[OCDP]

Hi there,

Please bare with me. I do not have diabetes but believe that there might be something wrong with me this time around after some recent testing. I'd be very grateful if you could read this through, I am terrified.

I posted back in October stating my numbers seemed higher than they had been previously. In Oct. my post meal numbers were averaging 5.2-5.4 (higher after certain meals). Not a big concern I came to understand. In December I had a couple test strips and my numbers were higher, with numbers ranging from 5.3-6.3. I panicked, but again learned that overall they were not diabetic post meal numbers. I came to terms again.

The past two weeks I have been having a whole slew of symptoms. My problem here is that I have a vicious anxiety disorder that plays tricks on me and completely convinces me that what I am feeling is real. My symptoms range from headaches, to dry mouth, seemingly blurry vision, feelings of increased hunger, feelings of increased tiredness, feelings of increased urination ,etc. They are all minor I suppose, and hard to convince myself they are from anxiety or a real medical condition.

So I broke down again and bought another meter. What I am not sure about is the quality of this meter. It was 15 dollars and came with 10 strips. It's called Bionime I believe...

Anyhow, I checked my numbers 2.5 hours after food and albeit I must have been very anxious when testing (I tested inside the store .... ) My first number was 6.2 and the highest was 6.9!!! What I had to eat today was a organic bar at 11:00am with a coffee and at 2:30 I had a vegetable vietnamese sub. I left in tears as this is my number one fear in life. I came home and tested again and got 5.9 .. tested two more times (because I do struggle with OCD) and got 6.3 and 6.1 . They are elevated. I noticed though that I dropped from 6.9 to 5.9 , which seems pretty inconsistent. Nevertheless I am convinced I do have diabetes.

Does this mean I am more than likely diabetic? I am so confused for two reasons, one being the quality of the meter, two being my anxiety and stress levels. I cannot get into a doctor until next week and even then it might not be until the end of the week. Should I be rushing into see one?

I need some input. I am so scared that I am trembling. Everyone has their health fear in life and this is my number one biggest fear. I could really use some help.

 

[Shalynne]

Hello, OCDP ...

Your elevated numbers could be a sign of stress, rather than diabetes. I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with that brand of meter. Perhaps someone else has more info on Bionime.

Going to the doctor when s/he's available is a very good idea. BUT ... with those numbers there is no need to rush to the ER or push for an unavailable appointment. Any time within the next few weeks should be fine -- and it looks as though you'll be able to get in within a few days, which is great!

Please try to relax (I know, easier said than done), and let us know how the doc visit went.

 

[OCDP]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm so worried its driving me crazy.

With the numbers I've posted could that be causing the symptoms I'm having?? More specifically the blurry vision. I guess all of them really?

Another question would be is it unwise to consume alcohol this weekend for new years? I have big plans with family (getting my grandpa out of hospice for the first time) I don't want to make matters worse though

The meter I have makes me wonder as well. The meter I have used the past year has given me fairly consistent results up until this October. But even then it was 5.4ish. But at the same time I was getting 5.3 to 5.8 with the new meter earlier this month.

Ugh I'm so confused and scared. Definitely stressed as I've been worrying about this non stop. Literally.

 

[moon]

The problem is that there is nothing I can say to stop you from worrying, because as you know, your problem is OCD and anxiety far more than it is any threat of diabetes.

That said - do I think you should be worrying? No. And no because even if the worst possible thing happened and you turned out to be diabetic, I'm diabetic and it's not a horrible life-shattering thing. There is nothing in what you reported that would make someone say: he's diabetic. You're convinced because of fear, not because of information, and that's tough for a non-professional to combat.

I'm glad you're seeing a doctor soon, and sorry you are going through such anxiety over this. I also hope you're not diabetic, not because diabetes at the pre-diabetic stage is so awful, but because the stress you put yourself through must be torture.

Good luck next week - I hope you're seeing someone you will have confidence in.

