[BVFD320]

I was told back in June I was pre diabetic. The endo that made the diagnosis didn't look at any blood work. Just said that if I'm having hypoglycemic symptoms in the range I'm having them then I must be pre diabetic. She put me on the diabetic diet and told me to lose 20 lbs. I've been following the diet pretty well and have lost about 14 lbs. But things aren't getting any better. I'm starting to get hypoglycemic symptoms in the mid to low 80's. The diabetic education center here in town had me do some pair testing. None of my numbers reflected high. So they don' think it's sugar but it has to be. I ended up in the er last week cuz I couldn't get my sugar up after it dropped to 58 an hour after eating. I'm dropping multiple times a day. I get shaky, weak, and extremely tired. It makes me just want to go to sleep and sometimes it's all I can do to not just lay down on the ground where I'm at. I've managed to not pass out a few times by what I guess is sheer will power. I'm drinking between 64 and 99 oz of water a day. That doesn't include 3 8oz glasses of milk a day and coke when I drop. So as you can imagine I have to hit the head quite often too. I have zero energy. Sometimes I'm starving and just want to eat and eat and other times I don't feel like I can eat. I feel like I"ll get sick if I do. My ANP doesn't know what to do and just wants me to take a glucose tab every 8 hours around the clock. Yeah, that didn't really help. She wants me to wait 3 weeks to give the thyroid meds a chance to kick in since the er dx'ed me as hypothyroid but I really don't want to keep doing this for 3 more weeks then end up waiting like a month to see a specialist. I've had a headache for the last 4 days and last night woke up cold and sweaty. I'm sorry this post is so long but I really don't know what to do. I drop no matter how much I eat. I don't feel good unless I'm up in the 100's.

 

[diabetes86]

Are you testing your BG?
Some people in the Early stages of diabetes find that there pancreas is still working in fits and spats. When you eat the pancreas puts out insulin, if it forgets to shut off or puts out too much you can go low after eating.

test your BG before you eat ,1 hour after and 2 and 3 hours after.
the 1 hour will tell you if you are spiking from the food
2 and 3 hours after will tell if your coming down or going to low.

Testing is knowledge.
What do you eat?

 

[Shanny]

Gotta tell you, it's hard for me to put much faith in a doctor who doesn't even consider the test results. Are you testing regularly at all and do you keep a log of your readings along with what you eat? What is this diabetic diet composed of? Whole grains? Fruit? Lowfat milk?

I could hazard a guess that the "diabetic" diet is wreaking havoc, but I'm not a doctor - I'm only a diabetic who can't tolerate grains, fruit, milk or any other carby foods without immediately falling asleep where I sit.

Stay with us, firefighter . . . you need somebody to listen to you and it's apparent that your medical team isn't paying much attention!

 

[BVFD320]

Today's been horrible. I've dropped 4 times. A sample of my usual diet is as follows:
Breakfast: 1 cup bran flakes, 1 cup milk, hard boiled egg
Lunch: 2 slices of lunch meat with 2 slices wheat bread, a piece of fruit, a piece of cheese, 1 cup milk
Supper: Meat, 1/3 cup rice, 1/2 cup vegetable, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cooked apples

Various snacks when I drop.

I do test my sugar usually when I feel symptomatic. It's rough since I'm not "diabetic" so my insurance won't cover the strips. I did a three day testing period over labor day weekend where I tested before I ate, 2 hours after I ate, and before bed. And also rate energy level. Energy is usually low and none of my numbers were spiked.
I am keeping a diary of what I eat, what time I eat it and when I check my sugar. Been keeping it since late July; granted I've not been perfect and have missed a few days for the most part it's there.

I managed to snag an appointment with my nurse practitioner in the morning and I ain't leaving till she does something. That or the cops will have to drag me out of there cuz I can not do this anymore.

Quality of life has gone waaaayyyyy down. I can't run fire calls, it's hard to go out to eat with friends, I dropped trying to go to a Bible study tonight and I had just eaten an hour and a half prior. And even after I get it back up I just have to go home cuz I feel so crappy. Shoot, Sunday night I got held hostage at church by an RN who wouldn't let me leave till my sugar stabilized. I have to eat nearly constantly to keep it up and I'm to the point I don't want to eat. I'm not hungry. I'm nauseous.

