pain in the behind but the media need something to jump on top of…and if this helps keep people's awareness up then it can't be a bad thing.

    Dirtynap
    Free Member

    A good UK based wesbite for sport is http://www.runsweet.com

    docrobster
    Free Member

    I know there are skinny diabetics. A mate of mine skinny as a barge pole no family history was diagnosed in his 30s.
    But, and no offence is intended here, most diabetologists will tell you there is a definite link between type 2 diabetes and obesity. The link isn't if you are diabetic you are fat, it's if you are fat you have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
    They way we are going it is quite a scary thought. 5% of adult population is diabetic and 95% of those are type 2. The fatter we get (as a population) the more diabetics, the bigger the drain on the nhs. My mum and her brother both typical type 2s. over weight, diagnosed in 50s/60s. I need to get rid of my beer gut now!

    votchy
    Free Member

    Dick – the 4.5 to 6.0 is the norm for people without diabetes. My target range is 5.0 to 7.8.

    The 'I have diabetes' ' I am diabetic' thing is something that has cropped up in our house since my son was diagnosed, being referred to as a diabetic has not helped him adjust to coping with it, makes him feel like he is different, whereas, him having diabetes does not. We have had quite a problem with him suffering at school as he is the only child with diabetes and kids can be b4stards without realising it. He is currently on multi injections but has a saline trial with a pump later this month, hope he gets his pump approved as it would be a lot better for him. I have a pump and it is a doddle to do a bolus or a correction without any one batting an eyelid, much less conspicuous than having to inject in your stomach or thigh.

    docrobster
    Free Member

    I can't remember the exact terminology for them but there is a small raft of health issues that are all linked/related and Diabetes is a big player in it – not to say you need diabetes to have the rest but they are all linked in some way or another to do with your immune system – I think!

    metabolic syndrome

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    Yes there is a lot of association between obesity and Type 2 diabetes – I'm not arguing about that, but the obesity can be caused by a raft of issues and not just a desire to eat more than you need to consume.

    docrobster
    Free Member

    Never said it was Dick.
    Behavioural, cultural, genetic, medical, all sorts of reasons.
    They key thing is avoidance of obesity (lovely phrase!) is really important in prevention of lots of health problems.
    I remember a talk I attended about 18/12 ago on obesity given by the local spokesperson for the national obesity forum, a local GP who I have known for 20yrs since medical school. He made a very good point against the argument that we shouldn't treat obesity medically as it is a "social problem". He simply pointed out that I had just had 12 weeks off from a mountain bike accident and that this was also clearly a "social problem" caused by my own poor decision making (night ride, crap lights) and that if the medical profession stopped treating "social problems" we would soon have not much to do…

    DickBarton
    Full Member

    A bit of good news – http://www.diabetes.org.uk/About_us/News_Landing_Page/Islet-cell-transplantation-in-Scotland/

    Docrobster, I didn't say you did either, but the media do seem to like to pin this tag on Type 2 being down to purely being overweight – there are many more issues than just that – I was having a go at the media rather than anything else…

    votchy
    Free Member

    Another bit of news for those with diabetes, can't find the link at the mo but on msn there is a story of a type of tattoo that changes colour dependant on your blood glucose level, they are hoping it will put a stop to the pin prick blood testing that we have to do, only requires a small area to be tattoo'd. Testing has been good on mice so far, not yet tried it on humans.

Viewing 40 posts - 41 through 80 (of 91 total)

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