 

[Nachman]

I was just starting to have the kind of symptoms you describe when I was diagnosed, and my BG when I went to the Dr was 348 (over 19). I doubt your symptoms are from diabetes. As for meters, they are all made in China, probably in the same two or three factories. All brands are most likely equally accurate or inaccurate, depending on how you want to look at it.

 

[silvertiger]

I have issues with OCD and anxiety too, although they are controlled by medication. Please talk to your doc about those options as well!

You are in no danger with those numbers and I recommend that you stop testing altogether until you can get officially tested by the doctor. I know how it is to wonder if a symptom is real. You could indeed be causing symptoms by worrying about them. Please try to be calm.

You can definitely have alcohol, in fact alcohol lowers blood sugar, if anything. Of course if you are on other meds it might affect, that might change your choice of whether to drink.

Try to distract yourself. Find a good book or game, or keep busy in some other way. I know exactly what it's like to have a brain that won't let go of a worry. *HUGS*

 

[Shanny]

OCDP? Remind yourself how this whole thing started. You watched an Oprah show and allowed yourself to freak out over the subject she happened to be showcasing that particular day. I know you feel like your doctors brush you off & are forever suggesting you go back into counseling, but there's a reason they do that. That reason is because diabetes has nothing to do with what is driving you nuts. You are allowing an artificial scenario to consume your life, and you are going to have to get therapy to be rid of it. I've asked you before to employ whatever tools you've been taught in previous counseling sessions, and get a handle on this. Understand what I'm saying - this is not about diabetes. It IS about you obsessing over something that is not real and making yourself totally and completely miserable.

Please go back into treatment for your OCD. You do not need treatment for diabetes.

 

[jwags]

Go to Blood Sugar 101 and read about normal bgs. Everyone's bgs go up when they eat. It is a very natural phenomenom. Are you aware of how many carbs you are eating in these meals that you tested. Before diabetes I was a vegetarian eating what I thought were healthy organic vegan bars and lots of healthy grains. I was not aware of how many carbs I was eating. So I would suggest you start reading labels. Gradually lower the carb at meals and then test your bgs. Diabeties is a metabolism disorder. What happens is that we have an inability to process carbs correctly because of insulin insuffiency or bad signaling which causes us to produce way too much insulin. Actually in the early stages of diabetes a lot of us were hypoglycemic. The best person to talk to about this is your family doctor. Your numbers look fine to me but your doctor can do the tests needed ( HbA1c, fasting bg, fasting insulin, OGTT, etc). Everyone on this forum is diabetic and we deal with it so even if you are diabetic it is very manageable and nothing to be afraid of.

 

[OCDP]

Hello and thank you all very much for taking the time to reply, and especially for not beating me up about the OCD thing, I appreciate that.

I suppose I am confused on blood sugar levels in general now. I thought I had a solid understanding based on previous data and reading. For instance, in October I practically ate the EXACT same meal for lunch at the same time, etc. I tested two hours after using the old meter I always used, and got about 5.6 or 5.4, I can't recall.

Fast forward to this month I did the same test, tested same time, etc. and got the higest being 6.9 and the lowest being 5.9 almost three hours after eating using this new cheap meter.

Everything I have read states I should be well below 5.5 so long after food, and that anything over 6.6 is indicative of diabetes? I can't help but worry my numbers are high and on the rise.

I WILL be discussing this in full detail with my doctor, perhaps a change in antidepressant is in order. I know what I personally need to do at home which is eat better and exercise, this will help ease my mind.

It's funny as I was not expecting these type of responses, I was almost 100% sure everyone would say that yes I am either pre-diabetic or diabetic with those post meal numbers. I mean they were all in the 6's three hours after eating?

Again thank you for taking the time to respond to me..

 

[jwags]

A couple of things to consider all meters can be off 10-20%. Even if you tested 10 times in a row you would get 10 different numbers. Also hormones and signaling between hormones affects bg readings. For many of us the highest numbers we get are many hours after we eat due to signaling problems. Also the same exact meal will give us all very different bgs. Can you tell us how many carbs normally you eat per meal and what types of foods you eat. Perhaps tweaking that a little will lower bgs.

