Pre-diabetic and always hungry/thirsty

Shanny said:

Hello and welcome, Brittany. You must be delirious with thirst and miserable with constant hunger. There are several blood tests that should be performed to determine what causes such extremes. You need a doctor who will listen to you, and you'll need tests which determine if you have diabetes - like an A1c, OGTT (Oral Glucose Tolerance Test) - and also the tests which determine what type of diabetes. You're young and you could be type 1, but you're heavy, so you could be type 2 . . . or anywhere in between. But I think it's imperative that you find out soon, because it sounds like it has gotten way out of control. If you can get to the source of these symptoms and make the adjustments required to remedy what is wrong, you're going to feel 100% better!

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I think when my test results from the yesterday comes back (in about a week) I'll know whether or not I am spilling sugar. I think I'll ask for the OGTT at my next appointment (3 months). I know my A1C is 6.2 or was 3 months ago.

Yes I was miserable "needing" to eat so often but I've gotten used to it, so I'm not miserable anymore. I am miserable because of my weight, which can mostly be attributed to either my psychiatric medicine and/or the pre-diabetes. I've always been quite heavy though. I spent high school at 265 pounds. Eating healthy and exercising did little to thwart me losing weight. I did go vegetarian at age 16 and lost 45 pounds but when I started eating meat again I gained it all back plus some. So, it's been frustrating to say the least. I'm now about 340 pounds and am completely miserable. I have severe back problems which makes it *impossible* to stand/walk/exercise. I did try water aerobics for arthritic/injured people at the YMCA but did not lose ANY weight, and that was while I was on a low-fat diet. So I was very disappointed. I haven't signed up for the class again.

Your body makes glucose primarily from carbohydrates. To a slower and less efficient means can also make Glucose from protein and fat.

Mashed potatoes produce a faster BG rise than table sugar. Meaning they are more Glycemic, the higher the Glycemic number the faster BG rises.

ALL carbs raise BG
potatoes, bread, pasta,rice, bananas,sugar,hony... all raise BG fast.

fats,protein,fiber slows the BG rise.
exercise, drugs lower BG (heavy exercise can raise BG)

Its better to start the control of diabetes sooner than later. (I know your Pre, and your not pregnant until the 4th week)

Many believe that the pancreas (makes insulin) wears out from making so much insulin from covering high carb diets. So reducing carbs can help the pancreas out.

xdunlapx said:

Hello, this is my first post here. I am pre-diabetic according to my A1C (6.2) and fasting blood glucose level (107). I drink one 12-pk of Diet Coke (or Pepsi) a day due to my constant thirst. Yes, it would be wonderful if I could switch to water but I am so addicted to the caffeine and bubbles of soda that I really don't like water at all. I am extremely overweight, at 340 pounds. I am 5'2". Female.

I am wondering if my constant hunger and thirst is a symptom of diabetes. I can eat and be full and then 1.5 hours later or earlier I'm hungry again. I doubt it's "real" hunger but it feels the same to me. Is that normal for being pre-diabetic? I've been like this for quite a few years. Oh, I'm 26 years old.

I am constantly trying to lose weight, mostly unsuccessfully though. I have been on almost every diet under the sun but my downfall is the fact that I'm always hungry. It's so frustrating!

Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and ask a few questions. Hopefully someone will be able to help me. Thank you for reading my post.

Brittany

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Welcome to the forum Brittany! I am Pam, nice to meet you and glad you found us

Yes..those are very much so symptoms of diabetes. Even though your A1c is only 6.2....I would bet money that you are having high blood sugar spikes after eating. It comes down enough between meals that it is keeping your average (A1c) from being too high yet. This one of my big pet-peeves for that "pre-diabetes" diagnosis. Thats like telling someone they are a little bit pregnant! You are...or you arent in my opinion. If you are having high spikes after meals, you can still be causing damage to your body...your eyes, your nervous system...your cardiac system..the list goes on. It is becoming more accepted that blood sugars hovering over 140 for any length of time is causing harm. Did they recommend you to check your blood sugar? Have they given you any advice on a proper diet?