Sometimes after I eat right away my stomach feels empty, burning and gnawing. An gastroenterologist was gonna do an upper GI scope but we had to put it off as i would have to fast for it and I really don't want to go that route right now.

Oh, and just about everybody in my family is diabetic it seems like. My maternal Grandmother, maternal uncle. Paternal Great Aunts and Uncles (too many to list).

Anyways thanks for listening.

 

[BVFD320]

@ Shanny, just noticed your location. Whereabouts? I'm sitting in Mountain Home.

 

[Shanny]

@ Shanny, just noticed your location. Whereabouts? I'm sitting in Mountain Home.

We're in rural Pulaski county - mailing address is Crocker.

By your handle, I was thinking perhaps Bella Vista, and I just drove through there earlier today!

 

[Shanny]

Be sure to take your logs along whenever you see your doc or NP . . . they need to be studying the cause/effect of what you're eating.

You should request copies of all your test results, and don't leave until you get those too. If you haven't had a glucose tolerance test (OGTT), I think it's time you had one.

Others here can prob'ly recognize better what your symptoms suggest . . . I just don't have enough years with diabetes to know all the manifestations. But you deserve better than you've been getting from your medical team.

The insurance thing is a problem, I know . . . if it's any help, the Walmart Relion meter & strips are way cheap, and just as accurate as anything else. It's the only one I use - strips are $40 per 100 - and when I've checked against my lab results, it comes within a coupla points every time.

 

[Chesney]

My old stomping grounds

 

[Shanny]

My old stomping grounds

If you all ever come back, be sure to let me know, Mindy . . . we moved here in 1988, and I expect they'll have to carry us out feet first!

 

[Chesney]

I will...I still have family in Dixon and Iberia. We don't make it back often.

 

[breezeonby]

Today's been horrible. I've dropped 4 times. A sample of my usual diet is as follows:
Breakfast: 1 cup bran flakes, 1 cup milk, hard boiled egg
Lunch: 2 slices of lunch meat with 2 slices wheat bread, a piece of fruit, a piece of cheese, 1 cup milk
Supper: Meat, 1/3 cup rice, 1/2 cup vegetable, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cooked apples

Various snacks when I drop.

I do test my sugar usually when I feel symptomatic. It's rough since I'm not "diabetic" so my insurance won't cover the strips. I did a three day testing period over labor day weekend where I tested before I ate, 2 hours after I ate, and before bed. And also rate energy level. Energy is usually low and none of my numbers were spiked.
I am keeping a diary of what I eat, what time I eat it and when I check my sugar. Been keeping it since late July; granted I've not been perfect and have missed a few days for the most part it's there.

I managed to snag an appointment with my nurse practitioner in the morning and I ain't leaving till she does something. That or the cops will have to drag me out of there cuz I can not do this anymore.

Quality of life has gone waaaayyyyy down. I can't run fire calls, it's hard to go out to eat with friends, I dropped trying to go to a Bible study tonight and I had just eaten an hour and a half prior. And even after I get it back up I just have to go home cuz I feel so crappy. Shoot, Sunday night I got held hostage at church by an RN who wouldn't let me leave till my sugar stabilized. I have to eat nearly constantly to keep it up and I'm to the point I don't want to eat. I'm not hungry. I'm nauseous.

Sometimes after I eat right away my stomach feels empty, burning and gnawing. An gastroenterologist was gonna do an upper GI scope but we had to put it off as i would have to fast for it and I really don't want to go that route right now.

Oh, and just about everybody in my family is diabetic it seems like. My maternal Grandmother, maternal uncle. Paternal Great Aunts and Uncles (too many to list).

Anyways thanks for listening.

Hello and welcome to the forum! I am sorry that you are having a tough time trying to get someone in the medical profession to listen to you. Going low that often must be wearing you out. I know when I go low that I have no energy for several hours. My lows are related to my diabetes medication and insulin. My Father is a retired Columbus, Ohio firefighter. He got hurt in a training fire in the 70's and is lucky to be alive. They were fighting a fire on a house with a porch and a beam fell and hit him on the head and down his face. He had to have some reconstructive surgery on his face and was off work for a couple of months. He also has COPD from all of the smoke. I admire anyone who dedicates their lives to protecting us from danger. Thank you. Please visit us here often and take care.