 

[ColaJim]

WARNING: do not read if easily offended!

WARNING: do not read if easily offended!

As far as I know, the free socialist medical sick care in Canada will not cover preventative health care. If you pursue this it will be at YOUR OWN EXPENSE!

You seem to be worried about progressive Metabolic Syndrome which is ignored until your metabolism has been irreversibly damaged and your blood sugar goes high, like maybe 126 mg/dl or higher.

At your own expense you might find a private doctor that can and will administer an insulin level test or a C-peptide test to determine if your insulin levels are unduly high. If so then you most likely have Metabolic Syndrome which can easily become Type 2 diabetes.

You keep talking about your condition as if you think that you have Metabolic Syndrome, so have you done anything about it or are you all talk and no action like most manic/depressive persons?

Just as an off hand guess I would say there is a 30% chance that this panic is a result of a magnesium deficiency and general nutritional deficiency caused by consuming anti-foods like soda pop and white flour products like bread.

You might try consuming 1/4 tsp of Epson salt 3 times a day to see if your panic subsides, or are you in fact in love with your disease? I find that Epson salt works better for me than anti-depressants, but of course at $1.00 a pound there is no money in it unlike patented psycho toxins so it is unlikely that you will see it advertized.

And: "Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean that someone isn't trying to kill you". Just Kidding?

ColaJim

 

[OCDP]

I am going to tweak my diet and eliminate carbs where I can, especially the easy one's like bread, pasta, etc, etc. I know where to cut those kind of carbs out. It won't be easy as I am an absolute potato chip addict, but I've cut it all out before I can do it again.

I know reducing carbs and exercise will be HUGE in making me feel better and hopefully lowering my bg's. I did a bunch of reading on the Blood Sugar 101 website and some of it actually eased my mind a bit.

Reading that site showed me my recent post meal numbers weren't as high as I made them out to be, although still much higher than I want them or expected them to be.

My general concern is this though, and I am trying to ask for your input in as calm a matter as I can without sounding completely OCD. Should I not be concerned that my numbers are this much higher since October? Going from the 5's to the 6's in two months just makes me worry that something is happening.

Again, I am being calm, and am re-assuring myself (for the first time in a long time) that my symptoms are NOT from diabetes, not with ANY of the numbers I have posted. I am slowly coming to learn they are truly anxiety related no matter how convincing.

I just worry that they are gradually getting higher compared to two months ago?

 

[Nachman]

Stress can affect BG numbers. The fact you are stressing over it could raise your numbers a bit. Relax. Be happy.

 

[Too_much_Suga]

Relax. You can be helped.

I dislike having to go to doctors about anything, so...I can understand this fear you spoke of in your posting.

I'd suggest that you go to an endocrinologist and share with him/her your symptoms. Hear the options that there are for you.

One of them ought to be to test to see if you're making an insulin or not.
Also, take the urine sample. You may just have a urinary tract infection that is causing your whole body to be disturbed.

Wishing you well. Regardless, you need to know that there is help if you want it.

Hi there,

Please bare with me. I do not have diabetes but believe that there might be something wrong with me this time around after some recent testing. I'd be very grateful if you could read this through, I am terrified.

I posted back in October stating my numbers seemed higher than they had been previously. In Oct. my post meal numbers were averaging 5.2-5.4 (higher after certain meals). Not a big concern I came to understand. In December I had a couple test strips and my numbers were higher, with numbers ranging from 5.3-6.3. I panicked, but again learned that overall they were not diabetic post meal numbers. I came to terms again.

The past two weeks I have been having a whole slew of symptoms. My problem here is that I have a vicious anxiety disorder that plays tricks on me and completely convinces me that what I am feeling is real. My symptoms range from headaches, to dry mouth, seemingly blurry vision, feelings of increased hunger, feelings of increased tiredness, feelings of increased urination ,etc. They are all minor I suppose, and hard to convince myself they are from anxiety or a real medical condition.

