Hi folks,
I had some "diabetes-like" symptoms about 10 years before certain diabetes symptoms: peripheral neuropathy (glove and stocking numbness in the hands) which i thought must have been carpal tunnel, stroke or seizure which may have been due to a medication withdrawal, bathroom problems, thirst and frequent voiding which is also a side effect of lithium, and gradually weight gain, fatigue, and abrupt sleepiness which i thought was narcolepsy or something. Near the end (3 months approx.) the thirst was incredible, and the naps were 3-4 hours of lack of consciousness, very high ketones for a month, infections, and fatigue.
Once diagnosed and treated with anti-diabetic meds, a lot of those symptoms, new and old disappeared.. phew! The diabetic nurse did think that diabetes progresse slowly. But I guess we do not have a way of predicting the eventual outcome.
So, now that I am much better after treatment from the Diabetic Team, I wonder if those symptoms were diabetes, and if so were reversed with insulin drugs. I ask because i have read in so many places that long-lasting high sugars can cause many complications, yet i cannot say for sure that those symptoms were related or will cause damange eventually. All I know is that i have a little bit of proteinuria from the tests.
Maybe I should have posted this on complications, but it also has to do with pre-diagnosis symptoms?
Thank you for reading -- it's the old which came first - the chicken or the egg question. I think medicine is full of such puzzles.
I had some "diabetes-like" symptoms about 10 years before certain diabetes symptoms: peripheral neuropathy (glove and stocking numbness in the hands) which i thought must have been carpal tunnel, stroke or seizure which may have been due to a medication withdrawal, bathroom problems, thirst and frequent voiding which is also a side effect of lithium, and gradually weight gain, fatigue, and abrupt sleepiness which i thought was narcolepsy or something. Near the end (3 months approx.) the thirst was incredible, and the naps were 3-4 hours of lack of consciousness, very high ketones for a month, infections, and fatigue.
Once diagnosed and treated with anti-diabetic meds, a lot of those symptoms, new and old disappeared.. phew! The diabetic nurse did think that diabetes progresse slowly. But I guess we do not have a way of predicting the eventual outcome.
So, now that I am much better after treatment from the Diabetic Team, I wonder if those symptoms were diabetes, and if so were reversed with insulin drugs. I ask because i have read in so many places that long-lasting high sugars can cause many complications, yet i cannot say for sure that those symptoms were related or will cause damange eventually. All I know is that i have a little bit of proteinuria from the tests.
Maybe I should have posted this on complications, but it also has to do with pre-diagnosis symptoms?
Thank you for reading -- it's the old which came first - the chicken or the egg question. I think medicine is full of such puzzles.