 

[BVFD320]

Well let's see. I saw the NP today and she said theres really nothing she can do. Just eat every couple hours. She's sending me to a kidney dr who also is really good with diabetes apparently. Don't know when my appointment will be yet.

It's hard with the test strips cuz of my panic disorder I will test and test and test. My counselor really gives me hell about it. I'll have to check out those walmart ones cuz the walgreens ones are $70 per 100. Some good advice that my NP gave me was don't test. Treat it and move on. Managed to do that once today which was pretty good.

Yeah I know about the recovery time. I dropped to 66 before lunch today and it took me about an hour. She also told me to stop drinking so much cuz its flushing out my system.

I had an OGTT back around May and it wasn't so good of an experience. I told them I felt funny near the end of the test so they checked me and I was at 79 and within 10 minutes I was at 72 and had these tonic clonic type shivering shakes going on and almost every nurse in the outpatient lab was in my room. I really don't want to do that again. The NP thinks it's all related to my hypotension and beta blocker.

Shanny my s/n stands for Buford Volunteer Fire Department. My number is 320. Real name's Julie.

breezeonby your father has my respect.

 

[breezeonby]

Well let's see. I saw the NP today and she said theres really nothing she can do. Just eat every couple hours. She's sending me to a kidney dr who also is really good with diabetes apparently. Don't know when my appointment will be yet.

It's hard with the test strips cuz of my panic disorder I will test and test and test. My counselor really gives me hell about it. I'll have to check out those walmart ones cuz the walgreens ones are $70 per 100. Some good advice that my NP gave me was don't test. Treat it and move on. Managed to do that once today which was pretty good.

Yeah I know about the recovery time. I dropped to 66 before lunch today and it took me about an hour. She also told me to stop drinking so much cuz its flushing out my system.

I had an OGTT back around May and it wasn't so good of an experience. I told them I felt funny near the end of the test so they checked me and I was at 79 and within 10 minutes I was at 72 and had these tonic clonic type shivering shakes going on and almost every nurse in the outpatient lab was in my room. I really don't want to do that again. The NP thinks it's all related to my hypotension and beta blocker.

Shanny my s/n stands for Buford Volunteer Fire Department. My number is 320. Real name's Julie.

breezeonby your father has my respect.

I have to disagree about not testing. There is something going on here and I think you should test when you start feeling strange. Test once and stick with that number. Since the NP said there was nothing they could do, I would eat every couple of hours and make sure you have a supply of glucose tablets on hand. For me a severe hypo is about 27, and I only had that type of reading once. If you drop below 40 and you treat it and your blood glucose does not rise in 15 minutes, you need to call for help. Don't get in your car and drive, this is dangerous. We are here to help you in anyway that we can, post as much as you want. And last but not least, try not to worry too much!

 

[BVFD320]

Shoot, below 40? A paramedic from my department had to pick me up when I was at 58. What I hate is that 15 minute wait between treatment and hopefully recovery. As far as the testing. My counselor is really against it cuz we're at the point where we don't know if it's all sugar related or if it's being caused by severe anxiety. Let's just say I've tested almost 150 times this month. Usually I can keep it around 100 times a month but this month's been bad.

 

[breezeonby]

Shoot, below 40? A paramedic from my department had to pick me up when I was at 58. What I hate is that 15 minute wait between treatment and hopefully recovery. As far as the testing. My counselor is really against it cuz we're at the point where we don't know if it's all sugar related or if it's being caused by severe anxiety. Let's just say I've tested almost 150 times this month. Usually I can keep it around 100 times a month but this month's been bad.