There are basically 4 different types of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes--women who develop insulin resistance during pregnancy

LADA--its sort of a slow onset of type 1...they can often be treated with T2 drugs until their pancreas gives out

T1--is an auto-immune problem where the body has literally attacked the beta cells in the pancreas damaging them to the point that they either produce minute amounts of insuilin or none at all

T2--an insulin resistance problem...sometimes T2 can experience beta cell burnout to where they no longer produce insulin like a T1 (that is me)

I am assuming you are T2. What happens with type 2 is that your pancreas is producing a normal amount of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that sort of grabs up the glucose in your blood and carries it into the cells of your body to be used as fuel. When you have insulin resistance, your insulin grabs the glucose..but when it gets to the cell, the door wont open. So you have all this glucose wandering around in your blood with no place to go. The insulin then does all it can do with it...it stores it in fat cells. Usually in the abdomen and back. Thats why many T2 diabetics tend to gain weight in the belly and still have relatively thin legs.

The gold standard treatment for insulin resistance is a drug called metformin. It works to lower the insulin resistance and allow the cells to take in the glucose like it is supposed to. Moderate exercise is also key...it will also lower your insulin resistance.

One reason diabetes makes you hungry....your cells are literally starving. I dont care if you weigh 500 pounds. The cells are not getting the glucose that they need, either because of insulin resistance, or because you are not making insulin.

My advice to you....if you do not have a meter, get one. If you dont have insurance to help you pay there are some relatively inexpensive ones that are very reliable. Walmart sells one that several people I know use and I believe it is less than 15 dollars and the strips are very reasonable also. I would start out testing before you eat a meal, then at least 2 hours after you eat it. Your blood sugar should be back down to pre-meal levels within 2 hours. If it is not...you ate more carbs than your body can take. Carbohydrates are what increases your blood sugar...not just sweet things. Foods high in carbs like white bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, and some vegetables and fruits are the things you really need to monitor. I would get a good carb counting book and start keeping track of how many carbs you are eating. If you find you are having high blood sugars consistantly after eating a certain number of carbs, then cut back.
A good rule of thumb...imagine your plate in front of you...one half of that plate should be full of healthy veggies...one fourth should be your protein...and the other one fourth your starch. When choosing your starch (carbs) opt for whole grain over white.

Wow...I didnt mean to get so long-winded...I will shut up now and let other people talk

Glad you joined us and please ask any questions you need...someone around here *always* has an opinion

Thank you onaughmae and Shanny. Wow. I had no idea I was missing so much information. Well, I knew I was missing a lot but wow.

I should know more what my current A1C and fasting glucose is in a week, I'll be sure to post here what they are and let you know what my doctor and I have decided to do, if anything. I do know that once my pepsi is gone, I won't be buying it in 12 packs anymore. More like one 20oz once a month - kind of thing, as a treat of some kind.

I tested myself after eating a (whole) medium-sized thin crust oven-baked frozen pizza. Yeah I was a hog. My glucose (when my meter worked before it completely died) was 159. 2 hours earlier it was 155 (with drinking pepsi and no food in the stomach). So I think that's a good sign that my body is able to drop down to pre-meal values even if it's at a high level due to sugary soda/food.

I have a bad habit of eating a whole microwave pizza, i just don't get full easily and I was craving feeling full. Bad, Brittany, bad. I know. But then again I've been skimping on food the past 2 weeks due to my tonsillectomy, uvulectomy and soft pallet reduction (along with septoplasty and turbinoplasty). So eating that much felt so good. My throat is finally feeling almost back to normal. Yay.

Anywho. Personally, I'm ready to start whatever medicine my doctor thinks I should be on. I've done lots of research tonight/this morning and am ready for whatever comes my way. I'm ready for the multiple daily readings, the possible insulin shots, and pills.

Well, I'll know more in a week. Thank you all for posting your informative tidbits and sometimes long posts. hehe

I have a better understanding of what is expected of me and my doctor now.

Thank you, again!