So I broke down again and bought another meter. What I am not sure about is the quality of this meter. It was 15 dollars and came with 10 strips. It's called Bionime I believe...

Anyhow, I checked my numbers 2.5 hours after food and albeit I must have been very anxious when testing (I tested inside the store .... ) My first number was 6.2 and the highest was 6.9!!! What I had to eat today was a organic bar at 11:00am with a coffee and at 2:30 I had a vegetable vietnamese sub. I left in tears as this is my number one fear in life. I came home and tested again and got 5.9 .. tested two more times (because I do struggle with OCD) and got 6.3 and 6.1 . They are elevated. I noticed though that I dropped from 6.9 to 5.9 , which seems pretty inconsistent. Nevertheless I am convinced I do have diabetes.

Does this mean I am more than likely diabetic? I am so confused for two reasons, one being the quality of the meter, two being my anxiety and stress levels. I cannot get into a doctor until next week and even then it might not be until the end of the week. Should I be rushing into see one?

I need some input. I am so scared that I am trembling. Everyone has their health fear in life and this is my number one biggest fear. I could really use some help.

 

[CharK1979]

We can all keep telling u to relax but that won't make it happen. Go to the dr to ease your mind and be happy.

 

[moon]

It's good to hear you sounding better, OCDP - and very glad you're feeling calmer. Wonderful.

There's some great news in all this for you, and that is if you give up the chips and bad carbs, you're going to be lots healthier. That will benefit you whether you are pre-pre-diabetic or not - a definite win/win.

 

[OCDP]

Less carbs is definitely my new years goal.

Unfortunately I can't get into see my doctor this week as he is on vacation. Seeing how he knows my anxiety history and such I won't see anyone else. So I'm kind of panicky that I can't get into see him.

Is there such thing as pre pre diabetes? I never thought to ask if pre diabetes should be a concern here. I don't want to google it either

 

[Patdart]

In my opinion, the answer is NO. I began this journey with an A1C of 6.9 which my pcp said was 'pre' but as I investigated, I learned was diabetes, but under the 7.0 Medicare requires, so I only test at my own expense for the meter and strips. On any other day I might have been diabetic on their guideline or even another test immediately. In any case, I dropped it very soon to a reading near the middle of 5.? and have kept it there and now I am too low to even be considered diabetic but if I eat carbs over about 30 a day, I test over 140 which is considered dangerous, so I feel I am diabetic but controlled by diet.

Does it matter? I believe Yes it does...

 

[moon]

So I'm kind of panicky that I can't get into see him.

Breathe. Remember, you told us you felt better after reading bloodsugar101 and were feeling calm. Go back and read again if that's what helps.

Is there such thing as pre pre diabetes? I never thought to ask if pre diabetes should be a concern here. I don't want to google it either

Congrats on not googling! No, there is no such thing, it was a weak attempt to be as minimalist as possible, even while convinced you do not have diabetes - I should not have been light about this considering your anxiety. Apologies - sincerely.

You're fine. You'll get that confirmation from your doc when you see him.

 

[OCDP]

No need for apologies, I was just genuinely curious as to if it were a real thing or not.

I foolishly went and looked back through all the meters I have purchased in my times of intense anxiety. I wanted to compare the numbers from within the last year and a half or so up until this December.

My numbers used to be well within the 4.7 range and rarely into the 6range. It just alarms me to see so many numbers in the 4 region to now where they all come up at 6. I know there might be extra factors here, the biggest being stress, others such as the new meter I bought. I don't trust it, I just have a feeling. Neither here or there.

Was kind of saddening to see how I went from such optimal numbers to where I am now. It scares me as I believe they are climbing and something is happening.

With that being said I am only left to improve my well being, and pray that my worst fear isn't coming true. I can only hope. If I were to test again I would try to make sure I am using the meter I previously used and not this $15 one. I have no real intentions of wanting to test myself again however.