Everyone is different and I seem to be able to go low and don't feel it until it drops below 40. I have hypo unawareness and I have to hope that I feel a little light headed or begin to shake so I know when to test and treat. Since you don't know if it is diabetes, then there is no need to wait 15 minutes, treat asap. Eat or drink the fastest acting carbs made and regular soda is really fast, at least for me. You know there is no harm in testing and once you get things straightened out you can stop testing. Shoot there are some days when I test 10 times, but my average is 6 or 7 times per day. I can't see how your anxiety would cause your blood glucose to fall. I have suffered from anxiety and panic attack disorder for 30 years and I have experienced every symptom associated with anxiety. I have taken something for anxiety for many years and I have been told that I will always need to be on some type of medication for it. Are you taking any medication to help you with your anxiety?

 

[BVFD320]

Yeah I'm taking 150 mg Zoloft and 1 mg xanax up to 4 x daily.
My anxiety basically revolves around hypoglycemia cuz when I was 7 I passed out and my mom freaked and drug me to the hospital (scarry for a 7 y/o kid). They said I was hypo and thanks to her reinforcing that into my life for so long I developed a fear of going low, passing out, getting drug to the hospital and then panicking. Granted it's happened twice since February and I've noticed that when I actually do drop to the level where I need help I'm relatively calm. Guess it's mostly anticipatory.

 

[breezeonby]

Yeah I'm taking 150 mg Zoloft and 1 mg xanax up to 4 x daily.
My anxiety basically revolves around hypoglycemia cuz when I was 7 I passed out and my mom freaked and drug me to the hospital (scarry for a 7 y/o kid). They said I was hypo and thanks to her reinforcing that into my life for so long I developed a fear of going low, passing out, getting drug to the hospital and then panicking. Granted it's happened twice since February and I've noticed that when I actually do drop to the level where I need help I'm relatively calm. Guess it's mostly anticipatory.

Xanax is a good drug for anxiety. I know that many people feel that this is not a good drug, but it does work and very well. I have never been afraid of going low. But I have never needed the assistance of another person during a low episode. I guess this is a situation that you are going to have to learn how to get through the day. I think it would be a good idea for you to see an endocrinologist. I hope that there is something that can be done to keep you from going hypo.

 

[BVFD320]

More trouble

I stopped by the diabetes learning center run by the hospital here in town. The nurses there are stumped. They are suggesting I get a new primary care provider.

Tonight was interesting. I feel horrible. I was at church and I dropped to 83 may have been a combination of anxiety and sugar but i was really shaking so I drank a coke and took two glucose tabs. After it had come back up I ate a pack of those orange crackers with pb in them. I had gotten it up to 149. Within about 20 minutes I was down to 89. Then within about 10 minutes I was at 75 and very symptomatic. Shaking, couldn't really feel my legs, hands were ice cold, neasous, panicky. Took another glucose tab and the people at church made me drink another coke, eat a ham sandwich, and a pb cup. I really didn't want to eat. I felt so panicky I just wanted to lay down and curl up. Kinda thought: wow, this is it. I'm dying. Finally I started feeling better so one guy followed me home to make sure I got there.
IDK what to do cuz people keep telling me that in the low 80's and 70's I'm normal. But I don't feel normal. So I don't know what to do. I'm tired all the time.

 

[Shanny]

I think you need a new doc too . . . an endocrinologist! Nobody seems to doubt that something is seriously wrong, but the medical team can't just throw up their hands & do nothing! Hang on Julie, and rattle a few cages if you have the strength.

 

[BVFD320]

Closest endo my insurance will cover is 3 hours away. My med team is just throwing up their hands. Everytime I go I tell her I'm getting symptomatic around 83 and everytime she tells me that she is probably in the 60's at that moment. I don't care.

My counselor thinks I'm stuck on this, obsessed with it, and I am. She wants me to stop checking my sugar and so does my NP. But the ppl at the diabetes center advise against that advice.

People are trying to tell me that whatever's going on ain't sugar but if it's not then why do I feel better after I get my sugar up?

Is my anxiety causing the low sugar or is the low sugar causing the anxiety?

I slept like 9 hours last night and after church this morning I took a 3 hour nap.

It's hard for me to eat when my sugar drops cuz I feel like I'm gonna throw up.

I'm so sick of this. I'm tired of just sitting around the house. I want to run fire calls again. I wanna be able to go out and do stuff without having to pack a freaking refrigerator with me.